Maria Edgeworth was an Anglo-Irish author of adult and children's literature who lived from January 1, 1768, to May 22, 1849. She was a pioneer in the development of the novel in Europe and one of the first realist writers in children's literature. She had progressive views on estate management, politics, and education for a lady of her day, and corresponded with some of the most prominent literary and economic thinkers of the time, including Sir Walter Scott and David Ricardo.