Edgeworth, Maria (1767-1849), was an Irish writer. She wrote several novels about Irish life, the best known of which are Castle Rackrent (1800), The Absentee (1812), and Ormond (1817). She also played a part in the creation of a literature for children in books such as Moral Tales (1801) and Harry and Lucy (1825). Edgeworth was born in Black Bourton, in the county of Oxfordshire, England. She lived mainly in Edgeworthstown, in County Longford, Ireland.