How was Maria Edgeworth connected to Anna Seward and Honora Sneyd?

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The connection between Maria Edgeworth, Anna Seward, and Honora Sneyd is rooted in the domestic life of the Edgeworth family. Honora Sneyd, who was taken in by the Seward family at age five and became a deeply cherished companion to Anna Seward, married Richard Lovell Edgeworth in 1773.1

Following this marriage, Honora moved to Ireland, where she assumed the role of stepmother to Richard’s children from his previous marriage, including the future novelist Maria Edgeworth. Consequently, Maria Edgeworth was the stepdaughter of Anna Seward’s closest friend, Honora Sneyd. The departure of Honora to live with the Edgeworth family caused Anna Seward significant emotional distress, a sentiment she frequently expressed in her own literary works and correspondence.1