Few records of Mary Astell's life have survived. As biographer Ruth Perry explains: "as a woman she had little or no business in the world of commerce, politics, or law. She was born, she died; she owned a small house for some years; she kept a bank account; she helped to open a charity school in Chelsea: these facts the public listings can supply."[4] Only four of her letters were saved and these because they had been written to important men of the period. Researching the biography, Perry uncovered more letters and manuscript fragments, but she notes that if Astell had not written to wealthy aristocrats who could afford to pass down entire estates, very little of her life would have survived.[5]
Mary Astell was born in Newcastle upon Tyne on 12 November 1666, to Peter and Mary (Errington) Astell.[6] Her parents had two other children, William, who died in infancy, and Peter, her younger brother.[6][7] She was baptised in St John's Church in Newcastle.[8] Her family was upper-middle class and lived in Newcastle throughout her early childhood. Her father was a coal merchant, a clerk within the Hostmen of Newcastle upon Tyne and a conservative royalist Anglican.[1][9] Mary's mother's father was also a coal merchant and a member of the Hostmen guild.[9] Due to her family's success within the coal business her family had grown to achieve relative affluence. At the time of Mary's birth, her family was not part of the gentry. Within the year of Mary's birth her family would be elevated in status after an ancestor's augmentation.[9] Mary received no formal education, although she did receive an informal education from her uncle Ralph Astell; he was a Cambridge graduate[10] and a former clergyman whose alcoholism had prompted his suspension from the Church of England.[11] Though suspended from the Church, he was affiliated with the Cambridge-based philosophical school that based its teachings around philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato, and Pythagoras.[12] Her father died when she was 12 years old,[1] leaving her without a dowry. With the remainder of the family finances invested in her brother's higher education, Mary and her mother moved to live with Mary's aunt.
After moving in with her aunt, little is known about Mary Astell's life until she was in her early twenties. It is possible that she continued to receive informal education from her uncle, but there is no concrete evidence. It is possible that Mary's lack of a dowry and her family's financial situation may have limited her opportunities for further education or advancement. It is not known if she had any close friends or if she was involved in any romantic relationships. It is unclear if she was involved in any political or social causes during this time, although her later writings suggest an interest in issues related to women's education and equality.
