Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria) Mason

Born in Bangor, Wales, on January 1, 1842, Charlotte Mason trained as a teacher and went on to become one of the most influential educational thinkers of her time. She is best known for urging parents and teachers to treat children as whole persons, capable of engaging with serious ideas, literature, art, and the natural world.

In the 1890s she settled in Ambleside, England, where she founded the House of Education, a training college for teachers. She also played a leading role in the Parents' National Educational Union and wrote extensively about education, including the six-volume series later collected as The Original Homeschooling Series.

Mason died on January 16, 1923, but her work continued to travel far beyond her own era. Her emphasis on living books, habits, narration, and time outdoors still resonates with many families and educators looking for an education that is both disciplined and humane.