Mary Astell was born November 12, 1666, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, into a family of coal merchants. This fact itself is interesting, since it means that she was a member of the comfortable middle class. Her circumstances became considerably less comfortable when her father died in 1678, when Astell was twelve, leaving her without a dowry, and hence, without prospects. Around 1684, and following the death of her mother, Astell took what seems to be a rather startling step: She transferred herself from Newcastle to London, away from what family she had left, apparently to live alone in a town without family. Scholars are tantalizingly ignorant of the circumstances that prompted this move and of Astell's prospects in London.

While things do not seem to have gone well for her initially, by 1695 she had established herself in Chelsea, enjoying the patronage of Lady Catherine Jones (1672–1740), and surrounded by a circle...