Mary Baker Eddy

NAME Mary Baker Eddy

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Mary Baker Eddy was the founder of Christian Science, a religious movement that emphasizes spiritual healing and the power of prayer. She authored Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, which outlines the principles of Christian Science.

BIRTH Mary Baker Eddy was born in a farmhouse in Bow, New Hampshire, on July 16, 1821.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Mary Baker Eddy was born to Mark Baker and Abigail Ambrose Baker on July 16, 1821, in Bow, New Hampshire. Her father, Mark Baker, was a prominent figure in their community, serving as a landowner, justice of the peace, and deacon of the Congregational church. Her mother, Abigail Ambrose Baker, was the daughter of Deacon Nathaniel Ambrose of Pembroke, New Hampshire.

Her father was known for his strong opinions and temper, while her mother was described as devout, quiet, and nurturing.

Mary Baker Eddy had three brothers and two sisters including Albert Baker, a lawyer who showed great promise in his career before passing away at the age of thirty-one.

Her family was deeply rooted in the Congregationalist faith, and her upbringing emphasized prayer and Bible study. Despite the family's strong religious background, Mary Baker Eddy's life took a distinct 

CHILDHOOD Mary Baker Eddy's childhood was marked by a strong emphasis on religion and a tumultuous relationship with her father, 

Mary spent much of her youth in New Hampshire during the 1830s suffering from obscure nervous disorders. Traditional physicians were unable to help her, but she found relief through alternative treatments like homeopathy and mesmerism.

Eddy was received into the Congregational Church in Tilton at the age of 17, 

EDUCATION Eddy's early education was interrupted by periods of illness, which often required her to stay at home. Despite these health issues, she was an avid reader and developed a strong interest in literature and theology. She studied extensively at home, including works by Shakespeare and Lindley Murray's English Grammar.

Formal schooling began at the Bow schoolhouse, but due to health reasons, she withdrew and continued her education under family tutelage. Later, she attended Sanbornton Academy and Holmes Academy in Plymouth, New Hampshire, after her family moved to Sanbornton Bridge (later renamed Tilton) in 1836. Her brother Albert Baker played a significant role in her education, teaching her ancient languages such as Hebrew, Greek, and Latin during his college vacations

CAREER RECORD 1875 Published Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, which became the textbook of Christian Science.  

1879 Founded the Church of Christ, Scientist.   

1881 Established the Massachusetts Metaphysical College in 1881.   

1908 Established The Christian Science Monitor, an influential newspaper, in 1908.

APPEARANCE Mary Baker Eddy was described as a petite woman with delicate features and a commanding presence. She had light-colored eyes and wavy hair, which she often wore in an elegant updo. In later years, she was known for her dignified and somewhat regal bearing.

Eddy in the 1850s

FASHION She dressed conservatively but with refinement, favoring long dresses with lace and high collars often in dark colors, which reflected the modesty and dignity of her era. In her later years, her attire became more elaborate, reflecting her social status.

CHARACTER Eddy was known for her strong will, deep faith, and determination.  She was also described as being sensitive, intuitive, and deeply spiritual.

Eddy was a visionary leader who overcame personal struggles to establish a religious movement that attracted thousands of followers. 

SPEAKING VOICE Her voice was described as clear and authoritative, with a calm yet compelling tone that conveyed both conviction and warmth.

SENSE OF HUMOUR Mary Baker Eddy was known for her sharp intellect and serious demeanor, but those close to her noted that she had a dry wit and a keen sense of irony. Despite the weighty theological matters she often engaged with, she could lighten conversations with humorous observations, particularly about human nature and the medical profession, which she viewed with skepticism. 

One notable example comes from her interactions with students and colleagues. She once said, "I like to have my students laugh. A good laugh often breaks mesmerism." (1)

Another example of her humor is from her collaboration with artist James Gilman. During the creation of an illustration for her poem "Christ and Christmas," she requested a book to be in the woman's hand but laughed when she saw the drawing, saying it suggested "a book agent" making a door-to-door sales call. (2)

RELATIONSHIPS Mary Baker Eddy was married three times:

Her first Marriage to George Washington Glover. Their wedding on December 10, 1843 was held at the Baker home in Sanbornton Bridge, New Hampshire.  Glover died on June 27, 1844, in Wilmington, North Carolina, after six months of marriage due to yellow fever.

Her second marriage was to Daniel Patterson on June 21, 1853. They lived in Franklin, New Hampshire, after the marriage. The couple divorced on November 4, 1873, after twenty years of marriage, with the grounds officially stated as abandonment.

Eddy's third Marriage was to Asa Gilbert Eddy, a devoted supporter of her work, on January 1, 1877. The wedding took place in the parlor of her house at 8 Broad Street, Lynn, Massachusetts. It was officiated by Unitarian minister Samuel B. Stewart. Asa Gilbert Eddy died on June 3, 1882, after five years of marriage.

Asa Gilbert Eddy (1826–1882)

Mary Baker Eddy had one child, George Washington Glover II, born on September 12, 1844. He was the son of her first husband, George Washington Glover, who died before the child's birth. Due to her poor health and financial difficulties, Eddy was forced by her family to give up her son to the care of the Russell Cheney family (also referred to as Mahala Cheney in some sources), who initially lived in North Groton, New Hampshire, and later moved to Minnesota in 1856

Eddy did not see her son again until he was 35 years old, in 1879. Despite this separation, George Washington Glover II maintained contact with his mother in later years and even visited her in New Hampshire.

In 1888 she adopted Ebenezer Foster Eddy, a 41-year-old homoeopathic physician, as her son, with the hope of having a close family relationship and someone to support her in her work and personal life. Initially, she was enthusiastic about the arrangement, seeing Foster as a potential successor and someone who could provide the devotion and loyalty she sought.

However, over time, Eddy became disillusioned with Foster. She realized that he did not share her total devotion to Christian Science, which led to a strained relationship. Foster was eventually banished from her inner circle, and his role in the church diminished significantly. Despite this, both Foster and Eddy's biological son, George Glover, received inheritances from her estate upon her death.

In 1877, she turned down a marriage proposal from one of her students, Daniel Spofford. A year later, she took him to court, accusing him of practicing mesmerism—a case that became infamous as the so-called "second Salem witch trial."

MONEY AND FAME Although she struggled financially for much of her early life, Eddy later became one of the most influential religious leaders in America, amassing significant wealth through the Christian Science movement. Her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, became a best-seller, and her leadership of the Christian Science Church brought her considerable recognition. Despite facing criticism and legal battles, she maintained control over her teachings and organization.

FOOD AND DRINK Mary Baker Eddy typically ate a simple breakfast of mush (cornmeal), cream, and oranges every day. Her other meals could be more substantial, featuring dishes like traditional New England boiled dinner (corned beef and vegetables), creamed lobster, oyster stew, lamb chops, pork chops, chicken or turkey croquettes, and various soups and bisques.

Her household at Pleasant View in Concord, New Hampshire, grew many fruits and vegetables, including apples, raspberries, strawberries, potatoes, beans, beets, and peas. These were often served fresh or used in cooking. 

Eddy was particularly fond of salt pork, and her household would butcher pigs annually to preserve salt pork in barrels. While she ate meat throughout her life, she consumed less of it in her later years, occasionally having liver or chicken (3)

Baker was a strong advocate for temperance and abstinence from intoxicating drinks. She believed that alcohol use was contrary to Christian Science principles and signed a temperance pledge early in her life.

Eddy emphasized a spiritual approach to eating, believing that food should not control one's actions. She encouraged her followers to understand that true satisfaction comes from spiritual understanding rather than material consumption.

MUSIC AND ARTS Eddy had a deep appreciation for music, which she saw as a divine expression of harmony and spirituality. She believed that music could uplift the soul and bring people closer to God. In her later years, she enjoyed listening to music played on the piano and Victrola at her home in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Her favorite hymns included "Watchman, Tell Us of the Night," "Jesus Lover of My Soul," and "Nearer My God to Thee". Eddy's love for music was not just passive; she also sang with a robust and reverent voice, often joining her household staff in hymns during Sunday gatherings. (3)

Eddy was involved in the arts, particularly in the creation of visual works. One notable example is her poem "Christ and Christmas," which was illustrated with charcoal and wash drawings by artist James Franklin Gilman. 

LITERATURE Eddy was a prolific writer, best known for Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, first published in 1875 after years of study and reflection. The book became the foundational text of Christian Science, teaching that sickness was an illusion to be overcome through right thinking. The book uses her surname (Glover) from her first husband, and therefore was before her marriage to Asa Gilbert Eddy, in 1877. She began to call herself Mary Baker Eddy after that. 

Eddy was a prolific writer of poetry and prose. Her writings often explored themes of spirituality, healing, and personal growth. She contributed to various magazines and newspapers, using her writing as a tool to spread her teachings and inspire her followers.

NATURE Though much of her life was spent in urban settings, Eddy had a deep appreciation for nature. She often referenced natural imagery in her writings, using it as a metaphor for divine creation and spiritual truth. Her early years in rural New Hampshire likely influenced her lifelong reverence for the natural world.

PETS Eddy was fond of animals, particularly dogs. She reportedly had a small dog named "Bo Peep" in her later years, and she spoke of animals with warmth and affection. She believed that all of God's creatures reflected divine love.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Eddy did not engage in sports, but she enjoyed intellectual pursuits such as reading, writing, and deep theological study. She also had a love for horseback riding in her younger years.

SCIENCE AND MATHS Eddy’s views on science were unconventional. She rejected traditional medical science, believing that illness was not a physical reality but a mental and spiritual condition that could be healed through Christian Science. While she did not engage directly with mathematics or physical sciences, her teachings often used logical argumentation and structured reasoning.

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE Mary Baker Eddy grew up in a household that took its Congregationalist faith seriously. From an early age, she suffered from a variety of ailments, most of which 19th-century doctors could do very little about, largely because their standard treatments ranged from the dubious (bloodletting) to the actively horrifying (mercury pills).

Then, in 1866, Eddy had what can only be described as an epiphany. After sustaining a nasty fall, she read a passage in the Bible and, as she later put it, was spontaneously healed—without so much as an aspirin. Convinced she had stumbled upon something revolutionary, she set about developing the principles of Christian Science, a religious movement that, among other things, holds that illness is essentially a misunderstanding of God’s divine perfection.

In 1875, she published Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, a book that laid out these principles in detail. It became the foundational text of Christian Science and is still widely read today—though, one imagines, with varying degrees of comprehension. Eddy also founded several publications, including The Christian Science Journal and The Christian Science Sentinel, as well as The Christian Science Monitor, a daily newspaper that has won multiple Pulitzer Prizes and remains one of the more improbable success stories in American journalism.

Not content with simply writing books and launching newspapers, Eddy also founded the Massachusetts Metaphysical College in 1881, where she trained hundreds of students—mostly women—to become Christian Science practitioners. From there, her teachings spread rapidly, leading to the establishment of Christian Science churches across the United States and beyond.

In the early 20th century, Christian Science became one of the fastest-growing religions in America, attracting thousands of devoted followers. However, by the mid-20th century, its numbers began to dwindle—perhaps because the advent of modern medicine made the idea of rejecting antibiotics in favor of prayer a somewhat harder sell.

One of the more curious aspects of Christian Science is its public Reading Rooms, which you may have walked past in various cities and assumed were some sort of genteel bookshop. They serve as places where anyone can pop in and peruse the teachings of Christian Science, though whether they come out with a completely new understanding of reality is another matter entirely.

The movement has also drawn its fair share of criticism, particularly over its rejection of medical treatment. While Christian Science practitioners maintain that spiritual healing is the most effective approach to wellness, many outside observers have been less convinced.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Christian Science is, at its core, a belief system based on the idea that spiritual understanding trumps physical reality. Some of its main tenets include:

God as Love – Christian Science holds that God is a benevolent and all-powerful presence governing the universe through spiritual laws, which is certainly more comforting than some alternative interpretations.

Spiritual Healing – Practitioners believe that sickness (like sin) is essentially an illusion that can be corrected through prayer and proper spiritual alignment.

The Role of Jesus – Jesus is revered as the ultimate "Way-shower," which is not a term you hear every day but essentially means he demonstrated divine love and healing in a way others should follow.

The Nature of Reality – Perhaps most intriguingly, Christian Science posits that reality itself is fundamentally spiritual, with the physical world being something of a mirage. This raises all sorts of fascinating questions, such as: if matter is an illusion, why does stubbing your toe hurt so much?

POLITICS  While Eddy did not engage directly in politics, she lived during a time of great social change in the United States, particularly concerning women's rights and religious freedom. As a woman leading a religious movement in the 19th century, she faced resistance from traditional religious institutions and skeptics. However, her leadership and writings influenced many, positioning her as a significant figure in discussions on spiritual healing and individual liberty.

SCANDAL Eddy's rise to prominence was not without controversy. Skeptics and critics accused her of plagiarism, particularly in relation to her seminal work, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Some detractors also questioned the legitimacy of her healing methods and leadership style, suggesting she exercised strict control over her followers. Despite these challenges, she maintained her influence and continued to grow the Christian Science movement.

MILITARY RECORD Christian Science principles, particularly the belief in spiritual healing, have been used by some Christian Science practitioners in times of war to pray for soldiers and promote healing.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Eddy’s views on health were central to her theology. She rejected traditional medical treatments in favor of spiritual healing, believing that illness was a manifestation of incorrect thinking or a lack of spiritual alignment. Her teachings encouraged reliance on prayer rather than medicine, a practice that remains a defining characteristic of Christian Science today.

HOMES Throughout her life, Eddy lived in various homes across New England. One of her most notable residences was her final home at 400 Beacon Street in the Chestnut Hill section of Newton, Massachusetts. This grand estate served as her place of work and reflection during the last years of her life.

$00 Beacon Street. Originally posted to Flickr by Thomas Kelley

TRAVEL Eddy’s travels were primarily within the United States, as she worked to spread Christian Science and establish her church. She relocated multiple times throughout New England, including living in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. However, her teachings reached a global audience, influencing followers across Europe and beyond.

In her later years, Eddy enjoyed daily carriage rides, which provided her with solitude, recreation, and time for reflection. These rides allowed her to connect with nature and find peace, often describing them as moments of communion with God

DEATH Mary Baker Eddy passed away on December 3, 1910, at the age of 89, due to pneumonia at her home in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Despite her teachings on spiritual healing, she was frequently attended by physicians in her later years, reflecting the complexities of her views on medicine and spirituality.

Her funeral was held on December 8, 1910. The service was private, reflecting her preference for simplicity and humility. The ceremony was attended by close family members and key figures from the Christian Science movement.

Eddy was initially buried in a temporary receiving tomb at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her final resting place was chosen for its beauty and historical significance; Mount Auburn is known as America's first "garden cemetery," established in 1831.

On January 26, 1911, her casket was transferred to its permanent location on the shore of Halcyon Lake within the cemetery. The burial site was designed to be a sarcophagus, with her oak casket embedded in a layer of steel-reinforced concrete. A copper box containing her published writings was placed on top of the casket before it was sealed.

In 1914, the Christian Science Board of Directors announced plans to erect a memorial at her burial site. The design by Egerton Swartwout, a prominent New York architect, was chosen in 1914. Construction began in June 1915 and was completed in 1917. The memorial is an open-air mausoleum made of Bethel, Vermont white granite, featuring carvings of wild roses (her favorite flower), morning glories, a sheaf of wheat, and the lamp of wisdom. The design includes no roof, symbolizing the connection between the grave and the sky. 

Mary Baker Eddy monument in Mount Auburn Cemetery by Rhododendrites

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Eddy’s life and work have been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and articles. Her legacy continues to be examined in religious studies and historical analyses. The Christian Science Monitor, a newspaper she founded in 1908, remains one of her most enduring contributions to media.

ACHIEVEMENTS Founded a major religious movement, Christian Science.   

Authored a widely influential religious text, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.   

Founded the Christian Science Monitor, an internationally respected newspaper, which has won multiple Pulitzer Prizes.

 Her influence on religious thought and spiritual healing endures to this day.

Sources (1) Emma C. Shipman, "Mrs. Eddy and the Class of 1898," We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, p. 142 (2) Longyear (3) Mary Baker Library