Michael Faraday’s mother Margaret had the maiden surname Hastwell.
Biographical accounts identify her as Margaret Hastwell before her marriage to James Faraday. The couple came from northern England: Margaret was associated with the rural Westmorland area, while James trained as a blacksmith. They moved their family to London around the winter of 1790, shortly before Michael’s birth.
Margaret and James raised four children, with Michael the third. The family lived with limited means, and Margaret’s care was especially important because Michael received only a basic formal education. His later scientific development depended heavily on self-education, reading, and practical opportunities in London.
Several names in this quiz can look plausible because they belong to other people connected with Faraday. Jane Marcet was the author whose chemistry book inspired him; George Riebau was his bookbinding employer and mentor; and Sarah Barnard was the woman he married. None was his mother’s maiden surname. “Hastwell” refers specifically to Margaret before her marriage, not to a scientific colleague or later member of Faraday’s household.