Mary Hogarth Dickens' first child was named Mary in her memory. Hogarth was the daughter of George Hogarth (1783–1870), a music critic, cellist and composer, and Georgina Hogarth Thompson (1793–1863). She was born in Edinburgh, where her father was a legal advisor to Walter Scott, whom the young Charles Dickens greatly admired. She was the fourth of ten children, and the third daughter. Hogarth was named after her paternal grandmother. The name Mary Scott had previously been given to George and Georgina's third child, born 1817 or 1818, who was an infant when she died. Mary and her sister Catherine first met
Hogarth Painting the Comic Muse pile of old master paintings. The print of "Hogarth Painting the Comic Muse" went through several alterations mostly relating to the inscription at the bottom of the page. In the second state, the inscription read: "W Hogarth Sergeant Painter to His Majesty. The Face Engrav'd by W Hogarth and Publish'd as the Act directs". The third state omits "and", while adding "March 29, 1758" to the end. The fourth state omits "The Face Engrav'd by W Hogarth". In the fifth state, "Sergeant Painter" is scratched out, while changes have now also been made to the engraving itself; the Muse's face