Beatrix Potter was born in 1866 and grew up living the conventionally sheltered life of a Victorian girl in a well-to-do household. She didn't go to school but was educated at home in London by governesses, and so had few opportunities to mix with other children.

Her only brother, Bertram, was six years younger, and when he was away at school, Beatrix's constant companions were the pet animals she kept in the school room. She would watch them for hours, studying their behaviour and sketching them with great skill.

Each summer Beatrix Potter's father leased a country house for three months, at first in Scotland and later in the Lake District. On these extended holidays Beatrix and Bertram were able to explore the countryside and learn about plants and animals from their own observation.