Elaine Mason is a British nurse who became widely known because of her relationship with renowned physicist Stephen Hawking. She worked as part of the nursing team caring for Hawking and later became his second wife. The couple married in 1995, shortly after Hawking’s divorce from his first wife, Jane Wilde, and remained married until 2006.
Although most public interest in Elaine Mason comes from her connection to Stephen Hawking, her own life included a nursing career and family life before and after their marriage. Her story has also received renewed attention because of The Theory of Everything, the 2014 film about Hawking and his first marriage.
This article looks at Elaine Mason’s background, career, family, relationship with Stephen Hawking, marriage and divorce, and what is publicly known about her later life.
Elaine Mason at a Glance
Elaine Mason is best known as a nurse and as the second wife of Stephen Hawking. She worked as one of the nurses involved in his care before their relationship became personal. The official Stephen Hawking estate describes her as a former nurse who married Hawking in 1995.
Reliable public sources do not establish a complete set of personal details about Elaine Mason. In particular, her exact date of birth, current age, and precise birthplace are not consistently documented by authoritative sources. Some biographical accounts identify her as Elaine Sybil Lawson before her first marriage, but details about her childhood and education remain limited in reliable public records.
Mason was previously married to David Mason, a computer engineer who worked on technology connected with Hawking’s communication system. The couple had two sons.
Her best-known marriage was to Stephen Hawking. They married in 1995 and divorced in 2006.
There is no reliable public financial record that establishes Elaine Mason’s net worth. Figures published on celebrity and biography websites should therefore be treated as estimates rather than verified facts.
Early Life and Family Background
Public information about Elaine Mason’s early life is relatively limited. Unlike Stephen Hawking, whose childhood, education and scientific career have been extensively documented, Mason has generally maintained a much lower public profile.
A 2004 Vanity Fair profile identified her as Elaine Sybil Lawson and reported that she was born in Hereford. The same account said that she spent four years working at an orphanage in Bangladesh before marrying David Mason.
The article also described Mason as coming from a religious family and identified her father as Reverend Henry Lawson. However, detailed information about her mother, siblings and wider family is not well established in major public sources.
Because information about Elaine Mason’s private life is limited, it is better to avoid repeating unsupported claims about her parents, siblings or childhood as fact.
Education and Nursing Career
Elaine Mason built her professional life around nursing and caregiving. Before becoming closely associated with Stephen Hawking, she worked as a nurse and had experience caring for others.
Her nursing career became especially significant when she joined the team caring for Hawking, whose motor neuron disease had progressively affected his movement and ability to communicate. The Stephen Hawking Estate confirms that Mason was one of the nurses who cared for him before they married.
Her first husband, David Mason, also had an important connection to Hawking. According to the National Academies biography of Hawking, David Mason was a computer engineer who worked on adapting Hawking’s computer so it could be mounted on his wheelchair. The Masons had two children at the time.
Reliable sources do not provide enough information to confidently describe Elaine Mason’s formal education, nursing qualifications or specific institutions she attended. For that reason, those details should not be filled in with unverified online claims.
Elaine Mason and Stephen Hawking
Elaine Mason became connected to Stephen Hawking through her work as a nurse. She was part of the care team supporting him during a period when his physical condition required extensive assistance.
Their professional relationship eventually developed into a romantic relationship. Hawking separated from his first wife, Jane, in 1990 and moved into a flat with Elaine Mason. Contemporary biographical accounts describe Mason as one of the nurses who had been caring for him for several years.
The relationship attracted significant public attention because Hawking was already one of the world’s most famous scientists. His personal life was also closely followed because of his long marriage to Jane and the challenges created by his illness and growing international fame.
Marriage to Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking and Elaine Mason married in September 1995, following Hawking’s divorce from Jane Wilde earlier that year. The Stephen Hawking Estate confirms that Hawking married Mason in 1995 and that their marriage lasted until their divorce in 2006.
Their marriage received considerable media attention. Hawking’s family relationships were also affected during this period, although accounts of the private dynamics of the marriage differ.
In later accounts, Hawking described his marriage to Elaine as complicated but also credited her nursing care with helping him. At the same time, various allegations about the relationship appeared in the press. It is important to distinguish those reports from facts established by official records.
Elaine Mason’s First Marriage and Children
Before marrying Stephen Hawking, Elaine Mason was married to David Mason. He was a computer engineer and had a professional connection with Hawking because of his work developing technology that helped Hawking communicate.
Elaine and David Mason had two sons. Their family was already connected socially with the Hawking family before Elaine became Hawking’s partner.
Information about Mason’s children is limited, and they have largely remained outside the public spotlight. As a result, detailed claims about their personal lives should be treated cautiously.
Elaine Mason did not have children with Stephen Hawking. Hawking already had three children—Robert, Lucy and Timothy—from his first marriage to Jane Wilde.
Divorce From Stephen Hawking
Elaine Mason and Stephen Hawking divorced in 2006 after approximately 11 years of marriage. The official Stephen Hawking website confirms the 2006 divorce.
The years leading up to the divorce attracted substantial media attention. There were reports of concerns about Hawking’s treatment and allegations of abuse. Hawking denied the allegations, and police investigated the concerns but did not pursue the matter after he declined to make a formal complaint.
Because the allegations were disputed and the investigation did not result in a criminal finding against Mason, they should not be presented as proven facts.
After the divorce, Hawking became closer again to Jane, his children and his grandchildren. The official Hawking biography describes this later period as one in which his family relationships became stronger.
Elaine Mason’s Life After Stephen Hawking
Compared with Stephen Hawking, Elaine Mason has kept a relatively private life following their divorce. There is limited reliable information about her later career, relationships or daily life.
This lack of information has led to numerous online claims about where Elaine Mason is today and what she has been doing since her divorce. However, many of those claims are not supported by strong primary sources.
The safest conclusion is that Mason largely stepped away from the public spotlight. There is no well-established public record that provides a detailed account of her personal life in the years following her marriage to Hawking.
Elaine Mason’s Age, Birthday and Personal Details
One of the most difficult aspects of researching Elaine Mason is finding reliable information about her exact age and date of birth.
Some published accounts provide an approximate age or birth year, while others give specific dates without citing a dependable source. A Vanity Fair profile published in 2004 described Mason as having been almost 40 in 1990, but this does not establish an exact birth date.
For that reason, her exact birthday and current age should not be stated as confirmed unless supported by a reliable primary or high-quality biographical source.
What is well documented is her profession as a nurse, her marriage to David Mason, her two sons, her marriage to Stephen Hawking in 1995 and their divorce in 2006.
Elaine Mason’s Net Worth
There is no reliable, publicly verified figure for Elaine Mason’s net worth.
Some websites publish estimated figures, but these numbers generally do not provide enough evidence to establish Mason’s actual assets, income or financial position. It would therefore be misleading to present a specific dollar amount as fact.
Elaine Mason’s known professional background is primarily in nursing. Her marriage to Stephen Hawking also placed her in a financially prominent public story, but that does not provide enough information to calculate her personal wealth.
For readers searching for “Elaine Mason net worth,” the most accurate answer is that her net worth is not publicly verified. Any precise figure found online should be treated as an estimate rather than an established fact.
Elaine Mason in The Theory of Everything
Elaine Mason is also connected with The Theory of Everything, the 2014 biographical drama about Stephen Hawking and Jane Wilde.
The film was based primarily on Jane Hawking’s memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen. Elaine Mason appears as a character in the story, and British actress Maxine Peake portrayed her.
The film focuses mainly on Hawking’s relationship with Jane and his early scientific career, so Mason is not the central figure. Her portrayal is therefore only one part of a much larger story.
As with many biographical films, viewers should remember that a movie is a dramatized interpretation rather than a complete historical record. Details presented on screen may be simplified or rearranged for storytelling.
Final Thoughts on Elaine Mason
Elaine Mason is best known for her work as a nurse and for her relationship with Stephen Hawking. Her career brought her into Hawking’s life as a caregiver, and their relationship eventually led to their marriage in 1995. They remained married for around 11 years before divorcing in 2006.
Her earlier life also included a marriage to David Mason and two children, while her professional background included nursing and caregiving. Much of the information available about Elaine Mason today, however, comes from her connection to Hawking rather than from detailed records of her own life.
For that reason, the most reliable biography of Elaine Mason is one that clearly separates documented facts from estimates, rumors and claims that cannot be independently confirmed.
FAQs
Who is Elaine Mason?
Elaine Mason is a British nurse who became widely known after marrying physicist Stephen Hawking. She worked as one of the nurses involved in his care before they married in 1995.
How old is Elaine Mason?
Elaine Mason’s exact date of birth has not been reliably established in major authoritative sources. Some published accounts provide approximate information, but her precise current age should not be treated as confirmed.
When was Elaine Mason born?
A dependable public source does not clearly establish Elaine Mason’s exact date of birth. Some biographies give approximate birth information, but these details are inconsistent.
Was Elaine Mason a nurse?
Yes. Elaine Mason worked as a nurse and was part of the nursing team caring for Stephen Hawking. Her professional relationship with Hawking later developed into a personal relationship.
Who was Elaine Mason married to?
Elaine Mason was first married to David Mason, a computer engineer, and later married Stephen Hawking. She and Hawking married in 1995 and divorced in 2006.
When did Elaine Mason marry Stephen Hawking?
Stephen Hawking married Elaine Mason in September 1995, following his divorce from Jane Wilde.
When did Elaine Mason and Stephen Hawking divorce?
Elaine Mason and Stephen Hawking divorced in 2006.
Did Elaine Mason have children?
Yes. Elaine Mason and her first husband, David Mason, had two sons. She did not have children with Stephen Hawking.
Who was Elaine Mason’s first husband?
Her first husband was David Mason, a computer engineer who worked on technology associated with Stephen Hawking’s communication system.
What is Elaine Mason’s net worth?
Elaine Mason’s net worth has not been publicly verified. Online figures should therefore be regarded as estimates rather than confirmed financial information.
Where is Elaine Mason now?
Elaine Mason has largely stayed out of the public spotlight since her divorce from Stephen Hawking. Reliable public sources provide little current information about her private life.
Who played Elaine Mason in The Theory of Everything?
British actress Maxine Peake played Elaine Mason in The Theory of Everything, released in 2014.
