Mary Edwards (c. 1750 – September 1815) was a
human computer
The term "computer", in use from the early 17th century (the first known written reference dates from 1613), meant "one who computes": a person performing mathematical calculations, before electronic computers became commercially available. Ala ...
for
the British Nautical Almanac and one of a very few women paid directly by the
Board of Longitude
The Commissioners for the Discovery of the Longitude at Sea, or more popularly Board of Longitude, was a British government body formed in 1714 to administer a scheme of prizes intended to encourage innovators to solve the problem of finding lon ...
, and to earn a living from scientific work at the time.
She was one of 35 human computers who calculated the position of the sun, moon and planets at different times of day for annual
nautical almanac
A nautical almanac is a publication describing the positions of a selection of celestial bodies for the purpose of enabling navigators to use celestial navigation to determine the position of their ship while at sea. The Almanac specifies for eac ...
s used for navigation at sea.
Work
Edwards was introduced to the almanac project and to
Nevil Maskelyne
Nevil Maskelyne (; 6 October 1732 – 9 February 1811) was the fifth British Astronomer Royal. He held the office from 1765 to 1811. He was the first person to scientifically measure the mass of the planet Earth. He created the ''British Nau ...
, the fifth English Astronomer Royal, through her clergyman husband the Revd John Edwards (c 1748–1784)
'Shropshire Star'' report, 11 May 2016. who had taken on piece-work as a computer to supplement the family income and received payment for work on 6 months' worth of each almanac from 1773 until his death in 1784. It was revealed that Mary had done most of the calculations when she wrote to Maskelyne to ask if she could continue work to support herself and her daughters after her husband's death. On her husband's death Mary Edwards officially took over his computing work on a full-time basis and as her sole source of income. Maskelyne may have known all along that she undertook the calculations because he had visited the family on several occasions. However, when Maskelyne died in 1811 she found that the new Astronomer Royal
John Pond
John Pond FRS (1767 – 7 September 1836) was a renowned English astronomer who became the sixth Astronomer Royal, serving from 1811 to 1835.
Biography
Pond was born in London and, although the year of his birth is known, the records indica ...
did not give her enough work. The Board of Longitude eventually ruled that Pond should continue to allocate work to her.
Over time, her reputation for reliability and accuracy meant she could take on more work. She continued until her death in 1815.
Family
Her daughter,
Eliza Edwards (1779-1846), also worked as a computer, initially helping from a young age and then independently after her mother's death in 1815. She continued to work for the
Nautical Almanac
A nautical almanac is a publication describing the positions of a selection of celestial bodies for the purpose of enabling navigators to use celestial navigation to determine the position of their ship while at sea. The Almanac specifies for eac ...
until 1832, at which date computing work was centralised in London and in the new
HM Nautical Almanac Office
His Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office (HMNAO), now part of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, was established in 1832 on the site of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich (ROG), where ''The Nautical Almanac'' had been published since 1767. HMNAO ...
there was no place for women employees as
Civil Service rules made the employment of women very difficult.
Recognition
The
minor planet
According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''mino ...
12627 Maryedwards was named in her honour.
[Lutz D. Schmadel, ''Dictionary of Minor Planet Names: Sixth Revised and Enlarged Edition'' (Heidelberg tc. Springer, 2012), p. 823.]
In 2016 Ludlow Civic Society decided to put a Blue Plaque on her former home in 4 Brand Lane,
Ludlow
Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...
, Shropshire, in recognition of her services as the first female "computer".
[
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See also
*List of female mathematicians
This is a list of women who have made noteworthy contributions to or achievements in mathematics. These include mathematical research, mathematics education, the history and philosophy of mathematics, public outreach, and mathematics contests.
...
*Women in computing
Women in computing were among the first programmers in the early 20th century, and contributed substantially to the industry. As technology and practices altered, the role of women as programmers has changed, and the recorded history of the fiel ...
*Women in the workforce
Since the industrial revolution, participation of women in the workforce outside the home has increased in industrialized nations, with particularly large growth seen in the 20th century. Largely seen as a boon for industrial society, women in ...
* History of science
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Mary
1815 deaths
British women mathematicians
Human computers
18th-century British mathematicians
19th-century British mathematicians
18th-century British women scientists
19th-century British women scientists
People from Ludlow