Maths genius among women celebrated
Mother of modern computing Ada Lovelace
THE ‘MOTHER’ of modern computing who lived in a village near Hinckley was among a raft of remarkable women recognised as part of this year’s International Women’s Day.
Ada Lovelace, who spent her first years in Kirkby Mallory, is one of 28 individuals whose stories was put forward to the National Heritage List by fellows of The Royal Society.
The women were chosen for their ground-breaking work in all fields of science, stretching back to the 1700s.
In championing their achievements the aim is to show that while women have been leading the way in sci- ence and engineering for centuries, their stories have simply been less widely known.
As well as Ada, the daughter of volatile, romantic poet Lord Byron and Anne, Lady Byron, the list contains the famous Florence Nightingale and Beatrix Potter - though for her theory on fungi rather than her interest in Peter Rabbit - as well as women whose names would be obscure to most of the population.
Their trailblazing exploits range from being the first woman to be paid for her contribution to astronomy to a Victorian botanical illustrator who worked from a remote hut in the Brazilian rainforest for a year.
The places where these scientists lived and worked are being uncovered through the collaboration with their stories being added over time to the National Heritage List.
Tracey Crouch, Heritage Minister, said: “The important role women have played in the field of British science is too often forgotten. This excellent project by Historic England and The Royal Society recognises the varied and notable contributions they made and will help raise awareness of these pioneering women scientists.”
Ada is regarded as one of the world’s first computer programmers. She was just a babe in arms when her parents separated and her mother Anne took her to live at Kirkby Mallory Hall, the home of Anne’s parents.
A supremely bright girl, Ada was firmly schooled in maths and science and she was fascinated by designing boats and machines.
She left Kirby Mallory when she was six, after the death of her grandmother and she was taken to live in the south of England.
As an adult she befriended inventor, mathematician, scientist and politician, Charles Babbage who came up with the idea of a conceptual analytical engine - a computer. Ada’s notes on his work are now seen as pioneering text describing computer software.
Ada died at just 36 from womb cancer and her mother erected a memorial in her name - a beautifully inscribed gothic arch in the grounds of All Saints Church in Kirkby Mallory.