Lovelace to appear on £50?
A VICTORIAN mathematician with North East roots is among the frontrunners to feature on the new £50 note.
Ada Lovelace, Professors Stephen Hawking and Dorothy Hodgkin, the only British female to win a Nobel prize for science, are among the other favourites as nominations were opened to the public on Friday.
Ms Lovelace was born in 1815 to Anne Isabella Milbanke of Elemore Hall, Pittington, Durham, and the legendary romantic poet Lord Byron.
In later life she was best known for her work on Charles Babbage’s proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine.
Mrs Lovelace was the first to recognise that the machine had applications beyond pure calculation, and published the first algorithm intended to be carried out by such a machine.
As a result, she is some- Ada Lovelace times regarded as the first to recognise the full potential of a “computing machine” and the first computer programmer. There is an Ada Lovelace Day held each year on October 9 in her honour.
Bank of England governor Mark Carney said the person to be chosen should be no longer living and from science fields.
The public has until December 14 to register their nominations on the Bank’s website.
Mr Carney said he remained “open-minded” about what his choice will be, and celebrated the successes of British scientists from the steam engine to the telegraph for powering industrial revolutions.
The roll-out date of the note to replace the current one featuring industrial revolution pioneers Matthew Boulton and James Watt is yet to be revealed.
It will be the last of note to be upgraded from paper to a plastic polymer.
The current paper £20 will be replaced with a polymer version from 2020. It will feature artist JMW Turner.
The £50 in circulation now was introduced in 2011, but its continued existence was called into question with concerns over money laundering and tax evasion.
But the new issue will feature fresh security features.
Mr Carney said the announcement should be made by next summer.