Somerville, Mary

Mary Somerville (nee Fairfax, formerly Greig) was a Scottish suffragist, polymath and scientist. Born to the distinguished Fairfax family Mary was largely educated at home and began studying mathematics while visiting her aunt and uncle's home. She learned Greek and Latin to be able to read the classics and eventually attended the academy opened by Alexander Nasmyth for ladies, where she began to study Euclid. Her studies took a pause when she married Samuel Grieg and had two children. Grieg did not support her academic pursuits and she didn't return to studies until her passed away in 1807. She continued to study mathematics, as well as astronomy, chemistry, geography, microscopy, electricity and magnetism and corresponded with a number of leading intellectuals of her day. In 1812 she remarried to Dr. William Somerville, who helped her in her studies of the physical sciences. The couple moved to Chelsea where Somerville worked as a mathematics tutor to Ada Lovelace. In 1826 Somerville published her first paper in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. In 1831 she published her first book The Mechanism of the Heavens which was an immediate success and was used as a textbook at Cambridge. In 1835 Somerville, along with Caroline Herschel, became the first women members of the Royal Astronomical Society. She continued to publish works including hypothesizing the existence of Neptune and publishing Physical Geography, the first English textbook on the topic. In her late 80's Somerville was asked to be the first person to sign John Stuart Mill's petition for women's suffrage. Somerville died in 1872 at the age of 91.

Jan 2019. JB

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Somerville