Mary Fairfax, Mrs William Somerville, 1780 - 1872. Writer on science

Mary Fairfax, a child of remarkable intelligence with a love of learning, was forbidden from studying mathematics and algebra, as it was deemed both inappropriate and dangerous for a young girl. When her father discovered that she was studying secretly at night, she overheard him tell her mother: ‘we must put a stop to this or we will have Mary in a straitjacket one of these days.’ Widowhood at the age of twenty gave Mary the independence to pursue her studies, and with marriage to her second husband, William Somerville, she had encouragement and support. Mary Somerville gained national and international acclaim for her contributions to astronomy, science and physical geography. Her publications include 'The Mechanism of the Heavens' (1831) and 'On the Connection of the Physical Sciences' (1834). She was the first to sign John Stuart Mill’s petition to Parliament on 1869 demanding female suffrage. Somerville College, Oxford was named in her honour.

Credit: Purchased 1929