clever Irish scientist: Mary Ward 1827-69.

Georgian London wrote about Margaret Bryan (c1770-c1816) who was working in 1797-1816 in the fields of astronomy and mathematics. Margaret ran a school for girls in her home, Bryan House, in Blackheath. She believed mathematics and astronomy were important subjects for both genders, and the girls who attended her seminary were schooled in what she termed Natural Philosophy.

Caroline's Miscellany wrote about Mary Fairfax Somerville (1780-1872). This Scottish  mathematician invented often used variables for algebra. In 1826 Mary presented a paper on solar magnetism to the Royal Society. Then she published her book: On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences, Physical Geography and Molecular and Microscopic Science.

The articles suggested that the Margaret Bryan & Mary Somerville stories go a long way to prove that at least social & intellectual equality was out there, for those women who had the talent and the ambition, during the Regency era.

That got me thinking. If it was possible for even one woman to study science, it should be possible for find others. Mary King (1827-69) was born in Ballylin Ireland. She and her sisters were educated at home by a governess, as were most upper middle class girls at the time. But in her era, when most women received little encouragement in the hard sciences, Mary King was unusual. Her education was richer because she came from a family where an interest in science was warmly encouraged.

Mary Ward

Mary became a keen astronomer, like her cousin William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse. He was building the Leviathan of Parsonstown in his Birr Castle, a huge reflecting telescope with a 6’ mirror. Mary often visited him at home & sketched each stage of the process. Thus Mary, more than others, observed and chronicled the building of the giant telescope in the castle grounds. These sketches, along with photos taken by Parson’s wife Mary Rosse, were used when the telescope was restored recently. The telescope tube and supporting structure were completed in 1845.

Mary also drew insects, and the astronomer James South observed her doing so one day. She was using a magnifying glass to see the tiny details, and her drawing so impressed him that he immediately persuaded her father to buy her a microscope. For Mary, this was the beginning of a lifelong passion. She began to read everything she could find about microscopy, and became an expert herself.

Mary Ward’s Sketches with the microscope,
first published in Birr Castle in 1857offalyhistoryblog

Universities & scientific societies wouldn't accept women, but Mary remained close to science in any way she could. She frequently wrote to scientists, asking them about papers they had published. And through her famous cousin, William Parsons, Mary met many of the most eminent men of science of the day. Her access to the heart of the learned profession increased in 1848 when Parsons was made President of the Royal Society. Visits to his London home meant she was surrounded by scientists. She couldn’t join the Royal Astronomical Society, but she could be on their mailing list. Irish astronomer Sir William Rowan Hamilton (d1865), helped her as much as he could, especially giving her up-to-date copies of academic journal articles.

In 1854, Mary King married Henry Ward, an Irish peer, Conservative politician and soldier. They had 8 children, 5 of whom survived to a decent age. Henry’s ancestral home, Castle Ward, was a delightful place to live. Built in the 1760s, Castle Ward has dual architecture. While the entrance side of the building is done in a classical Palladian style, the opposite side is early Neo-Gothic. This duality in style continues throughout the interior rooms of the house.

Castle Ward, Gothic facade

Wiki

When Mary wrote her first book, Sketches With The Microscope 1857, she believed that no one would print it because of her gender. She published 250 copies of it privately, and distributed posters to advertise it. The run sold out in weeks, and this was enough to make a London publisher take the risk and make her a proper offer. The book was reprinted many times between 1858 and 1880, and became a bestseller. She wrote two further books, one of which was a beginner’s guide to astronomy called Telescope Teachings 1859, and several articles.

A talented artist, Mary illustrated all her own work. Stephanie Pain in New Scientist described how Mary made her own slides from slivers of ivory, prepared her own specimens and drew her observations in near photographic detail. When Scottish physicist David Brewster wanted microscope specimens, he asked her to make them. He admired her drawings too, and used them to illustrate his papers and books.

In Aug 1869, while travelling in a very modern-looking steam carriage invented by her clever Parson cousin, Mary was thrown from the carriage when it hit a bump. She was crushed by one of the wheels, dying instantly, and became a victim of the world's first automobile accident. Today, her microscope, accessories, slides and books can be found on display in a room dedicated to her in Castle Ward. The early death of this remarkable young scientist was tragic.

Leviathan of Parsonstown at Birr Castle, 

Atlas Obscura

For people who would like to pursue the topic further, I recommend Susan McKenna-Lawlor who wrote Whatever Shines Should Be Observed. It follows the lives of five exceptional, but little known Irish women in the C19th who achieved high recognition in scientific subjects, including Mary Ward. Furthermore the BBC produced a documentary in 1986 called The Wonderful World of Mary Ward in which her first scientific article was re-enacted.