Augusta Ada Byron
Augusta Ada Byron was born December 10, 1825 in a house overlooking London's Green Park. Her mother, Anna Isabella Millbanke, had been married to Lord Byron a little more than a year when their daughter was born. It is said that their marriage was stormy. Byron, an illustrious poet, was very tempermental, passionate, and somewhat crazed. Annabella, an amateur mathematician, on the other hand was calm and collected. Ada was raised in the country by devoted parents who had been married for fifteen years. However, after Ada was born Lord Byron found the marriage to be increasingly hard and almost unbearable. Seeing the marriage was on the rocks and adoring her child completely, Lady Byron asked for a seperation from Lord Byron when Ada was five weeks old. From that day on Ada was raised by her mother. Lord Byron was never to see his daughter again. He died in Greece in 1824 when Ada was eight years old. Although Ada could not have known her father well it must be noted that many similarities existed between them. Physically, they both had fine features and good looks. Both died young at exactly the same age- 36. Throughout their lives both had great accomplishments, but also periods of scandal and disgrace.
Not much seems to be written about Ada's youth. We know her mathematical aptitude was certainly recognized and encouraged by her mother. We also know that like many other young women of her time that she enjoyed concerts, theatres, and parties. In other words she was a very well rounded individual. At the age of seventeen Ada was introduced to Mary Somerville, a mathematician whom Ada deeply admired. Mrs. Somerville encouraged Ada in her mathematical studies. It was through Mrs. Somerville that Ada met her future husband.
Ada Byron was married at nineteen to a man who was eleven years her senior. This man was William Lord King who soon became the Earl of Lovelace. They enjoyed a warm and caring relationship. Lord Lovelace took a keen interest in his wife's work and was very supportive. Intellectually, Ada was superior , regardless, it created no problem in their marriage. Lord Lovelace accepted his wife's talents and took pride in her many accomplishments.
The couple settled in the country where they had two sons and a daughter. Interestingly, the daughter, following the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, showed a keen interest in mathematics to later become a famous Arabic Scholar.
Ada spent little time raising her children. She left this to others- her husband, her mother, and the servants. This form of child raising was very common among the english upper class.
It was quite apparent to all around that Ada loved mathematics, however her work never developed as far as she had hoped. There was much controversy that hindered women possessing any technical or scientific talent, and Ada was no exception. Unfortunately, she fell She fell ill to a number of sicknesses, which forced her to abandon many mathematical endeavors.
Among her many scholorly friends was Charles Babbage, whom she met in 1833. Their letters covering their 18 year friendship have proved to be very revealing , often playful and even slightly flirtatious. During this period Babbage was occupied with problems in the design and contruction first of the Difference Engine, and later of the Analytical Engine-both precursors of the modern computer.
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| A model of Babbage's Difference Engine | Babbage's Analytical Engine |
The first letter from Ada Lovelace to Charles Babbage is dated January 18, 1836. She was 21 years old. The letter tells of her eagerness to continue her mathematical studies and the needs of a teacher to guide her. Of the many letters that followed, each one revealed her increasing confidence in her own mathematical abilities and took on a much more informal style that the one prior.
In January 1841 she wrote :
" My dear Mr. Babbage. If you come by the rail-way on Friday, we will send the carrriage to meet you.....If you are a skater, bring skates to Ockhan; that being the fashionable occupation here now, and one I have taken to."
She goes on to write how she would love to work with Babbage.
In October (1842) L.F. Menebrea, an Italian mathematician and ambassador to France, delivered a paper describing the function and theory of Babbage's Analytical Engine. Ada translated the paper from French to English so that many could read the work.
As the project developed, it became much more extensive than had been originally intended. Ada had also made up new notes elaborating the original paper . Babbage was amazed at Ada's work and felt it could easily serve as a paper on it's own, but Ada having made previous commitments to the publishers felt she could not break this agreement.
In the final preparation of the manuscript, Ada began to lose patience with Babbage's work. He was careless and constantly losing materials. At times he even revised her work and misinterpreted her meaning. She was angry and upset.
But finally it was finished-All that was left was to sign the finished manuscript. After working so hard Ada definately wanted credit for her work, yet it was not acceptable for women to write papers-especially women of the upper class. Ultimately she decided to sign herself "A.L.L."
Lady Lovelace had now proven her intellectual ability. Her final letter to Babbage conceerning the project is of particular interest. Clearly she understands the machines limitations when she writes " The Analytical Engine has no pretentions whatever to originate anything. It can do whatever we know how to order it to perform. It can follow analysis, but it has no power of anticipating any analytical revelations or truths. It's province is to assistus in making available what we are already acquanted with."
Near the end of the correspondance between Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage the letters covered years of tragedy and failure for Babbage; years of scandal and failing health for Lady Lovelace. The two had been involved together in testing mathematical theories of probability in horse racing. This gambling came close to ruining both of their lives.
Lady Lovelace had always had a passion for horses and for Babbage this was a final chance to get himself out of debt. Most of his personal fortune had already been spent on his still unfinished Difference Engine. The government had lost faith in the project's completion and had withdrawn all financial support.
Their adventures ended disastrously. Although Babbage was able to escape debt, Lady Lovelace was not so fortunate. In order to pay off the debt she was forced to pawn the family jewels. Her husband who had also been involved in the scheme initially , struggled along with Babbage to control her credtitors and the mounting scandal surrounding her.