Research and write about Mary Somerville, Queen of Science

Hi, my name is Ruth and I am fundraising to help complete my research and writing of a biography about Mary Somerville (1780-1872).

There are many ways to describe Mary - scientist, mathematician, astronomer, geographer, painter, campaigner, traveller, polymath, writer, wife, mother, friend. When she died in 1872, The Morning Post declared in her obituary that "Whatever difficulty we might experience in the middle of the nineteenth century in choosing a king of science, there could be no question whatever as to the queen of science".

While books already exist on Mary, they tend to concentrate on her scientific or mathematical work. A full length biography is what I am planning, showing the Mary who attended concerts in Edinburgh as a young girl, who made orange marmalade for Sir Edward Parry when he was setting off to find the north-west passage, who tried desperately to save an elephant from death because the owner could not feed it. The woman who loved and lost, who doubted her own abilities but fought for females to receive an education and the vote.

The money raised will help me travel to Oxford, London, Cambridge, Paris and four places in Italy to complete my research, and also possibly a week away from home on a writers retreat to start the writing of the book. I live in Edinburgh and work full time for a charity, as well as run women's history walking tours . I would use my annual leave to do the research and writing trips.

Writing a biography on Mary is something I have dreamt and talked about for years. The deaths in the last 10 months of a couple of amazingly creative and talented people I knew a little, who were my age, has made me more determined then ever to make that a reality. Mary published her first book when she was 50. At 44 yrs old I'd like to publish my first book before that age if possible.

If you are able to donate, and would like your name in the acknowledgements of the book, please leave your name and contact details. Also let me know if you would like me to keep you uptodate via an email every two months.

Thank you for any help you can give!

Best

Ruth