William Morgan

Eighteenth Century Actuary, Mathematician and Radical

Nicola Bruton Bennetts (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

272 Seiten

2020
University of Wales Press (Verlag)
978-1-78683-618-2 (ISBN)

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This biography explains William Morgan's role in developing the mathematics that underpin the money management of pension funds. It focuses also on the experiment in which Morgan created an X-ray tube, and examines his outspoken political views and turbulent private life.

To meet William Morgan is to encounter the eighteenth-century world of finance, science and politics. Born in Bridgend in 1750, his heritage was Welsh but his influence extended far beyond national borders, and the legacy of his work continues to shape life in the twenty-first century. Aged only twenty-five and with no formal training, Morgan became actuary at the Equitable, which was then a fledgling life assurance company. Known today as 'the father of actuarial science', his pioneering work earned him the Copley Medal, the Royal Society's most prestigious award. His interests covered a wider scientific field, and his papers on electrical experiments show that he unwittingly constructed the first X-ray tube. Politically radical, Morgan's outspoken views put him at risk of imprisonment during Pitt's Reign of Terror. Using unpublished family letters, this biography explores Morgan's turbulent private life, and cover his outstanding public achievements.

Nicola Bruton Bennetts is an independent scholar with a background in teaching and journalism.

Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations
William Morgan Family Tree
Prologue
Chapter 1: Bridgend
Chapter 2: Newington Green
Chapter 3: Blackfriars
Chapter 4: 1780 - Flaming June
Chapter 5: At War
Chapter 6: A Beautiful Green Light
Chapter 7: Risk and Reward
Chapter 8: Verbal Fisticuffs
Chapter 9: Stamford Hill
Chapter 10: A Stupendous Event
Chapter 11: Bushill Fields
Chapter 12: A Radical Friend
Chapter 13: A Trumpet of Liberty
Chapter 14: Trial for High Treason
Chapter 15: Pitt's Gagging Acts
Chapter 16: Invasion, Panic and Mutiny
Chapter 17: The Reign of Terror
Chapter 18: Diaspora
Chapter 19: The Price of Success
Chapter 20: Family, Celebrations and Calamities
Chapter 21: A Costly Peace
Chapter 22: Rise, Progress, Misrepresentation
Chapter 23: A Fragment
Chapter 24: Final Years
Chapter 25: Afterwards
Chapter 26: Epilogue
Bibliography

Erscheinungsdatum	10.05.2021
Reihe/Serie	Scientists of Wales
Zusatzinfo	Yes
Verlagsort	Wales
Sprache	englisch
Maße	138 x 216 mm
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
	Mathematik / Informatik ► Mathematik ► Geschichte der Mathematik
	Naturwissenschaften
ISBN-10	1-78683-618-1 / 1786836181
ISBN-13	978-1-78683-618-2 / 9781786836182
Zustand	Neuware