Mary Ward's two claims to fame - one good, one bad

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Mary Ward was a naturalist, astronomer, microscopist, author and artist. She was born in 1827 in Ferbane, Co. Offaly, Ireland, and grew up in a scientific family. After developing a great interest in nature, and at the age of 18, she was given a very fine microscope. She then set about teaching herself all she could about microscopy and would accurately record whatever she was working on. Her cousin, William Parsons, built the world’s largest reflective telescope at Birr Castle. This remained the largest for decades. Mary’s detailed sketches of its construction were of great help in the later reconstruction of the telescope. As a woman, she was not eligible for most universities, nor could she join any associations or institutions. However, she wrote several books and contributed scientific illustrations to numerous publications. Mary married in 1854 and had eight children. Unfortunately, her other ‘claim to fame’ is that she was possibly the first person to die in a car accident. She fell from a steam-driven car in 1869 and was crushed beneath the wheels.