William Morgan: Eighteenth-Century Actuary, Mathematician and Radical

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 the actuarial profession’, 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. This biography, using unpublished family letters, explores Morgan’s turbulent private life and covers his outstanding public achievements.

 

‘William spent 56 years at the Equitable Life Assurance Company, where he learnt how to understand and manage financial risk. In 1789, for his work on the mathematics of life assurance, he was awarded the Copley Medal, the Royal Society’s most prestigious decoration. Subsequent generations have hailed him as ‘the father of the actuarial profession’ – recognition of his having established many of the rules and standards on which the science is based.’

Read more about this on page 6 of the Booklaunch https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=eacd7c66-df5c-4335-86ee-cad05c826bda

1138077026
William Morgan: Eighteenth-Century Actuary, Mathematician and Radical

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 the actuarial profession’, 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. This biography, using unpublished family letters, explores Morgan’s turbulent private life and covers his outstanding public achievements.

 

‘William spent 56 years at the Equitable Life Assurance Company, where he learnt how to understand and manage financial risk. In 1789, for his work on the mathematics of life assurance, he was awarded the Copley Medal, the Royal Society’s most prestigious decoration. Subsequent generations have hailed him as ‘the father of the actuarial profession’ – recognition of his having established many of the rules and standards on which the science is based.’

Read more about this on page 6 of the Booklaunch https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=eacd7c66-df5c-4335-86ee-cad05c826bda

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William Morgan: Eighteenth-Century Actuary, Mathematician and Radical

William Morgan: Eighteenth-Century Actuary, Mathematician and Radical

by Nicola Bruton Bennetts
William Morgan: Eighteenth-Century Actuary, Mathematician and Radical

William Morgan: Eighteenth-Century Actuary, Mathematician and Radical

by Nicola Bruton Bennetts

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Overview

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 the actuarial profession’, 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. This biography, using unpublished family letters, explores Morgan’s turbulent private life and covers his outstanding public achievements.

 

‘William spent 56 years at the Equitable Life Assurance Company, where he learnt how to understand and manage financial risk. In 1789, for his work on the mathematics of life assurance, he was awarded the Copley Medal, the Royal Society’s most prestigious decoration. Subsequent generations have hailed him as ‘the father of the actuarial profession’ – recognition of his having established many of the rules and standards on which the science is based.’

Read more about this on page 6 of the Booklaunch https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=eacd7c66-df5c-4335-86ee-cad05c826bda


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781786836205
Publisher: University of Wales Press
Publication date: 09/15/2020
Series: Scientists of Wales
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 272
File size: 5 MB

About the Author

The book is aimed at the general reader. It will be of particular interest to those in the actuarial profession and, given that the language is not technical, to their families. It will also appeal to students, academics and the general reader who has an interest in the history of Wales. It will be of interest to historians of science, of mathematics and finance and of the late eighteenth and nineteenth century.

Table of Contents

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: Bunhill 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
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