Once, listening in to her brother receive tutoring in mathematics, she answered when he could not impressed, his tutor allowed her to continue with lessons unofficially. To supplement this, therefore, she was taught Latin by her uncle, Dr Thomas Somerville, who described her as an eager student. Following this, she was informally taught elementary geography and astronomy, but found her education limited compared to what her brother might receive. She returned being able to read, and able to write, albeit poorly she could perform simple arithmetic and knew a little French. Returning from sea, her father considered the 10-year-old Mary "a savage" and sent her for a year of tuition at Musselburgh, an expensive boarding school. Her childhood home was at Burntisland, Fife. She was born at the manse of Jedburgh, in the Borders, the house of her mother's sister, wife of Dr Thomas Somerville (1741–1830), author of My Own Life and Times. She was the daughter of Irish Vice-Admiral Sir William George Fairfax (scion of a distinguished family of Fairfaxes), and was related to several prominent Scottish houses through her mother. She studied mathematics and astronomy, and was nominated to be jointly the first female member of the Royal Astronomical Society at the same time as Caroline Herschel. Mary Fairfax Somerville was a Scottish science writer and polymath, at a time when women's participation in science was discouraged. Translation of the "Mécanique Céleste" of Laplace. Main achievements: First women members of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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