Augusta Ada (Byron) King (1815 - 1852)

Born 10 Dec 1815 in Westminster, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of William (King) King-Noel — married 8 Jul 1835 in Ealing, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 27 Nov 1852 at age 36 in Marylebone, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Ada (Byron) King is Notable.

Descendant of Macbeth Brodie of Brodie, circa 1210.

Augusta Ada Byron was born on 10 December 1815 and baptised on 20 December 1815 in St George, Hanover Square, London, Westminster, England, not quite a year after her parents, the poet Lord George Byron and Anne Millbanke, had married.^[1] In early 1816 her father left for Europe, leaving Ada in the custody of her mother.^[2]

Not wanting her to become a poet like her father, Ada's mother employed several tutors of mathematics and science, including the mathematician Augustus de Morgan. Ada became fascinated with flight at a young age, particularly with the idea of steam powered flight,^[2] and wrote to her mother in 1828 that she was contemplating writing a book of Flyology.^[3]

Ada Byron as a child, by Alfred, Count d'Orsay 1822

In 1833 she met Charles Babbage, who designed both the Difference Engine, a calculator which was never completed, and the Analytical Engine, the world's first schematic for a computer.^[2] Babbage called her the Enchantress of Numbers.

Ada married William King the 8th Lord King, Baron of Ockham on 8 July 1835 by special licence. They were married at Fordhook, Ada's mother's residence in Ealing and the marriage was entered in the register of St Mary, Ealing, Middlesex, England. ^{[4] [5]}

In 1838, William was created the Earl of Lovelace in the Coronation Honours of Queen Victoria. The title was chosen as Ada's mother was a representative of the extinct Barony of Lovelace of Hurley. ^[4] Ada became Countess of Lovelace, and today is commonly known as Ada Lovelace, a contraction of her title.

Ada and William had three children:

• Byron King(1836-1862) from 1860 King-Noel, styled Viscount of Ockham and the 12th Baron Wentworth
• Anne Isabella (King) Blunt (1837-1917)
• Ralph Gordon (King) King-Milbanke (1839-1906) from 1860 King-Noel, from 1861 King-Milbanke and 2nd Earl of Lovelace.

In translating Luigi Federico Menabrea's paper about Babbage's Analytical Engine, published in 1843, she added extensive explanations of the processes involved, comparing the use of punch cards in the process to those already in use in the weaving industry. Her notes included an algorithm for computing Bernoulli numbers, intended to be carried out by the machine. Realising the potential of the technology, she predicted that it could be used beyond numerical calculations, possibly to compose music. ^[6]

Ada Lovelace, 1852

While she is often described as the first computer programmer, some scientists and historians describe her role as more of a publicist than a programmer, with the programming credit given to Babbage and his extensive unpublished notes. She numbered among her friends several horse racing enthusiasts, became involved in betting on horse racing, and amassed deep debts.

Ada had never enjoyed good health. After writing her notes on the Analytical Engine, she became more ill, with her doctors prescribing laudanum. As her health deteriorated by 1851, she finally stopped gambling. Her health grew progressively worse until she died at 6 Great Cumberland Place, London on 27 November 1852, the same age as her father at his death. ^[7] At her request she was buried next to him in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. ^[2]

In 1860, Ada's mother, Anne Isabella, the Baroness Wentworth died. Under the terms of inheritance of the lands and property of Thomas Noel the Second Viscount Wentworth, the heirs to this property (William and Ada's children) had to assume the name Noel. William changed his name to King-Noel by Royal Licence dated 29 September 1860 as did their sons Byron and Ralph. ^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "Westminster, London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1919"
   City of Westminster Archives Centre; London, England; Westminster Church of England Parish Registers; Reference: STG/PR/2/6
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 61866 #781071 (accessed 14 March 2023)
   Augusta Ada Byron baptism on 20 Dec 1815 (born 10 Dec 1815), child of George Gordon Byron & Ann Isabella Byron, in St George, Hanover Square, London, Westminster, England.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Matthew, H. C. G. (Henry Colin Gray); Harrison, Brian, 1937-; British Academy. Oxford dictionary of national biography : in association with the British Academy : from the earliest times to the year 2000 ; Oxford; New York : Oxford University Press 2004 (Accessed date 14 March 2023)
3. ↑ Toole, Betty A. (Betty Alexandra) Ada, the enchantress of numbers : prophet of the computer age, a pathway to the 21st century; Mill Valley, Calif. : Strawberry Press ; Sausalito, CA 1998 (Accessed date 14 March 2023)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland... Cokayne G.E., Second series Volume 8 page 226 Family Search Library accessed 16 July 2023
5. ↑ Marriage: "London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938"
   London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: Dro/037/A/01/025
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1623 #1299773 (accessed 16 July 2023)
   Augusta Ada Byron marriage to William, Lord King on 8 July 1835 in register of St Mary, Ealing, Middlesex, England.
6. ↑ Countess of Lovelace, Ada King., MENABREA, Luigi Federico. Sketch of the Analytical Engine invented by Charles Babbage ... with notes by the translator. Extracted from the 'Scientific Memoirs,' etc. [The translator's notes signed: A.L.L. ie. Augusta Ada King, Countess Lovelace.]. United Kingdom: R. & J. E. Taylor, 1843.(Accessed date 14 March 2023)
7. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6145300/augusta-ada-king: accessed 17 March 2023), memorial page for Augusta Ada Byron King (10 Dec 1815–27 Nov 1852), Find a Grave Memorial ID 6145300, citing St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Hucknall, Ashfield District, Nottinghamshire, England; Maintained by Find a Grave.
8. ↑ The London Gazette Publication date:19 October 1860 Issue:22436 Page:3753 London Gazette online accessed 16 July 2023 Whitehall, September 29, 1860.
   The Queen has been pleased to grant unto
   William King, Earl of Lovelace, Viscount
   Ockham, and Baron King, Lord Lieutenant for
   the county of Surrey, Her Royal licence and
   authority that he may take and use the surname
   of Noel, in addition to and after that of King,
   and also bear the arms of Noel quarterly, in the
   first quarter with those of King; and that such
   surname and arms of Noel may in like manner be
   taken, borne and used by his issue by his late
   wife Augusta Ada, Countess of Lovelace; such
   arms being first duly exemplified according to the
   laws of arms and recorded in the Harald's Office
   otherwise the said Royal licence and permission
   to be void and of none effect:
   And to command that the said Royal Concession
   and declaration be recorded in Her Majesty's
   College of Arms.

• "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch : 30 October 2015), Ada Lovelace in household of Earl Of Lovelace, St James, Middlesex, England; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

See Also:

• The Britannica Guide to The 100 Most Influential Scientists (2007), pp. 165-169.
• Building on Ada’s Legacy . acm.org . . ACM Women's Contributions .
• Wikidata: Item Q7259, en:Wikipedia
• Ada Lovelace Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Access Date: 14 March 2023, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: May 6, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 03 May 2021, 02:00), entry for Augusta Ada Byron (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:29HC-P5H ); contributed by various users.
• "Ada's Algorithm: How Lord Byron's Daughter Ada Lovelace Launched the Digital Age' by James Essinger; Penguin, 2015
• 'Michael Faraday - a Sandemanian and Scientist' by Geoffrey Cantor