Jane Squire facts for kids

Jane Squire (born around 1686 – died 1743) was a smart English mathematician. She was the only woman known to openly join in the big discussions of the 1700s about how to find longitude at sea. Longitude is a way to figure out your exact east-west position on Earth. Jane was one of only two women who sent in ideas to try and win a prize from the 1714 Longitude Act. This act offered a reward for solving the problem of finding longitude at sea.

Jane Squire's Life and Work

Jane Squire was born in York, England, and was baptized in 1686. She passed away in London in 1743. Her parents, Priscilla and Robert Squire, were quite rich and had important connections.

In 1720, Jane moved to London. Even though she faced some tough times, including being in jail for three years because of money problems, she used her connections to push her ideas. She was very interested in finding longitude, and her project was also connected to her religious beliefs.

Jane wrote a book called A Proposal to Determine our Longitude. It came out in two versions, in 1742 and 1743. She even sent copies to Rome, hoping to get support from Pope Benedict XIV.

Jane Squire never got married. She was very determined to make sure her ideas were heard, even though it was unusual for women to be involved in science back then. In her book, she included a letter she wrote in 1733 to Sir Thomas Hanmer. He was one of the first people chosen to oversee the Longitude Act.

In her letter, Jane wrote that she saw mathematical tools everywhere, even in toys. She wondered why she should only stick to things like "Needles, Cards, and Dice," which were common activities for women at the time. Sir Thomas Hanmer's reply, also in her book, warned her that people might judge her because she was a woman.

Even though her plan for longitude was not practical, she managed to get the attention of important people. These included Hans Sloane and Abraham de Moivre, who were famous scientists. Jane believed until the very end that she deserved a reward for her hard work. After she died, a newspaper called her "a Lady excellently well vers’d in Astronomy, Philosophy, and most Parts of polite Literature." This means she was very skilled in astronomy, philosophy, and many other smart subjects.

Jane's Longitude Ideas

Jane Squire's ideas for finding longitude at sea used the science of astronomy from her time. Her plans were also strongly influenced by her religious beliefs.

Her books described a system that involved dividing the sky into more than a million tiny parts. She also suggested using a special clock called a sidereal clock. This clock would be set to the exact position of the Star of Bethlehem when Jesus was born. It was not unusual for people back then to connect their scientific searches with their religious views.

Jane thought this clock could announce the time from church steeples. She also talked about using special floating markers in the ocean, which she called "artificial sea creatures," to help with mapping.

When Pope Benedict XIV received Jane's ideas, he asked the Bologna Academy of Sciences to look at them. They did not think her plan would work. However, they did say that women should be encouraged to study math and science.

Jane Squire's work was never officially discussed by the British Board of Longitude. For a long time, her ideas were seen as just one of many "nutty solutions" from that period. But more recently, experts have started to look at her contributions more seriously. They want to understand the science and religious ideas of her time better. They also want to see how being a woman or having a certain social class affected whether someone's ideas were heard in important debates.

See also

In Spanish: Jane Squire para niños