Mary rosse
Encyclopedia
Mary Rosse, Countess of Rosse (née Mary Field) (1813-1885), was a British amateur astronomer and pioneering photographer. She was one of the early practitioners of making photographs from waxed-paper negatives.
, England
, in 1813, the daughter of John Wilmer Field, a wealthy estate owner. Through her family she met William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse
, and they were married on 14 April 1836. In the early 1840s the couple became interested in astronomy, and she helped her husband build a giant telescope that was considered a technological marvel in its time. She was an accomplished blacksmith
, which was very unusual for higher class women of this time, and much of the iron work that supported the telescope was constructed by her. During the Great Famine of 1845-47, she was responsible for keeping over five hundred men employed in work in and around Birr Castle
where she and her husband lived.
The Countess of Rosse gave birth to eleven children, but only four survived until adulthood:
The Countess of Rosse died in 1885.
photography, possibly learning some of the art from his acquaintance William Henry Fox Talbot. In 1854 Lord Rosse wrote to Fox Talbot saying that Lady Rosse too had just commenced photography, and he sent some examples of her work. Fox Talbot replied that some of her photographs of the telescope "are all that can be desired". Lady Rosse was a member of the Dublin Photographic Society and received a silver medal for "best paper negative" from the Photographic Society of Ireland in 1859. Fox Talbot was reportedly very impressed with her work, especially her close-ups of the telescope. Many examples of her photography are in the Birr Castle Archives. Her work has unusual significance because most of the scenes of Birr Castle that she portrayed have been very little changed since, and it is possible to directly compare many of her original photographs with the actual places.
Life
Rosse was born in YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1813, the daughter of John Wilmer Field, a wealthy estate owner. Through her family she met William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, Knight of the Order of St Patrick was an Irish astronomer who had several telescopes built. His 72-inch telescope "Leviathan", built 1845, was the world's largest telescope until the early 20th century.-Life:He was born in Yorkshire, England, in the city of...
, and they were married on 14 April 1836. In the early 1840s the couple became interested in astronomy, and she helped her husband build a giant telescope that was considered a technological marvel in its time. She was an accomplished blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, which was very unusual for higher class women of this time, and much of the iron work that supported the telescope was constructed by her. During the Great Famine of 1845-47, she was responsible for keeping over five hundred men employed in work in and around Birr Castle
Birr Castle
Birr Castle is a large castle in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. It is the home of the seventh Earl of Rosse, and as such the residential areas of the castle are not open to the public, though the grounds and gardens of the demesne are publicly accessible.-Ireland's Historic Science...
where she and her husband lived.
The Countess of Rosse gave birth to eleven children, but only four survived until adulthood:
- Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of RosseLawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of RosseLawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse KP FRS was the son and successor of the astronomer William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse who built the "Leviathan of Parsonstown" telescope, largest of its day, and his wife, the Countess Rosse , an amateur astronomer and pioneering photographer...
(17 November 1840 – 30 August 1908) - Reverend Randal Parsons (26 April 1848 – 15 November 1936)
- Hon. Richard Clere Parsons (21 February 1851 – 26 January 1923), apparently made a name for himself building railways in South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. - Sir Charles Algernon ParsonsCharles Algernon ParsonsSir Charles Algernon Parsons OM KCB FRS was an Anglo-Irish engineer, best known for his invention of the steam turbine. He worked as an engineer on dynamo and turbine design, and power generation, with great influence on the naval and electrical engineering fields...
(13 June 1854 – 11 February 1931), known for his commercial development of the steam turbineSteam turbineA steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
.
The Countess of Rosse died in 1885.
Photography
In 1842 William began experimenting in daguerreotypeDaguerreotype
The daguerreotype was the first commercially successful photographic process. The image is a direct positive made in the camera on a silvered copper plate....
photography, possibly learning some of the art from his acquaintance William Henry Fox Talbot. In 1854 Lord Rosse wrote to Fox Talbot saying that Lady Rosse too had just commenced photography, and he sent some examples of her work. Fox Talbot replied that some of her photographs of the telescope "are all that can be desired". Lady Rosse was a member of the Dublin Photographic Society and received a silver medal for "best paper negative" from the Photographic Society of Ireland in 1859. Fox Talbot was reportedly very impressed with her work, especially her close-ups of the telescope. Many examples of her photography are in the Birr Castle Archives. Her work has unusual significance because most of the scenes of Birr Castle that she portrayed have been very little changed since, and it is possible to directly compare many of her original photographs with the actual places.