William Morgan (1750-1833)
Adam Walton explores the life and achievements of 18th-century Welsh scientist William Morgan.
Adam Walton explores the life and achievements of the eighteenth century Welsh Scientist, William Morgan.
Born in Bridgend in 1750, William Morgan was known as the father of the actuarial profession, using mathematics, statistics, and financial theory to assess and mitigate risk. His pioneering work earned him the Royal Society's Copley Medal, and his later electrical experiments led to him unwittingly constructing the first ever x-ray tube.
Morgan's own descendant, Nicola Bruton Bennetts, Author of 'William Morgan: Eighteenth Century Actuary, Mathematician and Radical', shares with us family letters that uncover more about the man, and how his politically radical views put him at risk of imprisonment.