Ada Lovelace - Kirkby Hall, Mallory Park - Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire - Blue Plaques on Waymarking.com

Considered to be one of the first computer programmers following her work with Charles Babbage's Difference Engine, Kirkby Hall was the childhood home of Ada Lovelace, Daughter of famed poet Lord Byron.

"The woman credited with being the world's first computer programmer has been honoured with a blue heritage plague in the Leicestershire village where she grew up.

Ada Lovelace, who died in 1852 aged 36, was the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron and a gifted mathematician who lived at Kirkby Mallory, near Hinckley, as a young girl."

SOURCE - (visit link)

"Augusta Ada Byron was born on the 10th of December 1815 to George Byron and Isabella Milbanke. Shortly after Ada's birth and the breakup of her parents marriage in 1816, she was taken by her mother to her Grandparents estate at Kirkby Mallory. Ada was a gifted child, taking after her mother in her interest in mathematics. But Ada was equally interested in anything mechanical, not just the theory but also in the application. Ada was educated at home which was not usual for an aristocratic child at that time. Her mother ensured that she had a varied education concentrating in particular on the science's and mathematics.

In 1833 one of her tutors, Mary Somerville, the renowned mathematician and astronomer introduced Ada to Charles Babbage, inventor and mechanical engineer, who was in the process of designing a mechanical adding machine referred to as a difference engine. Although Ada was 17 at the time and Babbage 42 they became great friends, she fascinated by the concept of his invention, and he by her mathematical genius. Life for Ada would never be the same again.Together they collaborated in the design of the forerunner of today's modern computer. But specifically, Ada is credited as having written, in detail the very first computer program. More than a hundred years later of course we have substituted the mechanical gears and levers for solid state electronic switching, but the principal is still the same.

Back then, building such a highly mechanised machine proved very expensive. Initially the government did provide funds. But Parliament refused further funding for the more advanced "Analytical Engine" and so interest faded. It was not the until the mid 20th century that interest returned. Allen Turing is said to have referred to Ada's work during his time at Bletchly Park in breaking the Enigma Code. A specific computer language "ADA" was created the 1980's for the U.S. Department of Defence and was named in her memory.

So Ada has finally been recognised by the general public as the co-inventor of the modern computer in as much that she understood, perhaps more than Babbage, her mentor, the true potential of a programmable system capable of processing algorithms to solve complex tasks.

At the age of 19, Ada married Lord King who in 1838 was made 1st.Earl of Lovelace thus making Ada a Countess. Ada preferred the name Ada Lovelace and would often initial her work as AAL, Augusta Ada Lovelace.

They had three children, but sadly in 1852 Ada was to die young at the age of only 36 and was laid to rest with her father at Hucknell in Nottinghamshire. Her mother, Lady Byron had a memorial erected to her memory adjacent to the church yard at Kirkby Mallory (visit link) .

On the 10th of October, "Ada Lovelace Day" in 2017, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council unveiled their own Blue Plaque at Mallory Park, Kirkby Mallory to honour the achievements of Ada Lovelace.

Over thirty people attended the event who also heard talks given by local historians Hugh Beavin and Stan Rooney. "

SOURCE - (visit link)

The plaque reads -
ADA
LOVELACE
(1815 - 1852)
pioneering mathematician
and programmer
Daughter of famed poet
Lord Byron
Kirkby Hall was her
childhood home

Blue Plaque managing agency: Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council Individual Recognized: Ada Lovelace Physical Address: Mallory Park Church Rd Kirkby Mallory , Leicestershire England LE9 7QE Web Address: [Web Link]

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