Mary Edwards: computing for a living in 18th-century England

The production of astronomical tables is an ancient activity, one requiring a great deal of mathematical computation. During the 18th century, production of these tables increased and the British government hired human computers to prepare the tables of the annual Nautical Almanac. From 1765 to 1811, the Nautical Almanac employed 35 computers; only one, Mary Edwards, was a woman, whose story is told here.