THE LUNAR FOUNDERS

In the late eighteenth century, the meetings of a few fertile minds changed an age. The original Lunar Founders gathered together for lively dinner conversations, the journey back from their Birmingham meeting place lit by the full moon.

They were led by the larger-than-life physician Erasmus Darwin, a man of extraordinary intellectual insight with his own pioneering ideas on evolution. Others included the flamboyant entrepreneur Matthew Boulton, the brilliantly perceptive engineer James Watt whose inventions harnessed the power of steam, the radical polymath Joseph Priestley who, among his wide-ranging achievements discovered oxygen, and the innovative potter and social reformer Josiah Wedgwood.

Their debates brought together philosophy, arts, science and commerce, and as well as debating and discovering, the ‘Lunarticks’ also built canals and factories, managed world-class businesses — and changed the face of Birmingham.

THE LUNAR WOMEN

Also, in the Lunar founders’ circle were several prestigious women, key to the society’s progress, including astronomer Caroline Herschel and banker Charlotte Matthews.

CHARLOTTE MATTHEWS

Charlotte Matthews was Matthew Boulton and James Watt’s banker. Charlotte took over her father’s business. Her support of Boulton and Watt is thought to have been essential to their business. Matthews would receive money on their behalf, advise them about potential business people and keep them aware of markets and current events.

CAROLINE HERSCHEL

Caroline Herschel was the first professional female astronomer and the first woman to be paid forher contribution to science. She was the first woman to discover a comet (eight in total) and also assembled a catalogue of 560 previously unrecorded stars.  In 1781, Caroline was working with her brother when he discovered the planet Uranus. 

In 1828, Caroline was the first woman to be awarded the Gold Medal of the UK’s Royal Astronomical Society. It wasn’t until 1996 that a woman would win the award again.