Author Challenges Royal Society on Identity of Margaret Bryan

Jayne Catherine Conway, author of The Gilded Cage of Woman, has challenged a claim made by the Royal Society that the 18th-century philosopher and scientific educator Margaret Bryan was the same woman as Margaret Haverkam, daughter of Oswald and Sarah Haverkam.

Conway argues that the Royal Society's identification of Margaret Bryan as Margaret Haverkam is not supported by the historical evidence. She points to a 1783 London marriage record of Marg Haverkam and William Bryan, which she believes provides key evidence that the two women were not the same person.

According to Conway, the marriage certificate identifies the bride as "Marg" and includes a small cross between "Marg" and "Haverkam." Conway argues that the handwriting is inconsistent with the sophisticated cursive signature associated with Margaret Bryan, whose name appears in her published works and other documents. The cross, she believes, may indicate that Marg Haverkam was unable to sign her own name.

Conway also notes that the Haverkam family's documented circumstances make it particularly difficult to reconcile Margaret Haverkam's alleged advanced education with the known accomplishments of Margaret Bryan. The Royal Society's research suggests that Bryan's advanced education in astronomy and natural philosophy most likely came from private tutors. However, Conway questions the existence of such tutors and the plausibility of Haverkam receiving this education.

Conway believes that Margaret Bryan was her fourth great-aunt and descended from generations of London clockmakers and mathematical instrument makers. She argues that Bryan received advanced mathematical instruction from her uncle Samuel Bryan, an accomplished 18th-century clockmaker. Conway contends that researchers have been looking for a husband, children, and a life that she believes Bryan deliberately obscured.

The Royal Society's research has uncovered some interesting probate and family records, but Conway argues that these records should not be treated as conclusive proof that Margaret Haverkam was the philosopher Margaret Bryan. She believes that Margaret Bryan has been "hiding in plain sight," and that researchers have overlooked the possibility that her scientific education came through her own Bryan family.

Conway's challenge is particularly notable given the Royal Society's longstanding motto, "Nullius in verba," meaning "take nobody's word for it." She is calling for a re-examination of the evidence to determine where Margaret Bryan could have acquired her mathematical education as a woman in 18th-century England.

Conway, born in England and immigrating to the United States as a child, holds a BS in engineering from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She worked as a strategy consultant for Bain & Company and held various C-suite leadership positions at companies including Dunkin' Brands, Gulf Oil, Alex and Ani, and Planet Fitness. While at Alex and Ani, she partnered with First Lady Michelle Obama on the Let Girls Learn campaign, which inspired her passion for raising awareness about women's lack of access to higher education and education in general. Jayne was a teaching fellow at Harvard Business School before she penned The Gilded Cage of Woman.