Richard Lovell Edgeworth
Father of Maria Edgeworth and 21 other children, Richard Lovell Edgeworth was born on May 31, 1744 in Bath, England -- though he lived in Ireland. A Trinity College and Oxford alum, he was a writer and inventor. He is credited, among other inventions, for creating a machine to measure the size of a plot of land. He also made strides in the developing educational methods. He died June 13, 1817.