Richard Price's letters to the actuary John Edwards, 1768-1771
The Archive has contemporary transcribed manuscript evidence of the mathematical advice of Richard Price (1723-1791) (dissenting minister and commentator at a time of momentous political changes) who was contacted and provided mathematical advice to John Edwards (1729 or 1730-1773), the Society's 'actuary' serving from 1767 to 1773.
The letters date from late 1768 to early 1771. In the letter of 16 December 1770 (page 69), Price mentions a book he 'is sending to the Press' in which he is to 'mention [the] Society as having been founded under the direction of Mr Dodson'. He probably refers here to the first edition of his Observations on Reversionary Payments that was first published in 1771 and was a pioneering publication in actuarial science.
After this, Price recommended William Morgan to the appointment of Assistant Actuary in 1774, Morgan becoming principal Actuary from 1775. Morgan would benefit from Price's considerable mathematical advice in his early years in office, but would soon make the job his own.