Charles Ansell
Encyclopedia
Charles James Ansell was a British actuary
.
He was born in Paddington, London and began to work with the Atlas Fire and Life Assurance Company in 1808, when he was 14, and persisted even after his retirement in 1864, when he became a consultant to the company. He rose in authority during his employment until in 1823 he became actuary of the company's life branch. He served similarly at National Provident, the Friends' Provident and the Clergy Mutual Life Office. In 1834, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society.
In 1835 he published A treatise on friendly societies in which the doctrine of the interest of money and the doctrine of probability are applied through Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
, a compilation of information related to the illnesses and mortality rate
s of the working class
of England. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, this treatise "was probably the first rigorous examination of the subject", contributing to the professional success that ultimately led to his being known as "the father of his profession" in the final years of his life.
As a specialist in the subject, he was a sometimes financial advisor for British government, including Parliament
. He was described in 1864 by William Ewart Gladstone
as "one of the most eminent authorities among actuaries". In his older years, he served as Deputy Lieutenant
of Merionethshire, before dying at 87 on 14 December 1881. He was buried in Brighton cemetery. His legacy persisted in his family. Ansell's eldest son and namesake
, himself the actuary of National Provident for over three decades beginning in 1852, authored On the Rate of Mortality in 1874. In 1885, Hubert Ansell, who was one of Ansell's grandchildren, became a fellow of the Institute of Actuaries
.
Actuary
An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries provide expert assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms ....
.
He was born in Paddington, London and began to work with the Atlas Fire and Life Assurance Company in 1808, when he was 14, and persisted even after his retirement in 1864, when he became a consultant to the company. He rose in authority during his employment until in 1823 he became actuary of the company's life branch. He served similarly at National Provident, the Friends' Provident and the Clergy Mutual Life Office. In 1834, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society.
In 1835 he published A treatise on friendly societies in which the doctrine of the interest of money and the doctrine of probability are applied through Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge , founded in 1826, and wound up in 1848, was a Whiggish London organisation that published inexpensive texts intended to adapt scientific and similarly high-minded material for the rapidly expanding reading public...
, a compilation of information related to the illnesses and mortality rate
Mortality rate
Mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths in a population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit time...
s of the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
of England. According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, this treatise "was probably the first rigorous examination of the subject", contributing to the professional success that ultimately led to his being known as "the father of his profession" in the final years of his life.
As a specialist in the subject, he was a sometimes financial advisor for British government, including Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. He was described in 1864 by William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
as "one of the most eminent authorities among actuaries". In his older years, he served as Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Merionethshire, before dying at 87 on 14 December 1881. He was buried in Brighton cemetery. His legacy persisted in his family. Ansell's eldest son and namesake
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
, himself the actuary of National Provident for over three decades beginning in 1852, authored On the Rate of Mortality in 1874. In 1885, Hubert Ansell, who was one of Ansell's grandchildren, became a fellow of the Institute of Actuaries
Institute of Actuaries
The Institute of Actuaries was one of the two professional which represented actuaries in the United Kingdom . The Institute was based in England, while the other body, the Faculty of Actuaries, was based in Scotland...
.