John Rickman
Encyclopedia
John Rickman was an English
government official and statistician
of the early nineteenth century.
He was born in Newburn, Northumberland, son of the Rev Thomas Rickman and educated at Guildford Grammar School
, Magdalen Hall, Oxford
and Lincoln College, Oxford
. The poet Robert Southey
was one his friends.
From 1799 to 1801 he edited the Commercial, Agricultural, and Manufactures' Magazine which published his article 'On ascertaining the population' in 1800. An earlier version of this paper entitled 'Thoughts on the Utility and Facility of a general enumeration of the People of the British Empire' was brought to the attention of Charles Abbot
. Shortly after, in 1800, Abbot appointed Rickman his Private Secretary.
Rickman is credited with drafting the first bill which became the 1800 Census Act
, the full title of which was An Act for taking an Account of the Population of Great Britain, and of the Increase or Diminution thereof, which became law in December 1800. Rickman was instrumental in carrying out the first four censuses of Great Britain
, including not only a population count, but also the collection and analysis of parish register
returns.
Following Abbot's election to the post of Speaker of the House of Commons in February 1802, Rickman took the post of Speaker's Secretary, which he held until July 1814 when he was appointed Second Clerk Assistant at the Table of the House of Commons. He became Clerk Assistant in 1820, a post which he held to his death. It is often stated, but never the case that Rickman was Clerk of the House of Commons.
Rickman served as Secretary to two Parliamentary Commissions established in 1803. The first for the making of roads and bridges in Scotland; the second for the construction of the Caledonian Canal
through Scotland
's Great Glen
. The civil engineer Thomas Telford
was amongst the commissioners on both these Commissions: John Rickman was a close friend of Telford, and was his executor.
Besides Rickman's work on the census, he also collected and compiled other statistics. Between 1816 and 1836 he abstracted the poor rate returns for the Poor Law Committee; later he produced returns on Education for Lord John Russell's Education Committee and in 1839 he compiled a return of Local Taxation. In April 1815 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
The subtitle to Orlo William's biography of Rickman: Lamb's Friend the Census Taker under-emphasises his extensive parliamentary work.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
government official and statistician
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
of the early nineteenth century.
He was born in Newburn, Northumberland, son of the Rev Thomas Rickman and educated at Guildford Grammar School
Royal Grammar School, Guildford
The Royal Grammar School is a selective English independent day school for boys in Guildford, Surrey. The school dates its founding to the death of Robert Beckingham in 1509 who left provision in his will to 'make a free scole at the Towne of Guldford'; in 1512 a governing body was set up to form...
, Magdalen Hall, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
and Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
. The poet Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Robert Southey was an English poet of the Romantic school, one of the so-called "Lake Poets", and Poet Laureate for 30 years from 1813 to his death in 1843...
was one his friends.
From 1799 to 1801 he edited the Commercial, Agricultural, and Manufactures' Magazine which published his article 'On ascertaining the population' in 1800. An earlier version of this paper entitled 'Thoughts on the Utility and Facility of a general enumeration of the People of the British Empire' was brought to the attention of Charles Abbot
Charles Abbot, 1st Baron Colchester
Charles Abbot, 1st Baron Colchester PC, FRS was a British barrister and statesman. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons between 1802 and 1817.-Background and education:...
. Shortly after, in 1800, Abbot appointed Rickman his Private Secretary.
Rickman is credited with drafting the first bill which became the 1800 Census Act
Census Act 1800
The Census Act 1800 also known as the Population Act 1800 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which enabled the first Census of England, Scotland and Wales to be undertaken. The census was carried out in 1801 and every ten years thereafter...
, the full title of which was An Act for taking an Account of the Population of Great Britain, and of the Increase or Diminution thereof, which became law in December 1800. Rickman was instrumental in carrying out the first four censuses of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, including not only a population count, but also the collection and analysis of parish register
Parish register
A parish register is a handwritten volume, normally kept in a parish church or deposited within a county record office or alternative archive repository, in which details of baptisms, marriages and burials are recorded.-History:...
returns.
Following Abbot's election to the post of Speaker of the House of Commons in February 1802, Rickman took the post of Speaker's Secretary, which he held until July 1814 when he was appointed Second Clerk Assistant at the Table of the House of Commons. He became Clerk Assistant in 1820, a post which he held to his death. It is often stated, but never the case that Rickman was Clerk of the House of Commons.
Rickman served as Secretary to two Parliamentary Commissions established in 1803. The first for the making of roads and bridges in Scotland; the second for the construction of the Caledonian Canal
Caledonian Canal
The Caledonian Canal is a canal in Scotland that connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William. It was constructed in the early nineteenth century by engineer Thomas Telford, and is a sister canal of the Göta Canal in Sweden, also constructed by...
through Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's Great Glen
Great Glen
The Great Glen , also known as Glen Albyn or Glen More is a series of glens in Scotland running 100 kilometres from Inverness on the Moray Firth, to Fort William at the head of Loch Linnhe.The Great Glen follows a large geological fault known as the Great Glen Fault...
. The civil engineer Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
was amongst the commissioners on both these Commissions: John Rickman was a close friend of Telford, and was his executor.
Besides Rickman's work on the census, he also collected and compiled other statistics. Between 1816 and 1836 he abstracted the poor rate returns for the Poor Law Committee; later he produced returns on Education for Lord John Russell's Education Committee and in 1839 he compiled a return of Local Taxation. In April 1815 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
The subtitle to Orlo William's biography of Rickman: Lamb's Friend the Census Taker under-emphasises his extensive parliamentary work.
Biography
- W. C. Rickman, Biographical memoir of John Rickman, esq., F. R. S., &c. &c. (London, privately published, 1841).
- Orlo Williams, Life and Letters of John Rickman (Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1912).