Richard Lovell Edgeworth
Encyclopedia
Richard Lovell Edgeworth (31 May 1744 – 13 June 1817) was an Anglo-Irish
politician, writer and inventor.
through his daughter, Jane Lovell.
He was the father of Maria Edgeworth
, Michael Pakenham Edgeworth
, and 20 other children (by his four wives), and grandfather to Francis Ysidro Edgeworth
.
A Trinity College, Dublin
and Oxford alumnus, he is credited for creating, among other inventions, a machine to measure the size of a plot of land. He also made strides in the developing educational methods. He anticipated the caterpillar track with an invention that he played around with for forty years but that he never successfully developed.
He lived in Ireland at his estate at Edgeworthstown
, County Longford
where he reclaimed bogs and improved roads. He sat in Grattan's Parliament for St Johnstown (County Longford)
from 1798 until the Act of Union in 1801 and advocated Catholic Emancipation
and parliamentary reform. He was a founder-member of the Royal Irish Academy
. He died in Edgworthstown on 13 June 1817.
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
politician, writer and inventor.
Biography
Edgeworth was born in Pierrepont Street, Bath, England, grandson of Sir Salathiel LovellSalathiel Lovell
Sir Salathiel Lovell was an English judge, Recorder of London, an ancient and bencher of Grey's Inn, and a Baron of the Exchequer.-Origins and education:...
through his daughter, Jane Lovell.
He was the father of Maria Edgeworth
Maria Edgeworth
Maria Edgeworth was a prolific Anglo-Irish writer of adults' and children's literature. She was one of the first realist writers in children's literature and was a significant figure in the evolution of the novel in Europe...
, Michael Pakenham Edgeworth
Michael Pakenham Edgeworth
Michael Pakenham Edgeworth was an Irish botanist who specialized in seed plants and ferns, and spent most of his life and work in India.-Early life and family relations:...
, and 20 other children (by his four wives), and grandfather to Francis Ysidro Edgeworth
Francis Ysidro Edgeworth
Francis Ysidro Edgeworth FBA was an Irish philosopher and political economist who made significant contributions to the methods of statistics during the 1880s...
.
A Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
and Oxford alumnus, he is credited for creating, among other inventions, a machine to measure the size of a plot of land. He also made strides in the developing educational methods. He anticipated the caterpillar track with an invention that he played around with for forty years but that he never successfully developed.
He lived in Ireland at his estate at Edgeworthstown
Edgeworthstown
Edgeworthstown or Mostrim is a town in County Longford, Ireland. The Edgeworthstown name is derived from the Edgeworth Family who have a long association with the town as the family estate of Henry Essex Edgeworth de Firmont was nearby, while Mostrim is an anglicisation of the town's pre-conquest...
, County Longford
County Longford
County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
where he reclaimed bogs and improved roads. He sat in Grattan's Parliament for St Johnstown (County Longford)
St Johnstown (County Longford) (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
St Johnstown was a constituency in County Longford represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.-1692–1801:...
from 1798 until the Act of Union in 1801 and advocated Catholic Emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
and parliamentary reform. He was a founder-member of the Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
. He died in Edgworthstown on 13 June 1817.