Possibly even one I’ve mentioned before.
We know that Ricardo first got turned on to economics by reading Adam Smith. We even know that this was in 1799 while on holiday. In Bath.
So, do we know where he was staying? The actual address?
Possibly even one I’ve mentioned before.
We know that Ricardo first got turned on to economics by reading Adam Smith. We even know that this was in 1799 while on holiday. In Bath.
So, do we know where he was staying? The actual address?
Ah, Bath, 1799, of course. But who did he discuss Adam Smith with who might have ordered his ideas? Mrs. Piozzi was around at the time. There were also the Austen’s, with a couple of very forward girls. There were others, notably Sheridan.
Wilberforce was there in 1799, apparently. John Cam Hobhouse records the anecdote in the first place.
No idea about the address, but this book (via Google) says he borrowed Wealth of Nations from the Circulating Library:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=mzfrCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=ricardo+bath+1799&source=bl&ots=WaAjVDtV2X&sig=DQTf9mOAjLHgV7j25Dkx8SQ44eQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjT542YwsnRAhWDHsAKHYnQBtwQ6AEIGjAA#v=onepage&q=ricardo%20bath%201799&f=false
It’s a pity both Ricky and Lucy are dead now. Otherwise we could just ask them.
As a vaguely related aside, people here may be interested in this – economics walking tours of London by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Down the right hand side, here:
http://www.ifs.org.uk/tools_and_resources/famous_economists
I think it needs to be turned into a pub crawl.
One of Richard Murphy’s distant relatives?
Search these transcripts of his letters (which I suspect are the primary source) for ‘Bath’ and you get some clues.
http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/ricardo-the-works-and-correspondence-of-david-ricardo-vol-9-letters-1821-1823
I just skimmed it but it mentions a Brook Street house, a Wedcomb house (widcombe?). There are notes at the end too – spotted an exact address for Malthus
Richard,
Took a look at the City of London one. The first thing that sprung to mind was a version of James Burke’s Connections.
It was your hosue, Tim. That’s the answer you want, isn’t it? 🙂
Doesn’t really matter: the trail of laissez faire plus land value tax runs through Paris, Smith, Ricardo, Henry George and then into the sands.
To summarise, Tim: we know the answer to every question except the one you asked.
Still hitting the bottle, DBC?