Edgeworth Richard Lovell

Edgeworth, Richard Lovell (1744-1817), an English author, was born at Bath. In 1752 he went to school at Warwick, and, while not neglecting intellectual work, showed much devotion ty> sports. In 1761 he became a student at Trinity College, Dublin, going later to Oxford, and married while still an undergraduate. He then settled at Hare Hatch, and kept terms at the Temple. He was very fond of mechanical experiments, and invented a system of telegraphy and a kind of velocipede. Having made the acquaintance of Thomas Day, he became enamoured of Rousseau's educational ideas, and later took his son to Paris to show to Rousseau as a specimen of the system of Emile. In 1769 he succeeded to the family estates in Ireland, but it was not till 1782 that he settled down there. He was a member of the last Irish Parliament, and voted against the Union. He made many schemes for the improvement and development of his country. Besides taking a part in his daughter's literary work, he wrote several works of his own, chiefly bearing upon the objects which he had at heart.