EDGEWORTH, RICHARD LOVELL (1744-1817), British writer, was born at Bath. The greater part of his life was spent at Edgeworthtown, or Edgeworthstown, in the county of Longford, Ireland. He was educated at various schools in England and Ireland, and entered Trinity college, Dublin, in April 1761, but was transferred to Corpus Christi college, Oxford, in October of the same year. While still at college, he made a runaway match, marrying at Gretna Green, Anna Maria, one of the daugh ters of Paul Elers of Black Bourton, Oxon, an old friend of his father. Edgeworth devoted much of his time to scientific read ing and experiments ; and he made an attempt to establish telegraphic communication (Memoirs, 2nd ed., i. 144). In the pursuit of his mechanical inventions he visited Erasmus Darwin at Lichfield, where he met Anna Seward, and her cousin, Honora Sneyd. He kept terms at the Temple, and formed the greatest friendship of his life with Thomas Day, the author of Sandford and Merton, which was written at Edgeworth's suggestion. In 1769, on the death of his father, he gave up the study of law, and spent a considerable time in England and France, mainly in Day's company. He was summoned to England by the death of his wife (March 1773), with whom he had been far from happy. Edgeworth hurried to Lichfield, to Dr. Erasmus Darwin's, and at once declared his passion for Honora Sneyd, which had been the cause of his flight to France two years before. Miss Sneyd had been the object of attention from Thomas Day, but her views on marriage were not submissive enough to please him. She had other suitors, among them the unfortunate Major Andre. She married Edgeworth (July 1773), and after residing at Edge worthstown for three years, they settled at Northchurch, in Hertfordshire. Honora Edgeworth died in April 178o, recom mending her husband to marry her sister Elizabeth, and they were actually married on Christmas day, 1780. She died in Practical Education (1798) was written in collaboration with his daughter Maria, and embodied the experience of the authors in dealing with children. This book, generally regarded as old fashioned, has a real value in the history of education. Their views had been inspired by Rousseau, and by Thomas Day. The Edgeworths brought a scientific method to their work. The second Mrs. Edgeworth (Honora Sneyd) began the collection of actual examples of conversations between the children and their elders. This was continued by the writers of the book, and their reason ings were thus founded on an accurate record of childish methods of thought. They deprecated especially any measures that inter rupted the child's own chain of reasoning. The chapters on special subjects of study, chronology, geometry, etc., were written by Richard Lovell Edgeworth ; those on toys, on rewards and punish ments, on temper, etc., by his daughter.
In 1798 Edgeworth married Miss Beaufort, and was elected M.P. for the borough of St. John's Town, Longford. During the formidable rebellion of that year the Edgeworths took refuge in Longford. The winter of 18o2 they spent in Paris. In 1804 the Government accepted his telegraphic apparatus, but the installa tion was left incomplete when the fear of invasion was past. In 2806 Edgeworth was elected a member of the board of commis sioners to enquire into Irish education. From 1807 till 1809 much of his time was spent on mechanical experiments and in writing the story of his life. He died on June 13, 1817, and was buried in the family vault in Edgeworthstown churchyard. Edgeworth's works include Poetry Explained for Young People (1802), Pro fessional Education (18o8) ; Readings in Poetry (1816).