Robert Acklom Ingram (1763–1809) was an English mathematician, clergyman and political economist.

Life

He was born on 6 June 1763 (others say 6 July 1761) in

Wormingford Wormingford is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. The ancient parish of Wormingford on the south bank of the River Stour, north- west of Colchester and south-east of Sudbury, Suffolk, covered 2,322 acres (929 hectares). The Stour fo ...

, the son of Rev. Robert Ingram (1727–1804) of

Boxted, Essex Boxted is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located approximately north of Colchester and northeast of the county city of Chelmsford. The village is in the borough of Colchester and in the parliamentary constituency of North ...

and Katherine Acklom (1727–1809). He went to school in Dedham, Essex and graduated Senior Wrangler from

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

in 1784, becoming a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

and was tutor of the college (1785–1802). He was also rector of

Seagrave Seagrave is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It has a population of around 500, measured at the 2011 census as 546, It is north of Sileby and close to Thrussington and Barrow upon Soar. Histor ...

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

from 1803 to 1809. Ingram died on 5 February 1809 in Seagrave.

Works

As a political economist Ingram was concerned with poverty and the welfare of the working classes. He is noted for his tract ''Disquisitions on Population'' (London, 1808) opposing the views of

Malthus Thomas Robert Malthus (; 13/14 February 1766 – 29 December 1834) was an English cleric, scholar and influential economist in the fields of political economy and demography. In his 1798 book ''An Essay on the Principle of Population'', Malt ...

as expressed in ''

An Essay on the Principle of Population An, AN, aN, or an may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Airlinair (IATA airline code AN) * Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy * AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey * Anime North, a Canadian an ...

''. His major works are: * ''The Necessity of introducing Divinity into the regular Course of Academical Studies considered'', Colchester, 1792. * ''An Enquiry into the present Condition of the Lower Classes, and the means of improving it; including some Remarks on Mr. Pitt's Bill for the better Support and Maintenance of the Poor: in the course of which the policy of the Corn Laws is examined, and various other important branches of Political Economy are illustrated'', London, 1797. Ingram argued that wages had been driven down by additions to the agricultural labour force. * ''A Syllabus or Abstract of a System of Political Philosophy; to which is prefixed a Dissertation recommending that the Study of Political Economy be encouraged in our Universities, and that a Course of Lectures be delivered on that subject'', London, 1800. * ''An Essay on the importance of Schools of Industry and Religious Instruction; in which the necessity of Promoting the good Education of poor Girls is particularly considered'', London, 1801. * ''The Causes of the Increase of Methodism and Dissension, and of the Popularity of what is called Evangelical Preaching, and the means of obviating them, considered in a Sermon n Rom. xiv. 17, 19 To which is added a Postscript … on Mr. Whitbread's Bill … for encouraging of Industry among the Labouring Classes'', London, 1807. * ''Disquisitions on Population, in which the Principles of the Essay on Population, by T. R. Malthus, are examined and refuted'', London, 1808.

Family

Ingram married Matilda Springthorpe (1779–1859), daughter of Richard Springthorpe (b 1743) of

Ashby-de-la-Zouch Ashby-de-la-Zouch, sometimes spelt Ashby de la Zouch () and shortened locally to Ashby, is a market town and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England. The town is near to the Derbyshire and Staffordshire ...

, Leicestershire and Matilda Allsopp (d 1811), on 25 Apr 1805 at Rempstone, there were three children by this marriage. The eldest, daughter Matilda (1806–1886), married

Dixon Robinson Dixon Robinson (1795–1878) was an English lawyer, gentleman steward of the Honour of Clitheroe, and philanthropist in the 19th century. Life Dixon Robinson was born on 17 June 1795 at Chatburn, Lancashire, third son of Josias Robinson ...

(1795–1878) of

Clitheroe Castle Clitheroe Castle is a ruined early medieval castle in Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. It was the ''caput'' of the Honour of Clitheroe, a vast estate stretching along the western side of the Pennines. Its earliest history is debated but it is ...

, Lancashire. The second Robert (1807-1879) also became a clergyman, the first vicar of Chatburn Lancashire. The youngest, daughter Catherine Ann (1808-1888), married John Johnson of Ashby de la Zouch.

References

* ''

The Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term ''magazine'' (from the French ''magazine'' ...

'' vol.LXXIX (1809) p. 275 ;Attribution 1763 births 1809 deaths Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Fellows of Queens' College, Cambridge British economists Senior Wranglers People from the Borough of Colchester {{England-academic-bio-stub