John Rickman and Parliament: beyond the census
- Event type
- Seminar
- Series
- Parliaments, Politics and People
- Address
- Online- via Zoom
- Speakers
- Julian Hoppit (University College London)
- Event dates
- Contact
- [email protected] Email only
John Rickman (1771-1840) is best known for overseeing the first four censuses in Britain, 1801-31. But he was also Speaker Abbot's secretary from 1802-14 and then a clerk in the Commons. These roles involved him heavily in various projects: infrastructure developments in Scotland, as well as the building of some churches there; the printed records of the Commons; and as a witness to various select committees, some concerned with wider matters of the day.
Rickman was lauded for these efforts. Yet privately he wrote that he often found such work uncongenial and was dismissive of many MPs. Despite this, and despite becoming independently wealthy in 1817, he kept his shoulder to the wheel. This paper explores Rickman's work in Parliament during a period of many stresses and strains, and considers the significance of his efforts and frustrations.
Julian Hoppit was the Astor Professor of British History at University College London before retiring in 2021. Much of his work is at the intersection of Britain's economic and political history. Among his books are Britain's Political Economies: Parliament and Economic Life, 1660-1800 (2017) and The Dreadful Monster and its Poor Relations: Taxing, Spending and the United Kingdom, 1707-2021 (2021).All welcome- this seminar is free to attend, but advance booking is required.
