The “Pope” of Holland House
John Whishaw to Thomas Smith, 26 April 1815
April 26, 1815.
Abercromby has suggested my asking whether you
would like to dine at our club1 on Saturday next, the
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| ‘King of Clubs’ |
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29th. The place, you may
remember, is the Freemasons’ Tavern, and the hour six o’clock. As it is
the day of the Royal Academy dinner, Lord
Lansdowne, Romilly, and some
of our most considerable persons will not be of our party; but you would probably
meet Abercromby and Malthus, and some others whom you may like to see. I have likewise
invited Ricardo.
James Abercromby, first baron Dunfermline (1776-1858)
The son of Lt.-Gen Sir Ralph Abercromby; he was MP for Midhurst (1807), Calne (1812-30)
and Edinburgh (1832), judge-advocate general (1827) and speaker of the House of Commons
(1835-39); he was raised to the peerage in 1839.
Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834)
English political economist educated at Jesus College, Cambridge; he was author of
An Essay on the Principles of Population (1798; 1803).
David Ricardo (1772-1823)
English political economist, the author of Principles of Political Economy and Taxation
(1817); he was a Whig MP for Portarlington (1819-23).
Sir Samuel Romilly (1757-1818)
Reformer of the penal code and the author of
Thoughts on Executive
Justice (1786); he was a Whig MP and Solicitor-General who died a suicide.
