Adam Smith

 

We had no idea who Adam Smith was until we stumbled across his grave site. Much like with Robert Fergusson, we weren't granted to research this interesting man until we literally walked into/onto him.

In life, Mr Smith was a famous economist and philosopher. Renowned for his say and activism during the Scottish Enlightenment period, the man has two well known classic works under his belt.

Rather interestingly his birthdate isn't known, instead his registered date was the one he was baptised on. This may have had something to do with the fact his father died two months before he was born, but regardless it just seems a little strange that his birth wasn't registered.

Regardless, his life only got stranger from there. His childhood antics aren't well known as the man needn't talk of himself. However, the biographer of Smith, John Rae, wrote that when he was three Smith was abducted by Romani and was released when a rescue party came to save him. It's believed from what we know of Smith that he was close to his mum and that it was likely her who encouraged him to further his education and supported him during his ambitions.

As it was, Smith went on to study at Burgh School of Kirkcaldy and then at the age of 14 the University of Glasgow, later he went on to take postgraduate studies at Oxford which he found inferior to Glasgow where his love of philosophy bloomed. It's recorded that Smith then left Oxford before his scholarship ended as he was unhappy and based on the shaking he had developed, it seems his time here had put him on the cusp of a nervous breakdown. He studied in his own time at Oxford as well as theirs, but the crux of the matter is the English university upset Smith so badly, probably through their treatment of him as well as their lack of knowledge compared to Scottish educators, that he felt beaten and dropped out.

There's a recorded incident from Oxford where they punished him for reading A Treatise of Human Nature by David Hume and took the book from him. If that doesn't show a snapshot of life there then we don't know what does.

1748 brought Smith's return to Scotland as he began teaching lectures at the University of Edinburgh. This was sponsored by the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh which in turn was funded by Lord Kames. His topics spanned from Rhetoric to Belles-lettres and then The Progress of Opulence. Two years later he met David Hume and they struck up a bond and so Smith's learning continued and developed under his new friends guidance. A year later he became a professor at Glasgow teaching logc courses and a year after that was elected as a member of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh who had sponsored him a few years earlier. 

He listed the next 13 years of his life as the most useful and happiest as he continued as an academic. In this time he published The Theory of Moral Sentiments which caused him to be so popular that students from other countries enrolled at Glasgow to study under him. 

In 1764 he left his students part way through term in order to become tutor to Henry Scott, Duke of Buccleuch. He tried to refund his students their fees for his course but they refused their money back which shows how well loved Smith had become. Smith then went on to tour Europe with Scott teaching him many subjects in that time and even crossing paths with Benjamin Franklin who a few years later came to blows (in a manner of speaking) with Scott's stepfather during the Townshend Acts.

1766 brought the death of Scott's younger brother which in turn brought the end of Smith's tutor days. He returned to Kirkcaldy and dedicated the next 10 years or so to his Magnum Opus. During this time he also befriended Henry Moyes, a young blind man that he went on to secure an education for. He then published The Wealth of Nations in 1776 which sold out of its first editions within six months.

Smith moved to Canongate in Edinburgh to live with his mother who then died in 1784. While there he was appointed as Commissioner of Customs in Scotland, then a founding member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, then Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow which he maintained until the year before his death in 1790.

Adam Smith died from 'a painful illness' on the 17th July 1790. It's recorded that on his deathbed he expressed disappointment that he had not achieved more during his life, which we think was jam packed of achievements, but in modern day Smith would likely have been diagnosed with some form of Mental Illness following his mental breakdown back in Oxford as this shows he wasn't happy and hadn't been since his peak success.

We further see this in instructions left by Smith to destroy any unpublished material that was unfit to be published. So his notes and partially written works were destroyed.

He never married, no children, and thus his belongings were sent to cousins and distant family. Smith was buried in Canongate Kirkyard in the corner where we stumbled upon him. His grave is gated and there are bronze bricks with his face around the kirkyard to lead you to him. He is perhaps the most famous of Canongate's dead as he seems the most celebrated. 

Now we arent very philosophical, politically, or economic minded so no wonder we had never heard of this man, but he produced some eye opening stuff which our Ren will no doubt end up looking into as she can't help herself when it comes to books or published works. Anything to further her self taught education. He's famous within Scotland and so we are sharing what we've found with you, an interesting man who deserves some recognition.