Thomas Robert Malthus

In 1804, he got married to Harriet, daughter of John Eckersall of Claverton House, St. Catherine's, near Bath, Somerset. The couple was blessed with two children, a son and daughter.

His son, Henry rose to the rank of a Vicar of Effingham, Surrey, in 1835, and of Donnington, West Sussex, in 1837.

He died an untimely death on December 23, 1834 at his father-in-law’s house. He was interred at Bath Abbey

Thomas Robert Malthus was the born to Daniel and Henrietta Malthus in Surrey England. He was the seventh child of the couple.

Young Malthus received his preliminary education at home in Bramcote, Nottinghamshire. It was only in 1782 that he enrolled at the Warrington Academy for formal education. However, to his bad luck, the Academy was shut down in 1783.

In 1784, he gained admission at Jesus College, Cambridge. While at the college in Cambridge, he mastered not only English narrative, but Latin and Greek as well.

Graduating from the same, he subsequently enrolled for a Master’s degree, which he eventually attained in 1791. Two years henceforth, he was elected as a Fellow of Jesus College.

In the year 1789, he became a curate at the Oakwood Chapel, in the parish of Wotton, Surrey, abiding by the orders of the Church of England.

In 1798, he released his most well-known work, ‘Essay on the Principle of Population’. The work though not well received then, argued the fact that the increase in the population would eventually lead to a diminished ability of the world to feed itself.

He claimed that if the rate at which population expansion took place steadied at the same pace then it would clearly overtake the rate at which land development for crops are foresighted.

The work stirred a number of arguments as it was much in contrast to the then line of belief. However, with the introduction of the Keynesian economics in the 20th century, his views and arguments began to be seen in the popular light yet again.

Coming under the spotlight, he continued to pen his ideologies and beliefs and between 1798 and 1826 he came up with six editions of ‘An Essay on the Principle of Population’.

Each edition of ‘An Essay on the Principle of Population’ was updated than the previous one and presented an updated account with new line of belief, criticism of the older one and newly found changes in the perspective. It also included pointers for the future improvement of the society at large.

This English economist is best known for his hugely influential theories on population growth.