Some time before the beginning of 1807, John James, having finished his education at the High School, went to London, where a place had been found for him by his uncle’s brother-in-law, Mr. MacTaggart.  He was followed by a kind letter from Dr. Thomas Brown, who advised him to keep up his Latin, and to study political economy, for the Professor looked upon him as a young man of unusual promise and power.  During some two years, he worked as a clerk in the house of Sir William Gordon, Murphy and Co., where he made friends, and laid the foundation of his prosperity; for along with him at the office there was a Mr. Peter Domecq, owner of the Spanish vineyards of Macharnudo, learning the commercial part of his business in London, the headquarters of the sherry trade.  He admired his fellow-clerk’s capacity so much as to offer him the London agency of his family business.  Mr. MacTaggart found the capital in consideration of their taking his relative, Mr. Telford, into the concern.  And so they entered into partnership, about 1809, as Ruskin, Telford and Domecq:  Domecq contributing the sherry, Mr. Henry Telford the capital, and Ruskin the brains.

How he came by his business capacity may be understood—­and in some measure, perhaps, how his son came by his flexible and forcible style—­from a letter of Mrs. Catherine Ruskin, written about this time; in which, moreover, there are a few details of family circumstances and character, not without interest.  John James Ruskin had been protesting that he was never going to marry, but meant to devote himself to his mother; she replied: 

“...  But my son an old Batchelor—­believe me my beloved Child I feel the full force and value of that affection that could prompt to such a plan—­dear as your society is to me it would then become the misery of my existence—­could I see my Child so formed for domestick happiness deprived of every blessing on my account.  No my Dr John I do not know a more unhappy being than an old Batchelor ... may God preserve my Child from realizing the dreary picture—­as soon as you can keep a Wife you must Marry with all possible speed—­that is as soon as you find a very Amiable woman.  She must be a good daughter and fond of Domestick life—­and pious, without ostentation, for remember no Woman without the fear of God, can either make a good Wife or a good Mother—­freethinking Men are shocking to nature, but from an Infidel Woman Good Lord deliver us.  I have thought more of it than you have done—­for I have two or three presents carefully [laid] by for her, and I have also been so foresightly as to purchase two Dutch toys for your Children in case you might marry before we had free intercourse with that country....  Who can say what I can say ’here is my Son—­a hansome accomplished young man of three and twenty—­he will not Marry that he may take care of his Mother—­here is my Dr Margaret, hansome, Amiable and good and she would not leave her Ant (I mean Aunt)