’My addresses were, after some time, permitted and approved; and, with the consent of her father, Miss Honora Sneyd and I were married (1773), by special licence, in the ladies’ choir, in the Cathedral at Lichfield.  Immediately after the marriage ceremony we left Lichfield, and went to Ireland.’

Now followed what was perhaps the happiest period of Mr. Edgeworth’s life, but it was uneventful.  The young couple saw little society while living at Edgeworth Town; and after a three years’ residence in Ireland, they visited England to rub off the rust of isolation in contact with their intellectual friends.  He says:  ’We certainly found a considerable change for the better as to comfort, convenience, and conversation among our English acquaintance.  So much so, that we were induced to remain in England. . . .  My mind was kept up to the current of speculation and discovery in the world of science, and continual hints for reflection and invention were suggested to me. . . .  My attention was about this period turned to clockwork, and I invented several pieces of mechanism for measuring time.  These, with the assistance of a good workman, I executed successfully.  I then (in 1776) finished a clock on a new construction.  Its accuracy was tried at the Observatory at Oxford . . . and it is now (in 1809) going well at my house in Ireland.’

Edgeworth now enjoyed the pleasure of having an intelligent companion, and says:  ’My wife had an eager desire for knowledge of all sorts, and, perhaps to please me, became an excellent theoretic mechanic.  Mechanical amusements occupied my mornings, and I dedicated my evenings to the best books upon various subjects.  I strenuously endeavoured to improve my own understanding, and to communicate whatever I knew to my wife.  Indeed, while we read and conversed together during the long winter evenings, the clearness of her judgment assisted me in every pursuit of literature in which I was engaged; as her understanding had arrived at maturity before she had acquired any strong prejudices on historical subjects, she derived uncommon advantage from books.

’We had frequent visitors from town; and as our acquaintance were people of literature and science, conversation with them exercised and arranged her thoughts upon whatever subject they were employed.  Nor did we neglect the education of our children:  Honora had under her care, at this time, two children of her own, and three of mine by my former marriage.’

Edgeworth and his friend Mr. Day were both great admirers of Rousseau’s Emile and of his scheme of bringing up children to be hardy, fearless, and independent.  Edgeworth brought up his eldest boy after this fashion; but though he succeeded in making him hardy, and training him in ’all the virtues of a child bred in the hut of a savage, and all the knowledge of things which could well be acquired at an early age by a boy bred in civilised society,’ yet he adds:  ’He was not disposed to obey; his exertions generally arose from his own will; and, though he was what is commonly called good-tempered and good-natured, though he generally pleased by his looks, demeanour, and conversation, he had too little deference for others, and he showed an invincible dislike to control.’