Patrick Edward Dove

Patrick Edward Dove (31 July 1815 – 28 April 1873) was born at Lasswade, near Edinburgh in Scotland. He is mainly remembered for his book The Theory of Human Progression of 1850 which sets out his philosophy that land should be in common ownership, with the economic rent on the land taking the place of other taxes, an idea generally known as Georgism.

Patrick Dove came from a family of distinguished clergymen and landowners. He was descended from Sir William Dove of Upton, near Peterborough (son of Bishop Thomas Dove). His branch of the family had connections with the Royal Navy going back to 1716 when they moved to Devon where the family still live. His father, Lieutenant Henry Dove RN, retired from active service with the Navy at the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815, taking up an appointment at Deal, Kent connected with the Cinque Ports. Edward was educated in England and in France, where he was expelled from the Academy for leading a rebellion against the master. He greatly desired a career in the navy, but his father would not allow this and in 1830 Edward was sent to Scotland to learn farming. Following this he spent time in Paris, in Spain and in London, where he impressed a friend by his "enormous energy, both physical and mental".

In 1841 he took the Craig estate near Ballantrae, Ayrshire, and lived the quiet life of a country gentleman. He was a first-rate horseman, took up fly-fishing and sailing, was an excellent shot and showed mechanical abilities, contributing the article on gunmaking to the 8th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica. As well as becoming an agricultural adviser to neighbouring farmers, during the potato famine he put his energies into providing work for his starving neighbours. Since he disapproved of the game laws, he had no gamekeeper on his estate to stop poaching.

An unfortunate investment led to him losing most of his fortune in 1848, then in 1849 he married Ann Forrester, daughter of an Edinburgh solicitor. They spent the next year in Darmstadt, Germany, where he continued his interest in philosophy; studying, lecturing and writing.

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