James Steuart (economist)
Scottish economist
Sir James Steuart, 3rd Baronet of Goodtrees and 7th Baronet of Coltness (; 21 October 1712 – 26 November 1780), also known as Sir James Steuart Denham, was a prominent Scottish Jacobite and author of "probably the first systematic treatise written in English about economics" and the first book in English with 'political economy' in the title. He assumed the surname of Denham late in life; he inherited his cousin's baronetcy of Coltness in 1773.
Life
He was one of 12 children of Sir James Stewart, 1st Baronet, Solicitor General for Scotland under Queen Anne and George I, and was born in Edinburgh. His mother was Anne Dalrymple, daughter of Lord North Berwick, the Lord President of the Court of Session. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh he was admitted to the Scottish bar at the age of twenty-four.
He then spent some years on the Continent, and while in Rome entered into relations with the Young Pretender, Charles Edward Stuart. He was in Edinburgh in 1745, and so compromised himself that, after the battle of Culloden, he found it necessary to return to the Continent, where he remained until 1763. It was not until 1771 that he was fully pardoned for any complicity he may have had in the rebellion. He died at his family seat, Coltness, in Lanarkshire.
He married Lady Frances Wemyss (1722–1789), younger sister of David Wemyss, Lord Elcho, who played a prominent role in the 1745 Rising.
“James Steuart (economist)” enters the record as scottish economist. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what James, Steuart and economist can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“James Steuart (economist)” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, James, Steuart and economist provides the most credible route into that argument.
Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q257107. VIAF identifies the subject as 4956723. The Library of Congress control number is n86084669. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1712, 1780, 1773 and 1745.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “James Steuart (economist)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow James Steuart (economist) primary sources, James Steuart (economist) archive and James research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “James Steuart (economist)”?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “James Steuart (economist)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.