Richard Sharp (politician)

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Richard Sharp, F.R.S., (born Newfoundland 1759; died Dorchester, 30 March 1835), also known as "Conversation" Sharp, was a British politician and critic. He was born in Newfoundland, the son of a British officer in garrison there. He was for many years in business in London, and amassed a large fortune.

He wrote Epistles in verse (London: John Murray, 1828) and was the host of leading literary and political men at his houses in Park Lane and near Dorking. Johnson, Burke, Rogers, Hallam, Grattan, Sydney Smith, James Mill, Wordsworth and Coleridge were among his many friends.

From 1806 to 1812 he was Member of Parliament for Castle Rising. Subsequently he represented Portarlington (1816-1819) and Ilchester (1826-1827). He was the author of a volume of Letters and Essays in Prose and Verse (1834), which the Quarterly Review declared to be remarkable for "wisdom, wit, knowledge of the world and sound criticism."

Richard Sharp was one of the great talkers of regency society, and was commonly known as "Conversation" Sharp. He was very friendly with most of poets of the day, including Wordsworth and Byron; one of the nine epistles here was addressed to Samuel Rogers. Sharp was also close to many of the leading political economists, especially Ricardo, Godwin, Bentham, and James Mill.