Thomas Edward Cliffe Leslie and the Political Economy of British Land Systems: From the Critique of the Classical Landed Property Reform to the Birth of Irish Historical Economics

By Manolis Manioudis
Published in Journal of the History of Economic Thought, January 2026.
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Abstract

Thomas Edward Cliffe Leslie is an influential figure in the Irish history of economic thought. This paper presents Leslie’s critical appraisal of British land systems and discusses his critique of the classical landed property reform. The paper illustrates the affinities between Leslie’s and John Stuart Mill’s economic thought regarding the Irish land question. Furthermore, it shows that Leslie’s support for small proprietorship in Ireland is regarded as a prerequisite for defending the Act of Union of 1800. Lastly, the paper argues that Leslie’s political economy of British land systems is a significant stream in the foundation of the Irish historical school and in the promotion of an alternative political economy.