Family and Childhood, 1723 - 1737
Explore Adam Smith's formative years and family influences in this detailed biography section. Delve into the childhood of the renowned economist at Panmure House, uncovering the roots of his ground breaking ideas and intellectual journey.
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Panmure House
Adam Smith was born in 1723 in the Fife coastal town of Kirkcaldy. He never knew his father, a lawyer and customs official, who died five months before he was born. Adam was raised by his mother, Margaret Douglas, who came from a local landowning family. She remained a strong influence throughout his life. Though a sickly child, Adam excelled at his books.

The one well-known anecdote of Adam Smith’s childhood records how, aged three, he was abducted by Gypsies while visiting relatives in the Fife countryside. His absence was soon noticed and his uncle set out in pursuit and quickly recovered the child. It was noted later that Adam Smith ‘would have made a poor gypsy’,

Kirkcaldy had long been a thriving port, exporting coal, salt and linen to England and Europe. However, the 1707 Act of Union between Scotland and England had diverted much of this prosperity. Nevertheless, ships, trade and industry would have been familiar to the young Adam.