Thanks Daniele.

But I wonder if that attribution is correct.  It seems a rather odd
area of interest for Granville Sharp to pick up, particularly since it
doesn't seem to touch on anything else he has written nor does his
profile fit the kind of subtle theoretical bent that would be
necessary for it.

In contrast, just skimming through the latter parts of the History of
Aberdeen, I have to confess Walter Thom seems to have a good grasp of
political economy.  Moreover, Goldsmith's-Kress lists Walter Thom as
the author of another book, "Synopsis of the Science of Political
Economy" (1814).  It's not the same book as the Sketches, but it does
strengthen the connection.

Following up on some clues, stumbled upon this:

http://www.thoms.ie/content/about.asp

So if this is the same Walter Thom, he was actually Irish, publisher
of the Dublin Journal (from 1813 to 1824), and father of Alexander
Thom, the publisher of Thom's Almanac and (incidentally) publisher of
several works on Irish economic development (e.g. reprints of Ware,
Petty and Berkeley).

Thom pater's interest in Aberdeen might be put down to his sojourn as
an Irish student in the Scottish academies.  Which could very well
explain his acquisition of political economy.

Has any of our Irish experts come across this character before?

Goncalo Fonseca