True. But my point was that, although they were wealthy enough to get an education, they were not wealthy enough to go off and spend their lives unconcerned wit

True. But my point was that, although they were wealthy enough to get an education, they were not wealthy enough to go off and spend their lives unconcerned with in the same way that many (not all!) of the scientists of the early industrial revolution were. They instead had to have a job doing whatever they were doing or to have a wealthy or powerful patron to support them.