Abstract
The main problem discussed in this chapter is the supposed authorship of a work defending the East India Company, the author of which gives his name as ‘Philopatris’.1 It is called A Treatise Wherein is Demonstrated, I. That the East-India Trade is the most national of all foreign trades; II. that the clamors … against the present East-India Company are sinister, selfish, or groundless ….2 A number of authorities have attributed this to Sir Josiah Child who was an important, and at times dominant, figure in the company from 1673 until his death in 1699.3 The pamphlet was originally attributed to Child by Charles King in The British Merchant of 1721,4 and this attribution was endorsed by McCulloch, who considered that the style was the same as that of a work which had appeared with Child’s name on its title page, A New Discourse of Trade.5 W. R. Scott also seems to have believed that the work was by Child.6 Viner considered that it was by Child,7 and Chaudhuri, the outstanding contemporary authority on the East India Company, also takes this view.8
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
On Child’s dominance, see Sir W. W. Hunter, A History of British India, vol. II,(London: Longman, 1900), especially ch. 8, pp. 275–323. Child’s rise seems all the more remarkable when one examines the records of the East India Company. Prior to Child becoming Governor, Papillon, though Deputy Governor, seems to have been in de facto, control, chairing 53 of 85 meetings of the Directors between 20 August 1680 and 12 April 1681, when Child was elected Governor. His predecessor, Sir William Thomson, attended somewhat spasmodically and seems to have been in poor health.
Charles King, The British Merchant or Commerce Preserv,’d, (London: Darby, 1721; reprinted New York: Kelley, 1968) vol. I, p. 182. King, however, was not certain of the pamphlet’s authorship. He referred to ‘a Pamphlet wrote by Sir Josiah Child, or at least by his Direction’ — loc. cit. He does not even give the title of the pamphlet but it can be identified by a reference he makes to material on p. 19 of it.
J. R. McCulloch, The Literature of Political Economy: A Classified Catalogue of Select Publications in the Different Departments of that Science, with Historical, Critical, and Biographical Notices, (London: Longman, 1845). McCulloch cites the British Merchant, attribution and comments: ‘whoever compares it with his “Discourse of Trade” … will be satisfied that Sir Josiah was its author’ (p. 99).
W. R. Scott, The Constitution and Finance of English, Scottish and Irish Joint-Stock Companies to 1720, vol. II., Companies for Foreign Trade, Colonisation, Fishing and Mining, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1910). See p. 144, note 3 (which refers back to p. 142, note 1) where Scott cites the ‘Philopatris’ pamphlet as evidence of Child’s view on the possibility of issuing a new East India stock; he also cites Somers’ Tracts, as evidence of Papillon’s support for such a stock. But inspection of A Collection of Scarce and Valuable Tracts on the Most Interesting and Entertaining Subjects: but Chiefly such as Relate to the History and Constitution of these Kingdoms. Selected from, … Libraries; Particularly that of the late Lord Somers, 2nd edn rev. Walter Scott (London: Cadell, 1812) VIII, pp. 455ff, reveals that the citation is again the ‘Philopatris’ work.
J. Viner, Studies in the Theory of International Trade, (1937; reprinted London: Allen and Unwin, 1964) p. 603.
K. N. Chaudhuri, The Trading World of Asia and the English East India Company 1660–1760, (London: Cambridge University Press, 1978) pp. 427, 611.
On Child’s holding of East India Company stock, see W. O. Letwin, The Origins of Scientific Economics. English Economic Thought 1660–1776,(London: Methuen, 1963) pp. 25–6n and p. 37n.
T. B. Macauley, The History of England from the Accession of James II, 1849 (London: Dent, Everyman edition, 1906) vol. 3, pp. 20–31 at p. 22.
A. W. F. Papillon, Memoirs of Thomas Papillon, of London, Merchant, 1623–1702, (Reading: Joseph J. Beechcroft, Printer, 1887) pp. 82–3.
S. A. Khan, East India Trade in the XVIIth Century, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1923; reprinted New Delhi: Chand, n.d.) p. 195.
Sir Josiah Child, Brief Observations Concerning Trade, and Interest of Money, (London: Elizabeth Calvert and Henry Mortlock, 1668).
An Essay on Wool, and Woollen Manufacture, for the Improvement of Trade to the Benefit of Land, Feeders of Sheep, Clothiers, and Merchants, (London: J. Bonwicke, 1693).
A Discourse of the Nature, Use and Advantages of Trade. Proposing some Considerations for the Promotion and Advancement thereof, By a Registry of Lands. Preventing the Exportation of Coyn. Lowering the Interest of money. Inviting Foreign Families into England, (London: Randal Taylor, 1694).
Sir Josiah Child, A New Discourse of Trade, Wherein is Recommended several weighty Points relating to Companies of Merchants, (London: John Everingham, 1693) pp. 143–4.
pp. 200–33, 276–97 of Robert Ferguson, The Interest of Reason in Religion; with the Import and Use of Scripture — metaphors; and the Nature of the Union betwixt Christ and Believers, (London: D. Newman, 1675).
Sir Thomas Culpepper (the Elder), A Tract against Usurie, 1621, reprinted as ‘A Small Treatise Against Usury’, pp. 205–30 of Child’s New Discourse of Trade,.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 1982 D. P. O’Brien and A. C. Darnell
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
O’Brien, D.P., Darnell, A.C. (1982). Sir Josiah Child’s Economic Writings. In: Authorship Puzzles in the History of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-05697-2_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-05697-2_3
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-05699-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-05697-2
eBook Packages: Palgrave Economics & Finance CollectionEconomics and Finance (R0)