William Cunningham

William Cunningham (December 29, 1849 - 1919), English economist, was born at Edinburgh, Scotland. He was an eminent economic historian, a proponent of the historical method in economics, and an opponent of free trade.

Educated at Edinburgh Academy and University and Trinity College, Cambridge, he graduated 1st class in the Moral Science tripos in 1873. In the same year took holy orders, later serving as chaplain of Trinity College, Cambridge from 1880-91. He was university lecturer in history from 1884 to 1891, in which year he was appointed Tooke Professor of Economy and Statistics at King's College London, a post which he held until 1897. He was lecturer in economic history at Harvard University (1899), and Hulsean lecturer at Cambridge (1885). He became vicar of Great St Mary's, Cambridge, in 1887, and was made a fellow of the British Academy. In 1907 he was appointed archdeacon of Ely. [cite book
title=The Organisation of Knowledge in Victorian Britain
author=Martin J. Daunton, British Academy
year=2005
publisher=Oxford University Press
isbn=0197263267
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-2LbVfzDfjwC&pg=PA185&lpg=PA185&dq=%22William+Cunningham%22+%2B%22Tooke+professor%22&source=web&ots=wbq3cDA9au&sig=Cjx7PAiwX2cjRjMA4Egcmoxi1PU&hl=en#PPP1,M1]

Cunningham's "Growth of English Industry and Commerce during the Early and Middle Ages" (1890; 4th ed., 1905) and "Growth of English Industry and Commerce in Modern Times" (1882; 3rd ed., 1903) are among the standard works of reference on the industrial history of England.

Cunningham's eminence as an economic historian gave special importance to his support of Joseph Chamberlain from 1903 onwards in criticizing the English free-trade policies and advocating tariff reform.

He was a critic of the nascent Neoclassical economics, particularly as propounded by his colleague, Alfred Marshall and the Cambridge School.

Works

* "Growth of English Industry and Commerce in Modern Times: The Mercantile System" (1882); [http://econpapers.repec.org/bookchap/hayhetboo/cunningham1911.htm Cambridge U. Press, revised 7th ed. (1907) on line, McMaster]
* "Politics and Economics: An Essay on the Nature of the Principles of Political Economy, together with a Survey of Recent Legislation," London, Kegan, Paul, Trench & Co. (1885)
* "Growth of English Industry and Commerce during the Early and Middle Ages" (1890); [http://econpapers.repec.org/bookchap/hayhetboo/cunningham1910a.htm Cambridge, 5th ed. (1910) on line, McMaster] )
* [http://www.archive.org/details/useabuseofmoney00cunnuoft "The Use and Abuse of Money," New York, Scribner's (1891)] ; Kessinger, (2006) ISBN 1425494234
* cite book
title=Alien Immigrants to England
author=William Cunningham
year=1897
publisher=The Macmillan Co.
isbn=
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=IrQJAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=alien+immigrants+to+england#PPA154,M1; Routledge (1997) ISBN 0714612952
* "An Essay on Western Civilization in its Economic Aspects (Ancient Times)," Cambridge U. Press (1898)
* "An Essay on Western Civilization in its Economic Aspects (Mediaeval and Modern Times)," Cambridge U. Press (1900)
* "The Rise and Decline of the Free Trade Movement," (1905); Cosimo ISBN-10: 1605201154
* "Christianity and Politics," Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin (1915)

References