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ANDERSON, ADAM, author of the
largest British compilation upon commercial history, was a native of
Scotland, born about the year 1692. Having removed to London, he was for
forty years a clerk in the South Sea house, and at length was appointed
chief clerk of the Stock and New Annuities in that establishment, in which
situation he continued till his death. He was appointed one of the trustees
for establishing the colony of Georgia, by charter dated June 9th, 5 Geo.
II. He was also one of the court of assistants of the Scots Corporation in
London. In 1762, he published his work, entitled, "A Historical and
Chronological Deduction of the Origin of Commerce, from the earliest
accounts to the present time; containing a history of the large commercial
interests of the British Empire," &c. Lond. 2 vols. folio. The
elaborate character of this work, says much for the industry of the author.
It was subsequently improved in a new edition by David Macpherson, 4 vols.
quarto; and a manual abridgement of the work may still be considered a want
in our literature. Mr Anderson died soon after he had given it to the world,
January 10th, 1765, at the age of seventy-three. |
