Merchant Enterprise in Britain from the Industrial Revolution to World War One

Notes:

Scholarly account of the changing nature and structure of British merchanting and its evolution from the traditional 18th century model to that pertaining in 1914, both in terms of international and domestic trade. Considers this evolution, especially internationally, through the emergence of new structures such as in the Atlantic trade, agency houses dealing with trade to Asia, 'international houses' - notably German, United States and Greek - that became rooted in Britain, 'home trade houses' which dominated internal distribution, wholesaling, etc. Also addresses the contribution to this of new technologies - notably communications. Organised in four parts; 1] 'The setting' - eighteenth century structure of merchant enterprise / consequences of the Industrial Revolution and the French Wars; 2] 'New streams of enterprise' - merchants in the Atlantic trade / the agency houses - trade to India and the Far East / the international houses - foreign contribution to British mercantile enterprise / home trade houses; 3] 'Response to instant communication' - problems of restructuring mercantile enterprise / British based investment groups before 1914 / imperialism and British trade; 4] 'Conclusions' - performance of British mercantile enterprise. Many references to individual; firms, notably including James Finlay & Co; Jardine Matheson; Baring Brothers; Ralli Brothers; John Rylands; I & R Morley