First Published in 1966. This volume the fourth edition of Andreades classic history of the bank of England that looks at the period of 1640 to 1903, with its first edition appearing in 1909. The reprint after more than thirty years after the author's death has now secured its place among the classics of economic literature.

History of the Bank of England; Part 1 Origin and Development of Banking in England; Part 2 Foundation of the Bank of England; Chapter 1 Necessity for a National Bank; Chapter 2 Paterson, His Life and Work.-the Foundation of the Bank of England; Chapter 3 Organisation of the New Bank; Chapter 4 Results of the Foundation of the Bank; Chapter 5 The Restoration of the Coinage; Chapter 6 The Land Bank.-Renewal of the Bank Charter; Chapter 7 The Bank of England and the War of Succession; Part 3 The Bank of England under the Hanoverian Dynasty; Chapter 8 The Bank of England and the South Sea Company; Chapter 9 The Bank of England in the Reign of George II; Chapter 10 The Bank from the Death of George II. to the French Revolution; Part 4 The Bank of England During the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars; Chapter 11 Economic Condition of England at the Time of the French Revolution; Chapter 12 Financial Policy of William Pitt. 1 I have thought this chapter essential as an explanation of those which follow, but I have not written it without many hesitations and with considerable difficulty. It is very difficult to judge of a financial policy during such a remarkable period, and Pitt could not reasonably be expected to foresee all the events of which he was to be an eye witness. To this first difficulty is added a second, that of finding data for an opinion. The political struggles were exceptionally violent and they influence nearly all the books on the subject. Moreover, Mr. Lecky's work stops at 1793. There is no general history whatever for this period. Lord Stanhope's Life of the Right Honourable W. Pitt (4 volumes) is anything but a scientific work. The following may be consulted for the subject matter of the chapter:-A masterly speech by Gladstone, delivered on May 8, 1854 (see Parliamentary Debates, third series, Vol, 132, columns 1472-79 devoted to this matter). McCulloch, Collection of Tracts on the National Debt (with a preface); The History of the Bank of England (1798), a work already mentioned, whose standpoint is essentially liberal. G. K. Rickards, The Financial Policy of War, an answer to Mr. Newmarch. Grellier, Terms of all the public Loans, with an appendix by R. W. Wade (1812);very important. William Newmarch, in a valuable pamphlet which contains much documentary evidence, On the Loans Raised by Mr. Pitt during the first French War, has given a brilliant defence of Pitt's financial policy. More recently the question has been discussed very ably, but unfortunately too briefly, by Lord Rosebery, Pitt, pp. 148-156. The appendices A and B may also be read with advantage, since Lord Rosebery's figures are more accurate than those given by Newmarch. Finally, the Parliamentary Debates may be consulted, especially, of course, the speeches of Pitt and Fox, but they cannot be read with too great caution. Amongst other speakers, William Smith and his report of February 9, 1796, deserves mention.; Chapter 13 The Crises of 1793 and 1797.-the Bank Restriction Act.-The Suspension of Cash Payments by the bank; Chapter 14 Results of the Bank Restriction ACT; Chapter 15 The Bullion Committee and the Bullion Report; Chapter 16 Repeal of the Restriction ACT; 1819-1903; Introductory Chapter; Part 5 Causes and Analysis of Robert Peel's Act; Chapter 17 The Crisis of 1825 and the Act of 1826; Chapter 18 The Committee of 1832 and the act of 1833; Chapter 19 The Crisis of 1836-1839; Chapter 20 The Banking Principle and the Currency Principle; Chapter 21 The Currency Principle and the Promoters of the Law of 1844; Chapter 22 Sir Robert Peel and the Act of 1844; Part 6 The Bank of England in Ordinary Times; Introduction; Chapter 23 The Investments of the Bank; Chapter 24 The Reserve; Part 7 Peel's Act in Times of Crisis.; Chapter 25 The Crisis of 1847; Chapter 26 The Crisis of 1857; Chapter 27 The Crisis of 1866; Chapter 28 The crisis of 1890, or the Baring Crisis; Part 8 General Considerations with Regard to the Act of 1844.-Present Position of the Question.-Schemes for Reform.; Chapter 29 Schemes for Reform and Mr. Goschen's Proposal.; Chapter 30 General Remarks on the Present Position of the Bank of England;