Wilson, James 1805-1860
Archival location guide — where this economist’s surviving papers are held, their notable correspondents, and key published sources.
Born 1805 · died 1860
James Wilson was a Scottish businessman, economist, and Liberal politician who founded The Economist weekly and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, which merged with Standard Bank in 1969 to form Standard Chartered. He was the first Finance Member of the Viceroy's Executive Council from December 1859 until his death in August 1860. Sent there to put order into the chaos that followed the "Sepoy Mutiny" of 1857, he presented India's first budget, and was responsible for the government accounting system, Pay Office, and audit, apart from government paper currency, Indian Police, a Military Finance Commission, and a Civil Finance Commission.
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Wilson 's papers seem to have been destroyed by a descendant, and the destruction of the archives of The Economist by fire during the Second World War removed the other important source of information about him.
Correspondents
EDWARD GEORGE EARLE LYTTON BULWER-LYTTON, Baron Lytton, ten letters, 1844-1856. Bulwer-Lytton papers, Hertfordshire RO
RICHARD COBDEN, five letters, 1839-1846. BL Add. MS. 43667.
WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE, c. 150 items, 1853-1855. BL Add. MS. 44346.
GEORGE HAMILTON GORDON, 4th Earl of Aberdeen, about ten items, 1853-1854. BL Add. MSS. 43251, 43254.
HENRY GEORGE GREY, 3rd Earl Grey, 33 letters, 1847-1856. Grey of Howick papers, Durham DP
HENRY JOHN T-EMPLE, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, four letters, 1850-1857. Broadlands papers, National Register of Archives (NRA) 12889.
GEORGE WILLIAM FREDERICK VILLIERS, 4th Earl of Clarendon, 14 letters, 1853-1856 (and 11 letters from Clarendon to Wilson, 1847-1854, MS. Eng. Lett. e91). Bodleian, MS. Clar. Dep. c1-c82.
GEORGE WILSON, seven letters, 1840-1846. Wilson papers, Manchester City Library.
CHARLES WOOD, 1st Viscount Halifax, three volumes of correspondence, 1859-1860. Halifax papers, India Office Library.
Printed Material
EMILIE BARRINGTON, The Servant of All ( London, 1927).
Palgrave III 669; ODNB; Boase III 1413.
Portraits: NPG; see Barrington (above).