Nicholas Barbon

Nicholas Barbon (c. 1640-1698), English economist, probably the son of Praise-God Barbon, was born in London, studied medicine at Leiden, graduated M.D. at Utrecht in 1661, and was admitted an honorary fellow of the College of Physicians[?] in 1664. He took a considerable part in the rebuilding of London after the great fire of 1666, and has a claim to be considered the institutor of fire-insurance in England, which he started somewhere about 1680. He was M.P. for Bramber in 1690 and 1695.

He founded a land bank which, according to contemporaries, was fairly successful and was united with that of John Briscoe[?] in 1696. He died in 1698. His writings are interesting as expressing views much in advance of his time. The more important were Apology for the Builder; or a Discourse showing the Cause and Effects of the Increase of Building (1685); A Discourse of Trade (1690); and A Discourse Concerning Coining the New Money Lighter (1696).