Joshua Gee

Joshua Gee (1667–1730) was a British merchant, publicist and writer in economics who mainly focused on trade.

Gee is best known for his book called The Trade and Navigation of Great Britain Consider'd which was first published in London, 1729, and had 20 editions worldwide.

Early life Joshua Gee was born in 1667 probably in London. His father, John Gee (1635–1704) of Moyvoughley, was a Quaker from Yorkshire. By 1723 Gee and his partners owned or controlled more than 12,000 acres of land in North America containing iron ore deposits.

Personal life In 1697, Gee married Sarah Hart (1673/4–1704), daughter of a tailor at the Peel Quaker meeting.

Most of this work focused on labour shortages in the American colonies. Gee suggested that England transport domestic convicts, the poor and unemployed to work in the colonies. He also recommended creating free ports at Gibraltar and Port Mahon. Gee also encouraged foreign import-replacing production in the plantations.

Between 1729 and 1780, at least 20 editions of the book were published. There are English editions published in London, Glasgow, and Dublin, French translations (the first in 1749), published in London, Amsterdam and Geneva, Dutch (1750), Spanish (1753), and German (in Copenhagen, 1757). Historians say that the main reason behind the book's popularity was Gee's honesty explaining the policies which were actually carried out by the English.