McCulloch One Name Study

In 1817 he became a contributor to, and, shortly afterwards, editor of the ‘Scotsman’ newspaper, which post he retained till 1827, and, thanks largely to his efforts, it became famous for its political economy and enjoyed a considerable reputation throughout the country. At the same time he was a regular and prolific contributor to the ‘Edinburgh Review’, of which Jeffrey was then editor, and lectured both in Edinburgh and London on a variety of subjects connected with political economy. An abortive attempt was made in 1825 to persuade the Government to endow a Chair of Political Economy at Edinburgh, and to confer the office on McCulloch, but, two years later, he accepted the Professorship of Political Economy in the University College of London, which he resigned in 1832 simultaneously with the production of his ‘Commerëial Dictionary’, on which such a large measure of his reputation rests. Beside this, he was the author of numerous other works.

His persistent advocacy of liberal measures gave him strong claims on the Whig Government and, after some disappointments, he was, in 1838, appointed by Lord Melbourne, to the Comptrollership of the Stationery Office, which he held with much distinction for the rest of his life. He was a warm admirer of Sir Robert Peel, a feeling doubtless enhanced by the latter’s bestowal on him in 1846 of a pension of £200 a year, which, apart from the honour conferred, was no small assistance to a man with a large family.

Physically, Mr McCulloch was tall, of strong constitution, and by his portraits, good looking but frequent attacks of bronchitis much weakened him during the last two years of his life. He married early and most happily, and died at the Stationery Office, Westminster on 11 November 1864, the 53rd anniversary of his marriage, in the 76th year of his age. He was interred in the Brompton Cemetery and there his widow, Isabella Stewart, was laid by his side in July 1867.