George Whatley (died 1791) was an English lawyer, a friend and correspondent of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

. He was also Vice President (1772–1779) and Treasurer (1779–1791) of the

Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital in London, England, was founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" w ...

in London. Whatley was the author of ''

Principles of Trade A principle is a proposition or value that is a guide for behavior or evaluation. In law, it is a rule that has to be or usually is to be followed. It can be desirably followed, or it can be an inevitable consequence of something, such as the la ...

'', published in 1774, which expounded the benefits of '' laissez faire'' economics, allied to

free trade Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. It can also be understood as the free market idea applied to international trade. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold econo ...

. Some sources claim Franklin co-authored the book with Whatley, while Franklin gives full credit to Whatley. Jared Sparks in ''The Works of Benjamin Franklin'' 1840, credits Franklin for the notes: these are in the view of noted economist Jacob Viner, superior to the text. Whatley's portrait by an unknown painter is part of the Foundling Hospital art collection, at the Foundling Museum.Nicolson, ''Treasures of the Foundling Hospital,'' p. 60.

Notes

Year of birth missing 1791 deaths English lawyers {{UK-law-bio-stub