J. R. Edwards

Roy A. Chandler

This book sheds light on the nature of the late nineteenth century audit by reference to the views expressed in 26 legal cases. The treatment of late nineteenth century legal issues which might appear somewhat unbalanced, viewed from today’s stand-point, is shown to be more even handed when seen against the back ground of a vigorous contemporary debate concerning all aspects of the auditors’ duties. This text therefore informs readers of the full breadth of the debate, and discusses a range of issues which may since have been overlooked, such as the Kingston Cotton Mill case, 1895, normally referred to only in the context of stock valuation but which also had a great deal to say about the appropriate method for valuing fixed assets.

A Case Law Perspective

British Audit Practice 1884-1900 (RLE Accounting)

This anthology comprises a selection of articles which demonstrates the explanatory potential of company records as source material for the accounting historian. They were published in the UK and the USA between 1954 and 1984. The articles reproduced are based on the records of what is the modern business enterprise and they identify and explain the development of external financial reporting procedures.

1830-1974

Studies of Company Records (RLE Accounting)

Malcolm Anderson

John Richard Edwards

Derek Matthews

Documenting the rise of the accountancy profession in Britain the authors of this volume focus on the individual - the professional accountant - and adopt an economic determinist analysis to explain why such a rise has occurred.

The Rise of the Professional Accountant in British Management

The Priesthood of Industry

Trevor Boyns

This anthology provides readers with a flavour of the development of cost accounting and emerging management accounting literature from ‘The Costing Renaissance’ to 1952. Many of the issues which were prominent in the middle of the twentieth century are still pressing issues today and received important early treatments. However, a more balanced longitudinal coverage of the relevant material enables readers to trace the development of new attitudes to problems which had been recognized early on and to become aware of the fact that different issues tended to dominate the literature as time went by. The selection bias has favoured material which was covered for the first time or in a new way.

Contemporary Essays from the Accounting Literature

British Cost Accounting 1887-1952 (RLE Accounting)

This book focuses on the way in which businessmen responded to the new problem of accounting for fixed assets when measuring periodic profit. The book is divided into four sections: the first embraces items that examine asset valuation procedures in general use during the nineteenth century. The second focuses on the particular practices that became popular among public utility companies. The third comprises studies on influences, particularly legal ones on the treatment of fixed assets in company accounts. The final section examines the likely economic effect of using particular valuation procedures and is another area where available material is scarce. Of the twenty-seven items included, seven were written during the nineteenth century and the remainder during the twentieth. Their emphasis is practical rather than theoretical: they set out the various ways in which companies accounted for fixed assets and provide some explanation for the choices made.

Reporting Fixed Assets in Nineteenth-Century Company Accounts (RLE Accounting)

Hugh Coombs

These books make available material relating to the statutory regulations covering the degree of accountability required from local authorities during the period 1834-1936. The bulk of historical accounting research has focused on the development of financial accounting although in recent years the development of management accounting has attracted more interest. In both these areas, it has been the accounting practices of the private sector which have received more attention, central government in the Middle Ages some attention, and local government accounting very little. These volumes redress this imbalance in historical investigation, both to provide a comparative basis for work on the private sector and to provide an historical perspective for the system of local government accounting currently in use.

J. R. Edwards

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