Former Residence of Marshall in Nanjing

Former Residence of Marshall in Nanjing

Alfred Marshall (1842–1924) was one of the most renowned economists in Britain and the world during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1842, Marshall was born into a modest middle-class family in the London area of England. From an early age, he was raised under the strict guidance of his father, who had high hopes that his son would become a clergyman. However, he defied his father’s wishes and went on to study mathematics at St John’s College, Cambridge, where he earned a bachelor's degree and was elected as a fellow of the college. In 1877, he resigned from his position because he married Mary Paley, a former student of his—since at the time fellows at Oxford and Cambridge were required to remain celibate like clergymen. Later, he served successively as the principal of University College, Bristol, and as a lecturer and professor at both Oxford and Cambridge (by then, the celibacy requirement had been lifted). He participated in policy advisory activities organized by the British government and was also an influential member of the Royal Commission on Labour from 1890 to 1894. In 1880, he chaired Section F of the British Association and formally led the movement to establish the British (later Royal) Economic Society.

In December 1945, Marshall came to China as a special envoy of U.S. President Truman to “mediate” relations between the Nationalists and Communists. His support for Chiang Kai-shek's policies led to failure, and he was recalled to the United States in November 1947.

The former residence of Marshall at No. 5 Ninghai Road in Nanjing was built by the Jincheng Bank of Nanjing before 1936. On January 25, 1937, it was sold to the Nanjing branch of the Central Trust of China, representing the United States, for 650 million Chinese yuan. The property covered a total land area of 4.17 mu, equivalent to 2,779.8 square meters, with a building area of 748 square meters. The main structure is a two-story modern brick house with 11 rooms, featuring a traditional Chinese-style roof but Western-style interiors, making it both novel and unique among modern residences. Additionally, there is a row of six new-style single-story rooms, one kitchen, four toilets, and one air-raid shelter. The surrounding area is lush with trees and flowers, offering a beautiful, serene, and luxurious atmosphere. From 1945 to 1947, while serving as the U.S. special envoy to China, Marshall lived here. After the liberation of Nanjing in April 1949, the site was taken over and used by the People's Liberation Army. It is now occupied by the Nanjing Military Command.

Marshall’s major works include: *A Review of Jevons*, *On Mr. Wicksteed’s “Theory of Value”*, *The Pure Theory of Foreign Trade and the Pure Theory of Domestic Values*, *Industry and Trade*, *Where to House the London Poor*, *The Present Position of Economics: Inaugural Lecture Delivered at Cambridge in 1885*, *Journal of the Statistical Society*, *Remedies for Fluctuations of General Prices*, *Principles of Economics*, *Elements of Economics of Industry*, *On Rent*, *Some Aspects of the Older Economics and the Newer Economics*, *Distribution and Exchange*, *Memorandum on the Teaching of Economics and Connected Branches of Political Science*, *The Social Possibilities of Economic Chivalry*, *Taxation in the Post-War World*, *Industry and Trade*, *Memorials of Alfred Marshall*, *Official Papers of Alfred Marshall*, and more.