This paper re-evaluates the scope of selected early bookkeeping texts, in order to address commonly held and well-documented misconceptions regarding the nature of those texts. Specifically, it reviews the content of Pacioli’s treatise of 1494, of Mellis (1588), Peele (1553) and Weddington (1567) to demonstrate that these texts were prepared by authors with an awareness of the commercial realit...

This paper reviews the treatise on arithmetic which accompanies John Mellis’ 1588 text ‘A Brief Instruction and manner how to keep books of accounts’. The treatise, entitled ‘A Short and plain Treatise of Arithmetic in whole numbers, comprised into a briefer method than hitherto hath bin published’ contains material of considerably more substance than its title suggests. Past assessments of Mel...

We offer a way to test to what extent double-entry book-keeping is the vector of rationalization of merchant activity that was described by Weber, and explore alternative possible motivations. We move the focus away from the structure and theory of accounts into the daily practice of the agents themselves. We use the new, unique database of eighteenth-century merchant accounts developed in Fran...

Business, as the movement of economic factors in a certain direction, implies continuous monitoring, regardless whether it causes changes or maintains existing state. In this sense, accounting is most important part overall information system every business entity whose indispensable to financial management when making decisions. paper, we will present agricultural holding main production-organ...