Background
He was born in County Kerry about 1680. His early life is obscure. He gained wealth as a London merchant and as a banker in Paris. He was living in London again at the time of his death. Cantillon's fame rests on his Essai sur la nature du commerce en général,general, published posthumously in London in 1755. It was popularized about 1880 by the British economist, William Stanley Jevons, who called it the "cradle of political economy" because it was a systematic treatment of almost the whole field.
Career
Little definite is known about Cantillon except that he was Irish and turned briefly from a successful banking career, mainly in France, to write one of the most outstanding works in the history of the subject - the Essay.
. This was circulated in manuscript for many years after his death and was extremely influential, at least throughout the eighteenth century. However, it was necessary for levons to rediscover it in 1881 after a prolonged neglect.
His ideas on population, determination of prices, wages and interest, the role of the entrepreneur, banking,
and the influence of money supply on the economy are increasingly quoted and appreciated.