The letters and telegram concern mostly the preparation and publication of Edmund Spencer Eardley Childers’ `Life and Correspondence of Right Hon. Hugh Culling Eardley Childers` (1901). The letters also contain family news due to the fact that the wives of Childers and John Murray IV were sisters – Matilda Florence Childers and Katherine Evelyn Murray respectively. Childers commonly used his middle name of Spencer and most of his letters are signed Spencer Childers. The letters are arranged chronologically.

1896-1899: folios 1-35;

1900: folios 36-93;

1901: folios 94-127;

1902-1903: folios 128-149;

1905-1910, 1914-1916 and 1918-1919: folios 150-184.

Folios 20-21. Letter, 1899, of Arthur John Bigge, to John Murray IV.

Folios 77-78. Letter, 1900, of Hugh Robert Eardley Childers to his brother, Edmund Spencer Eardley Childers. The letter was forwarded as an enclosure to the latter’s letter to John Murray IV of the 23 Nov 1900 (folios 75-76).

Folio 117: Postcard of Charles Edward Eardley Childers to his brother, Edmund Spencer Eardley Childers. The letter was forwarded as an enclosure to the latter’s letter to John Murray IV of the 7 May 1901 (folios 115-116).

Folios 124-125: Unsigned letter, 1901, of Garnet Joseph Wolseley to Edmund Spencer Eardley Childers. The letter was forwarded as an enclosure of Childers’ letter to John Murray IV of the 22 Nov 1901 (folios 122-123).

Folio 134-135: Letter, 1902, of Lewen Burton Weldon to Edmund Spencer Eardley Childers. The letter has been forwarded to John Murray IV with a letter from Childers on folio 135.

Folio 138-139: Letter, 1902, of John William Van Rees Hoets to Edmund Spencer Eardley Childers, with a copy of Childers’ reply on folio 139. The letter was forwarded to John Murray IV with Childers’ letter of 8 May 1902 (folios 136-137).

Folio 140-141: Letter, 1902, of John William Van Rees Hoets to John Murray IV.

Folios 148-149: Letter, 1903, of Hugh Robert Eardley Childers to Edmund Spencer Eardley Childers. The letter was forwarded as an enclosure to the latter’s letter to John Murray IV of the 20 Dec 1903 (folios 146-147).

Folios 153: Letter, 1905, of Hugh Robert Eardley Childers to Edmund Spencer Eardley Childers. The letter was forwarded as part of the latter’s letter to John Murray IV of the 10 Feb 1905, which has been written on folio 152.