Letters, 1870-1885, of Samuel Smiles to John Murray III with some to Robert Cooke and John Murray IV, and related letters. They concern works of Smiles published by Murray, including “Character” and “Thrift”, further biographies including “A publisher and his friends” – a biography of John Murray II – and “A boy’s voyage around the world”, written by Samuel Smiles the younger and edited by his father. The letters are arranged in chronological order.

1870-1871: folios 1-20;

1872-1873: folios 21-26;

1874-1875: folios 27-50;

1876-1877: folios 53-76;(1)

1878-1879: folios 77-95;(2)

1880-1881: folios 96-103;

1882-1883: folios 104-113;

1884-1885: folios 114-122.

1. Includes letters, 27 August and 10 September 1877, of Thomas Annan to Samuel Smiles. In these Annan proposes a biography of David Livingstone be written: folios 68-69 and 72-73.

2. Includes letter, 18 July 1878, of Samuel Smiles to P. Skelton: folio 78.