Letter from Smiles to Murray, 3 Jan 1860

Author(s): Smiles, Samuel

6, Granville Park Terrace
Blackheath S.E.
3 Jany 1860

My Dear Sir


Mr Cooke writes me that
you will not object to my including
your “forbears”, as the Scotch call
them , among my list of self made
men. I have this morning received
materials from Mr Walter
of Bearwood for a capital memoïr
of his father , and I have no
doubt you can supply me with
quite as good respecting yours ;—
and by the way , as there have
been 3 Walters , so have there
been 3 Murrays , contemporaries
in the publishing world , each steadily





advancing & going right to the
head of his own branch of business.
There must be a great deal of
curious & interesting facts you can
supply me with respecting successful
& unsuccessful books — the detection , by
the quick sighted publisher , of the merits
of books — in short a large amount
of literary anecdotes of an entirely
original character. Any facts
relating to small beginnings are always
interesting. I have some very good ones
respecting Clowes & Walter (the first)
and you may be able to supply
me with quite as good respecting
Murray the First. As I have said
to Mr Cooke , I have been surprized




to find how extensive a field of
unworked biography has been opened
up to me by the publication of this last
little book ; and it is more than
ever clear to me that the men
of industry , who have made this county
what it is , have been too much neglected.
I shall be glad if I can
do some what to rescue from forgetfulness
a few of the more distinguished
of these honourable men . When
you are at leisure , I must spend
an evening with you , entirely by
yourself , and this matter can be
talked over. In the mean time you
will oblige me by noting down the
[heads] of any interesting recollections
that may occur to you .

Yours vy faithfully

S Smiles

J. Murray Esq




Jan 3 1860

Smiles. S.

Letter from Smiles to Murray, 3 Jan 1860

Document Information

Document ID	208
Title	Letter from Smiles to Murray, 3 Jan 1860
Year group	1850-1900
Genre	Personal writing
Year of publication	1860
Place of publication	London
Wordcount	329

Author information: Smiles, Samuel

Author ID	59
Forenames	Samuel
Surname	Smiles
Gender	Male
Year of birth	1822
Place of birth	Haddington, Scotland
Mother's place of birth	Dalkeith, Scotland
Father's place of birth	Haddington, Scotland
Occupation	Author, physician, editor, secretary
Education	University
Locations where resident	England, Haddington, Edinburgh, Londno