Original letters, 1793-1857.

Collection of letters assembled by Lady Smith from her correspondence and that of her husband, Sir James Edward Smith (1759-1828); before each section of letters, she provides a brief biographical sketch of the authors represented in those letters; the third volume contains mainly letters reacting to her husband's death and to her Memoir and Correspondence of the Late Sir J.E. Smith; collection touches on many aspects of the Smiths' interests, personal and public, scientific and literary; it illustrates their many friendships, especially with the family of William Roscoe (1753-1831) and the Holkham literary circle; especially interesting are the discussions of gardening and concerning the Linnean Society of England; on the whole it provides a well-rounded picture of Norfolk society and literature from the late 18th century to the mid 19th century; the collection includes several manuscript and printed poems.