The publishing house of John Murray continued to trade through the French Revolution, the Napoleonic wars and two world wars, and John Murray publications often reflect the political debates and societal changes of the day.
The 19th-century in particular was a time of rapid and widespread change in Britain, with increased industrialisation, the growth of Empire, legal reform and popular unrest.
Political and social change is often debated, discussed and detailed in correspondence and in print, and Murray authors were often at the heart of this.
Murray's involvement with politics and politicians was secured from 1809 with the launch of the'Quarterly Review' journal.
From then on, Murray correspondents and authors included many politicians and Prime Ministers such as Sir Robert Peel, Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone.
But the conservative Murrays also corresponded with a range of political opinions from the likes of:
- Social campaigner Caroline Norton
- Abolitionist William Wilberforce
- Philosopher and advocate of women's rights John Stuart Mill
Among Murray authors and correspondents are:
