Murray's Family Library was a series of non-fiction works published from 1829 to 1834, by John Murray II of the John Murray publishing house, in 51 volumes. The series editor was John Gibson Lockhart, who also wrote the first book, a biography of Napoleon. The books were priced at five shillings; Murray's approach, which did not involve part-publication, is considered a fundamentally more conservative business model, and intention, than used by the contemporary library of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge.
Original Library VolumeYearAuthorTitleI (2 vols.)1829Bennett, p. 162.John Gibson LockhartThe Life of Napoleon BuonaparteIII1829Bennett, p. 163.John WilliamsThe Life and Actions of Alexander the GreatIV, X, XIII, XIX, XXVII, XXXVIII1829–31Allan CunninghamLives of the Most Eminent British Painters, Sculptors and ArchitectsV, VI and IXVol. V August 1829Henry Hart MilmanThe History of the JewsVII, LI1829Anonymous (a number of authors; Robert Ferguson)The Natural History of InsectsVIII1829Anonymous (S. Dunham Whitehead)The Court and Camp of BuonaparteXI1830Washington IrvingThe Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (abridged)XII1830Robert SoutheyThe Life of Nelson, third editionXIV1830Anonymous (William Macmichael and others; memoir of Caleb Hillier Parry by his son W. C. Parry)Lives of Eminent British PhysiciansXV, XLVIII, XLIX, L1830Bennett, p. 164.George Robert GleigThe History of British IndiaXVI1830Walter ScottLetters on Demonology and WitchcraftXVII1830Francis Bond HeadLife of Bruce the African TravellerXVIII1830IrvingCompanions of ColumbusXX, XXXIIVol. XX 1831Anonymous, (Edward Smedley)Sketches from Venetian HistoryXXI1831Francis PalgraveHistory of EnglandXXII, XXXIV, XXXVIIVol. XXII 1831 Patrick Fraser TytlerLives of Scottish WorthiesXXIII1831Anonymous (John Barrow)Family Tour through South HollandXXIV1831David BrewsterLife of Sir Isaac NewtonXXV1831Sir John Barrow, 1st BaronetThe Eventful History of the Mutiny and Piratical Seizure of HMS BountyXXVI (2 vols.)Vol. XXVI December 1831John James BluntReformation in EnglandXXVIII (3 vols.)1832John Lander and Richard Lander, editor Alexander Bridport BecherAdventures in the NigerXXXI1832Anonymous (Charles Edward Dodd)The Trials of Charles I, and of some of the RegicidesXXXIII1832Bennett, p. 165.BrewsterLetters on Natural MagicXXXV1832Sir John BarrowLife of Peter the GreatXXXVI1832Henry Nelson ColeridgeSix Months in the West IndiesXXXIX (2 vols.)1834IrvingSketch BookXLI (6 vols.)1834Alexander Fraser TytlerUniversal HistoryXLVII22 September 1834.Crofton CrokerFairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland, 2nd edition illustrated by Daniel Maclise
Subsequent additions In 1834 Murray sold out to Thomas Tegg. Further volumes were added to the Library, under Tegg's management. There was a total of 80 volumes, by 1847.
VolumeYearAuthorTitleLIIDaniel DefoeHistory of the Plague Notes by E. W. BrayleyLIII (2 vols.)Cyrus R. EdmondsLife and Times of George WashingtonLVIrvingKnickerbocker's History of New YorkLVI (3 vols.)John WesleyA Compendium of Natural PhilosophyLIX (2 vols.)Philippe-Paul de SégurBonaparte's Campaigns in RussiaLXI1837Richard Alfred DavenportLife of Ali Pasha, of TepeliniLXIICharles MacfarlaneLives and Exploits of Banditti and RobbersLXIIIDavenportSketches of Imposture, Decepture and CredulityLXIV1838DavenportHistory of the BastileLXVJames Francis HollingsLife of Gustavus AdolphusLXVIRichard ThomsonChronicles of London BridgeLXVIICharles BuckeLife of John Churchill, Duke of MarlboroughLXVII1839Thomas RoscoeThe Life and Writings of Miguel de Cervantes (1839), based on Martín Fernández de Navarrete.LXIX1839HollingsCicero's LifeLXX (2 vols.)1840BuckeRuins of Ancient CitiesLXXII1840William Edmonstoune AytounLife and Times of Richard ILXXIII1840Samuel GreenLife of MahometLXXIV (2 vols.)DavenportNarrative of Perils and Sufferings(3 vols.)1841John Chetwode EustaceClassical Tour through Italy, 8th editionLXXIXDavenportLives of Individuals who have Raised Themselves from Poverty to Eminence or FortuneLXXX1842Anonymous (William Johnson Neale)History of the Mutiny at Spithead and the Nore
References Scott Bennett, John Murray's Family Library and the Cheapening of Books in Early Nineteenth Century Britain, Studies in Bibliography Vol. 29, (1976), pp. 139–166. Published by: Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40371632
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