Samuel Smiles
Samuel Smiles was born on the 23rd of December 1812 in Haddington, East Lothian. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh starting in 1829. His father died during the cholera epidemic of 1832. A mother named Janet Wilson kept the family general store running to support nine younger children. She believed that the Lord would provide while working ceaselessly. This example shaped his future life more than any medical training could have. He abandoned his career as a doctor after several cooperative ventures failed for lack of capital.
Smiles accepted an editorship at the Leeds Times in 1838. He held this position until 1842 while living on Woodhouse Cliff from 1847 onward. The paper campaigned for parliamentary reform and women's suffrage. By late 1840s he grew concerned about physical force advocated by Chartists Feargus O'Connor and George Julian Harney. He stated that mere political reform would not cure societal evils. In May 1840 he became secretary to the Leeds Parliamentary Reform Association which held six objectives including universal suffrage for men over 21. He left the newspaper in 1845 to work for the Leeds & Thirsk Railway.
Self-Help with Illustrations of Character and Conduct appeared in 1859. Routledge publishing house had rejected it in 1855. Smiles self-published the book retaining copyright while paying John Murray a ten per cent commission. It sold 20,000 copies within one year of publication. By his death in 1904 it had sold over a quarter of a million copies. Robert J. Morris described how he elevated himself to celebrity status almost overnight. Requests poured in for him to lay foundation stones or present prizes to orphan children. He declined most invitations because his duty lay in his office with his work.
Lives of the Engineers was published as five volumes between 1862 and 1874. The first volume covered early engineers like James Brindley and Sir Cornelius Vermuyden. Volume two focused on harbours lighthouses and bridges featuring John Smeaton and John Rennie. Volume three detailed road history through figures such as John Metcalf and Thomas Telford. Volume four examined the steam engine via Boulton and Watt. Volume five chronicled the locomotive through George Stephenson and Robert Stephenson. Industrial Biography followed in 1863 including lives of Andrew Yarranton and Benjamin Huntsman. These works documented industrial history during the growth of industrial archaeology from the 1960s onward.
Self-Help has been called the bible of mid-Victorian liberalism by M.J. Cohen and John Major. The late nineteenth century saw rise of New Liberalism Keynesian economics and socialism viewing thrift unfavourably. J.A. Hobson and A.F. Mummery claimed saving resulted in underemployment during trade depressions in their Physiology of Industry published 1889. John Maynard Keynes attempted to replace classical liberal economics in General Theory of Employment Interest and Money from 1936. Building societies adopted messages of thrift represented in Thrift published 1875. The Halifax printed Misery Leaflet in 1897 illustrating Want of Thrift versus Thrift. Most people could not save because banks did
not accept small deposits at the time.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was Samuel Smiles born and where did he live?
Samuel Smiles was born on the 23rd of December 1812 in Haddington, East Lothian. He lived on Woodhouse Cliff from 1847 onward.
What career did Samuel Smiles abandon before becoming an author?
Samuel Smiles abandoned his career as a doctor after several cooperative ventures failed for lack of capital. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh starting in 1829 but left to pursue writing.
How many copies did Samuel Smiles Self-Help sell by his death in 1904?
By his death in 1904, Samuel Smiles Self-Help had sold over a quarter of a million copies. The book initially sold 20,000 copies within one year of publication in 1859.
Which five volumes make up Samuel Smiles Lives of the Engineers series?
Lives of the Engineers consists of five volumes published between 1862 and 1874 covering engineers like James Brindley, John Smeaton, Thomas Telford, Boulton and Watt, and George Stephenson. Industrial Biography followed in 1863 including lives of Andrew Yarranton and Benjamin Huntsman.
Why was Samuel Smiles Self-Help called the bible of mid-Victorian liberalism?
M.J. Cohen and John Major called Samuel Smiles Self-Help the bible of mid-Victorian liberalism because it promoted thrift and self-improvement. Building societies adopted messages of thrift represented in Thrift published 1875 based on these ideas.