Spencer, Herbert 1820-1903
Archival location guide — where this economist’s surviving papers are held, their notable correspondents, and key published sources.
Born 1820 · died 1903
Herbert Spencer was an English polymath active as a philosopher, psychologist, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest", which he coined in Principles of Biology (1864) after reading Charles Darwin's 1859 book On the Origin of Species. The term strongly suggests natural selection, yet Spencer saw evolution as extending into realms of sociology and ethics, so he also supported Lamarckism.
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The original manuscripts of most of his works, including a draft of Social Statics. BL Add. MSS. 36883-36896, 43831.
148 letters of Spencer to various correspondents on personal and professional matters, 1849-1903. Knox College Library, Galesburg, Illinois.
Correspondence, 1844-1903, and biographical material on Spencer. Spencer papers, London UL, MS. 791.
Six letters to various correspondents, 1863-1891. American Philosophical Society Library, Philadelphia.
Six letters between Spencer and various correspondents, 18601879. Houghton Library, Harvard University.
Correspondents
CHARLES BABBAGE, seven letters, 1860-1864. BL Add. MSS. 37197-37201.
HENRY HOWE BEMROSE, four letters, 1897-1898. Derby Borough Library.
SIR JOSEPH EDGAR BOEHM, three letters, 1884. Darwin collection, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville.
EDWARD GEORGE EARLE LYTTON BULWER-LYTTON, Baron Lytton, three letters, 1859. Bulwer-Lytton papers, Hertfordshire RO
SIR PERCY BUNTING, 39 letters, 1882-1895. Bunting papers, University of Chicago Library.
ANDREW CARNEGIE, 44 letters, 1883-1903. Carnegie papers, Library of Congress.
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, two letters, 1895. Chamberlain papers, Birmingham UL
JOHN CHAPMAN, 9 letters, 1851-1881. Darwin collection, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville .
FRANCIS POWER COBBE, five letters, 1866-1875. Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
MONCURE DANIEL CONWAY, four letters, 1872-1900. Conway papers, Columbia UL, New York.
JOHN FISKE, 41 letters, 1864-1894. Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE, 17 items, 1873-1896. BL Add. MSS. 44441-44785.
FREDERIC HARRISON, 20 letters, 1885-1901. Harrison papers, British Library of Political and Economic Science (BLPES)
ROWLAND G. HAZARD, 13 letters, 1869-1886. Peacedale collection, Baker Library, Harvard University.
SIR JOHN FREDERICK WILLIAM HERSCHEL, 11 letters, 1859-1865. Herschel papers, Royal Society Library, London.
GEORGE JACOB HOLYOAKE, 24 letters, 18G0-1903. Holyoake collection, Co-operative Union Ltd, Manchester.
THOMAS HUXLEY, 83 letters, 1851-1900. Huxley papers, Imperial College, London.
MANTON MARBLE, three letters, 1860-1873. Marble papers, Library of Congress.
FREDERICK AUGUSTUS MAXSE, typed copies of letters, 1870-1896. Maxse papers, West Sussex RO
JOHN STUART MILL, 24 letters, 1858-1869. Northwestern UL, Evanston, Illinois.
JOHN STUART MILL, letter or letters, n. d. Mill papers, Yale UL
STUART RENDEL, 1st Baron Rendel, three letters, 1898-1903. National Library of Wales (NLW), Rendel papers.
HENRY RICHARD, five letters, 1881-1882. NLW, MS. 5505.
GEORGE CROOM ROBERTSON, 23 letters, 1867-1892. Robertson papers, University College London (UCL)
HENRY SIDGWICK, three letters, 1891-1897. Sidgwick papers, Trinity College, Cambridge.
BEATRICE WEBB (and members of the Potter family), 39 letters, 1853-1903. Passfield papers, BLPES
Printed Material
DAVID DUNCAN, Life and Letters of Herbert Spencer ( London, 1908).
HERBERT SPENCER, Works, 19 vols. (London, 1861-1902).
HERBERT SPENCER, An Autobiography, 2 vols. ( London, 1904).
ODNB; New Palgrave; ESS XIV 295; IESS xv 121.
Portraits: BL(P); NPG; BLPES; SNPG