Letters from John Mulso to Gilbert White

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 133 Eng MS 911
  • Dates of Creation
      1744-1790
  • Language of Material
      English
  • Physical Description
      2 volumes (233 items); Binding: 19th-century half-calf binding, rebacked.

Scope and Content

Letters from Rev. John Mulso (1721-1791) to his friend Gilbert White of Selborne, bound in two volumes (1744-1769, 1770-1790).

From Mulso's extant letters much can be learned about White's character and pursuits, in particular his delight in classical and contemporary literature. This is a particularly useful source as there are no surviving accounts of White by his contemporaries. The correspondence contains references to White's unsuccessful candidature for the Provostship of Oriel College in 1757. It also contains many references to the writing and publication of The natural history of Selborne, some of which date back to 1779.

These letters have been published as The letters to Gilbert White of Selborne: from his intimate friend and contemporary the Rev. John Mulso, edited with notes and introduction by Rashleigh Holt-White (London: R.H. Porter, [1907]).