John Wilson Croker (1780–1857), politician and writer, was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and studied for the bar before moving to London after the Act of Union reduced the opportunities in Ireland for an ambitious young lawyer. He was appointed as Deputy Chief Secretary for Ireland when Sir Arthur Wellesley took command of the Army in Portugal, and subsequently became Secretary to the Admiralty, an important role in wartime. He was noted for his efficiency and honesty, and held the post until 1830, despite changes of government. He was a prolific letter-writer, on professional and personal matters, and almost all his correspondents were men of rank and importance in their field. His papers shed considerable light on Tory politics in the first half of the nineteenth century, as well as covering literary topics, particularly in his later life. This three-volume edition was published in 1884.