| Administrative History | William Smellie (1740 - 1795), printer, editor, and author, was born in the Pleasance, a suburb of old Edinburgh. In 1765 he entered a printing partnership with Robert and William Auld (1765 – 1770); informal partnerships followed with John Balfour (1770 – 1780) and William Creech (1780 – 1790).
William Creech [pseud. Theophrastus] (1745 - 1815), bookseller and magistrate, was born in Newbattle, Edinburghshire. One of his friends was James Beattie and published some of his works. |
| Description | Letter, dated 2 March, from Robert Arbuthnot, Edinburgh, to James Beattie, Aberdeen, telling him that he received Beattie's letter and talking about the title page and advertisement for Beattie's book, which were enclosed with the letter. Letter mentions that Arbuthnot has seen Creech & Smellie. |