# Is "Mr. Midshipman Easy" by Frederick Marryat a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mr. Midshipman Easy by Frederick Marryat (Saunders and Otley, 1836) is identified by: First edition, three volumes, published by Saunders and Otley in 1836 (referenced as D'Hannay p. The London Saunders and Otley first edition (1836) has priority; the Philadelphia (Carey and Hart) edition, issued the same year, is catalogued by dealers citing 'Sadleir 1585 (the printed pricet Eng.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, three volumes, published by Saunders and Otley in 1836 (referenced as D'Hannay p. iii, NCBEL III 705, Sadleir 1585, Wolff 4524), with pagination vii,[1],291,[1]; vii,[1],306; viii,314
- Early first-issue copies are noted as lacking half-titles
- A Philadelphia edition from E. L. Carey and A. Hart appeared the same year but is subordinate in collecting terms to the London first
- Publisher imprint reads Saunders and Otley
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Frederick Marryat |
| Publisher | Saunders and Otley |
| Year | 1836 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, three volumes, published by Saunders and Otley in 1836 (referenced as D'Hannay p. iii, NCBEL III 705, Sadleir 1585, Wolff… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, three volumes, published by Saunders and Otley in 1836 (referenced as D'Hannay p. iii, NCBEL III 705, Sadleir 1585, Wolff 4524), with pagination vii,[1],291,[1]; vii,[1],306; viii,314. Early first-issue copies are noted as lacking half-titles. A Philadelphia edition from E. L. Carey and A. Hart appeared the same year but is subordinate in collecting terms to the London first.

## Is this the true first?
The London Saunders and Otley first edition (1836) has priority; the Philadelphia (Carey and Hart) edition, issued the same year, is catalogued by dealers citing 'Sadleir 1585 (the printed pricet Eng. ed.)' as their own point of reference -- i.e. treated as a secondary printing, not a competing first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mr. Midshipman Easy* by Frederick Marryat a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mr-midshipman-easy
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.