# Is "Silas Marner" by George Eliot a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Silas Marner by George Eliot (William Blackwood and Sons, 1861) is identified by: One volume, William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, dated 1861 (published 2 April 1861). The UK Blackwood 1861 single-volume edition is the true first; the US Harper 1861 edition is secondary.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- One volume, William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, dated 1861 (published 2 April 1861)
- Verified first-edition collation features: half-title present; a four-page advertisement leaf for 'The Autobiography of Dr
- Alexander Carlyle' bound in the front matter; and a terminal section of publisher's advertisements
- Original cloth
- The title-page carries no edition statement
- Publisher imprint reads William Blackwood and Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Eliot |
| Publisher | William Blackwood and Sons |
| Year | 1861 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | One volume, William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, dated 1861 (published 2 April 1861) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
One volume, William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, dated 1861 (published 2 April 1861). Verified first-edition collation features: half-title present; a four-page advertisement leaf for 'The Autobiography of Dr. Alexander Carlyle' bound in the front matter; and a terminal section of publisher's advertisements. Original cloth. The title-page carries no edition statement.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Blackwood 1861 single-volume edition is the true first; the US Harper 1861 edition is secondary.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Title-pages reading 'Second Edition' or later are subsequent 1861 impressions.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Silas Marner* by George Eliot a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/silas-marner
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.