Edward Smith Stanley (1775-1851), the 13th Earl of Derby, was an avid naturalist and keeper of one of the great menageries in early Victorian England. The collection consists of fourteen letters and two partial letters written by Derby to Thomas Reade (1785-1849) and his son Richard. From 1846 to 1851, the Reades, British consuls at Tripoli, were an important part of a network of associates that helped secure exotic animals for Derby's private menagerie at Knowsley Park. There is one letter each of Richard Reade to Derby and one from Derby to his "agent," Louis Fraser.