This collection contains 47 letters in total spanning from 1854 to 1919. They are primarily correspondence between members of the Thirkell family and their relatives in England. The letters sometimes contain references to the social atmosphere in Utah, such as disputes between Utah and the U.S. Government, particularly concerning polygamy. However, since many of the letters are from England, they also chronicle the lives of people from rural areas of England. Religion is also occasionally discussed as many of the Thirkells’ Baptist relatives who remained in England did not convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and often looked down upon polygamy.

Reid Harper introduces the letters with a family history followed by typed transcripts, and sometimes photocopies, of every letter. The transcripts outline the author and the date. The hard copies of the letters themselves are also included in this collection.

Box 2 contains two oversize diplomas belonging to Archie Darley, one from Cache Public Schools and the other from Brigham Young College.