The novel is structured as a series of letters recording the journey to London of Dr. Pringle, the minister of Garnock, with his family, to accept a legacy. It first appeared in Blackwood's Magazine in instalments from June 1820 until February 1821.

John Galt (2 May 1779 – 11 April 1839) was a Scottish novelist, entrepreneur, and political and social commentator. Because he was the first novelist to deal with issues of the Industrial Revolution, he has been called the first political novelist in the English language.