S. St
Tuesday May 30 -
My dearest Henry -
You will hardly I think be surprized though you [illegible deletion] shocked to hear that dear Charlotte Lemon <1> is gone. She was released from her bodily sufferings & mental agony on Saturday about 5 oClock - She died without a struggle having had her senses perfect - though with extreme and increasing weakness to the last - we had been hopeful about her till the Monday preceeding [sic], when the consequences of a very bad night were very apparent, & from that moment it was next to impossible she should recover. Mary & Louisa & Lily your Mother <2> were with her day & night, & are all worn out with the Fatigue & distress of mind - Ilchester <3> came to Town, & was in the House for the last 2 nights. Poor Lemon <4> supports himself under his accumulated misfortunes, with firmness & resignation truly admirable - what a Tragedy it is!! he is left now without one single Interest - not even his place in Cornwall - for if he dies without heir it is to be sold that the value may be divided amongst his sisters - Your Mother is very much affected by it, but last Night she slept better, & I hope her health will not suffer. The moment the weather breaks a little - I shall get her out of Town to Windsor or somewhere for a week to change the scene. Horatia <5> is thank GOD sufficiently recovered to be able to be moved to the country & to be the better for it - she has been out once & enjoyed the sight of green Trees & grass excessively - Your Mother will write to you in a Post or two, but she is not equal to it now - I am sure you will feel your poor Aunts death very much, you were so fond of her, & she I am sure of you.
We are anxious to hear from you from Florence where I suppose you will decide on some plan - If I could make any guess even as to ours - I would ask you to join us - but I cannot leave Ld Winchilsea, <6> in his present state - & though last week - it did not appear possible he could last many days, he has within these 2 or 3 so far improved as to [illegible] to lose, & I see no reason why he should not go on for 2 or 3 months - if it goes on I must when the weather gets hot, take some place near Town so as to be able to be often with him - but if it ends - then I conclude your Mother would like to go abroad. The where must depend the when - of course I shall write to you the moment anything is decided - hoping that you will give us as many directions for your letters as you can - Mr Martius <7> is just come from Munich - very unluckily as to Time & the more so for your absence - I will however do all I can for him - He passes one half the day with Mr Lambert <8> & the other with Mr Brown <9> at the British Museum - he has brought 2 Friends with him one of whom is fond of pictures, & I have undertaken to shew him the best. & when the weather mends I can take them to Greenwich &c &c - GOD bless you my dearest Henry Lemons loss of his dear children has made me cling still more strongly to my own - & surely you are as one of them to me.
C F
Monsr
Monsr Strangways
Charge d'affaires de S. M. Brittanique
Florence
For Henry Talbot
Notes:
1. Lady Charlotte Anne Lemon, née Strangways (d. 1826), WHFT's aunt.
2. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773-1846), WHFT's mother.
3. Henry Stephen Fox Strangways, 3rd Earl of Ilchester (1787-1858).
4. Sir Charles Lemon (1784-1868), politician & scientist; WHFT's uncle.
5. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810-1851), WHFT's half-sister.
6. George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea (1752-1826).
7. Dr Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794-1868), German botanist.
8. Aylmer Bourke Lambert (1761-1842), botanist.
9. Robert Brown (1773-1858), botanist.