Abbotsbury, <1>
30th Janry 1824
My Dear Mr Feilding,
I hope you received my letter from Bowood. <2> – I saw Awdry who gave me a good account of Laycock; I drove through it in my way to Melksham, <3> & was sorry to see six fine elms blown down – The wall seemed to have sustained a terrible smash – the view from the top of Bowden hill <4> struck me very much – I was rather disappointed in the Avon, but I have no doubt that in summer it is a very rural stream – The Abbey I think a fine old pile, the front next the road is unfortunately much the plainest and defaced with modern windows irregularly placed – I am not sure whether Mr G’s <5> lease has 4 or 5 years to run – I don’t think I shall be inclined to renew it any more, but that I should like to talk with you about, and the time is long yet. Mr G. has built a keeper’s lodge in Inwood <6> which Awdry says is full of game, pheasant particularly, & as it is 50 acres I suppose it may furnish no contemptible sport, as I hope you will find some of these days – Wick Wood here that I daresay you know well, is only 47 acres. I have been shooting here 3 days, had plenty of sport but cannot touch a feather – I mean to buy a detonator as the flint locks <7> always miss fire at the fairest shots – I go to Moreton <8> tomorrow (Saturday) to Melbury <9> on Monday, & to Town on Wednesday or Thursday – I have not been at Abbotsbury since the hard winter of 1813–14. This winter is one of the mildest ever known. –
Awdry want me to sell a copse called Cloves Wood, <10> because it is very far off, out of my manor, just cut down, & therefore he says will bring in nothing for the next 10 years but he says he can sell it for £600 being I think about 17 acres –
Yours afftly
H. Talbot
Monsieur
Monsieur Feilding
Gentilhomme Anglais
Gênes
Italie
Notes:
1. Abbotsbury, Dorset: home of William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways.
2. Bowood House, nr Calne, Wiltshire, 5 mi NE of Lacock: seat of the Marquess of Lansdowne.
3. Melksham, Wiltshire: market town near Lacock, 2 miles S.
4. Bowden Hill, Wiltshire, 1 mi SE of Lacock.
5. John Rock Grosett (1783-1866), MP; Jamaican Parliament; occupant of Lacock Abbey until summer 1827.
6. Inwood, near Lacock, Wiltshire.
7. In the flint lock system, a piece of flint scraped along a piece of hardened steel and showered sparks into the pan (with a little priming powder in it) to ignite. This system was replaced by a new method in 1807. Alexander Forsyth, a Scottish clergyman patented the use of fulminates (chemicals that immediately explode when struck a sharp blow). A hammer struck the cap on the gun and exploded the fulminate, igniting the gun. [See Doc. No: 01109].
8. Moreton, Dorset: home of the Frampton family.
9. Melbury, Dorset: one of the Fox Strangways family homes; WHFT was born there.
10. See Doc. No: 01365.