Sackville St <1>
7th December
My dear Henry
I am delighted to hear you have no opposition & that Mr Neeld <2> is so lazy & stingy, as that will all be to your advantage – I have no political news for you, if I hear any I will send it –
I see by the newspaper that Hyde Villiers <3> died at Carclew, <4> while he was canvassing Penryn – he had been ill a long time with an abcess in the head – how very much distressed & annoyed Sir Charles <5> must have been! –
Mamma <6> has been driving with Mrs Mundy & Constance <7> to couturières &c all the morning – during that time I went to see Aunt Matilda, <8> (my first visit) & she told me that, as (a sort of Aunts to you,) they had written a very civil note enclosing their cards to Mrs Mundy, saying that Aunt Augusta <9> would call au premier jour, <10> & explaining why Aunt M. could not – Mrs Mundy was so pleased with this politesse, <11> that when she set Mamma down in Somerset St <12> she offered to let Constance go up, thinking my Aunt would like to see her – She was delighted with this proposal & charmed with Constance –
I hope somehow Horatia <13> will be at the Xening <14> – it may yet be contrived as we have written to advise them –
Addio Yr affte Sister
Caroline
Henry Fox Talbot Esqr
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts
Notes:
1. 31 Sackville Street, London residence of the Feildings, often used as a London base by WHFT.
2. Joseph Neeld (1789–1856), MP & botanist.
3. Thomas Hyde Villiers (1801–1832), politician.
4. Carclew, Cornwall, 3 mi N of Penryn: seat of Sir Charles Lemon.
5. Sir Charles Lemon (1784–1868), politician & scientist; WHFT’s uncle.
6. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
7. Sarah Leaper Mundy, née Newton (d. 1836), WHFT’s mother in law, and Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
8. Matilda Feilding (1775-1849), WHFT's 'aunt' - sister of Charles Feilding, his stepfather.
9. Augusta Sophia Hicks, née Feilding, sister of WHFT’s step-father.
10. At the first oppurtunity.
11. Politeness, courtesy.
12. See Doc. No: 02484.
13. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
14. The Christening of William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’ that took place on 15 December 1832.