Normanton, <1>
March 2 64th 1817.
My Dear Mamma,
I received the Box this morning, and was very much pleased with its contents - I find by the Nautical Almanack, <2> that I was only mistaken 10 minutes as to the Time of the Eclipse which I calculated, which was very well for a first attempt - and only wrong one 360th part, in computing how much of the Moon's Diameter will be darkened.
Only one vol. of Brown's Prodromus <3> came, is that all? I hope not, for it seems very amusing - The plates are very interesting - what a fine plant the Doryanthes exclæ must be -! Did you look at it? I was very glad to see the face of Grillo's Fables <4> again - We had a terrible high wind some weeks ago, about seven o'clock in the Morning, which blew down several large Trees in Sir Gilbert's Park, in particular Two immense Elms, which were quite blown out of the Ground, and lay with their Roots up in the Air - They were close together, & in a very exposed situation, & seemed like two Brothers slain side by side - I measured the Largest, & found the Height, from the Ground to the top of the turned-up Roots to be 13 Feet! [illustration] The same winds also blew down a tall stone chimney on Normanton House - It was a fortunate thing that the Roof was strong enough to sustain the shock, otherwise it would have fallen right into the Dining Parlour - <5>
The Nautical Almanack, does not seem to be so correct as it was in Dr Maskelyne's Time, <6> for I detected three indubitable errors of the Press yesterday evening - I am going to spend a day at Cliffe tomorrow - I went to Oakham <7> to the Assizes - & in my way home called upon Mr Finch <8> of Burley, whom I found in the lowest spirits possible - I dined with Mr Bonney <9> the other day at Mr Lucas's of Casterton <10> - Do you [know]<11> him? In reply to your quest[ion] I answer that I am very happy here. Is my Uncle William <12> yet arrived at Petersburg, for you do not answer my enquiries concerning him -
I remain
Yr Afft Son
W. H. F. Talbot
The Lady Elisth Feilding
31 Sackville St
London
STAMFORD 86 <13>
Notes:
1. Normanton, Rutlandshire.
2. The British Nautical Almanack, published for a first time in 1767.
3. Robert Brown, Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae ci Insulae Van Diemen (London: 1810). This work furthered the general adoption of A. L. de Jussieu's natural system of plant classification. [See Doc. No: 00754].
4. See Doc. No: 00738.
5. Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 4th Baronet (1773-1851). The Stamford Mercury reported that on 27 February 'a hurricane from the North-west' had caused considerable damage and that many trees had been blown down in Burghley Park.
6. Nevil Maskelyne (1732-1811), British astronomer. He published the first volume of the Nautical Almanack.
7. Bonney was JP in Rutland. Oakham is 11.5 miles west of Stamford.
8. George Finch (1794-1870), JP & MP.
9. Thomas Kaye Bonney (1782-1863), Archdeacon of Leicester.
10. Richard Lucas (1761-1827), Rector of Casterton Magna and of Edith Weston. Casterton is near Stamford.
11. Text torn away under seal.
12. William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways, 4th Earl of Ilchester (1795-1865), botanist, art collector & diplomat.
13. Printed text.