Rottingdean <1>
March 31st 1811.
My dear Mamma,
I am very much obliged to you for the figs which you sent me, I should like to have some more as they are all eat up: if you cannot get any good ones I would be obliged to you to send me some almonds and raisins or any other dried fruit. As you wish it I will give you a description of the fête on the birthday of George Hooker <2> last Monday: there were eighteen pasteboards Hatts (corresponding with the number of the boys) ranged in a circle the middle one was considerably larger than the rest on it was written in gold letters PIC NIC STOREHOUSE on the back of each Hatt was painted the name of a boy and it was filled with some sort of confectionary each Hatt containing something different from the others: (My Hatt contained almonds I believe.) Then they were all dealt out regularly to every boy; I [text missing] <3> [enu]merate some of the articles viz: very small rolls as big as a wallnut [sic] con[taining] on one side a bit of veal, on the other butter was spread, there were 72 of them: various sorts of small tartlets: dried figs, almonds, raisins, excellent preserved cherries, sponge biscuits, various sorts of biscuits, cakes &c. Ask Mr Feilding <4> if he finds that he has any fault in his list of Scotch & Irish peers? We have almost finished the flood: it being rather near dinner time I cannot write much more. I forgot to ask you to put all those loose exercises safe into a drawer till I see you again.
Your affectionate Son
W.H.F. Talbot.
Lady Elisabeth Feilding
15 New Steyne
Brighton
Notes:
1. Rottingdean, East Sussex, 4 mi SE of Brighton: WHFT attended school there from 1808–1811.
2. The son of WHFT’s tutor at Rottingdean, Rev. Thomas Redman Hooker (1762-1838), by his 2nd wife, Emma Jane, née Greenland (1761-1838). His 1st cousin, she already had a considerable reputation as an artist, author, and musician.
3. Text torn away under seal.
4. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father.