Harrow <1>
October 12. 1811 Saturday
My dear Mamma,
Mr Feilding <2> has written me word that you are very gay at Penrice; <3> what do you amuse yourself with doing? perceive what makes Harrow such a money-spending place The other day I bought a taper box of Tin which cost 2 shillings, & yesterday by some unaccountable means it was stolen: I believe the window was open, & they got in their hands through the bars into the Study Besides that they have taken a Guthries Geography, <4> which was new a few days ago; I know Dr Butler <5> would not give me another willingly, he would impute it to carelessness, so it was in some part as I left open the window: but I did not think they would take it: I now find it is a common thing here: It seems to be practised by a few boys, who can never be found out the other day I bought a knife, which I lent to [illegible] <6> of the boys, who lost it, I found I could do nothing without it, so I bought another; when the carpenter came to fit up my study, I never saw it again: & now the one I have got is the third, I have bought in a month I should not mind these things, only I am afraid you should think me extravagant: I keep an accountbook, as well for my amusement, as to know where I spend my money which I always like to know; I see I have spend 3 l. which I never spent in 6 months at Rottingdean <7>
I have a very strong magnet which Mr F gave me, it will lift I daresay 4 ounces, whereas a common magnet will scarcely hold 2 needles; mine held 24 needles one day, as many as could touch it at once
I wish to know whether I could send to London for a Guthrie without maps, as I have all them safe, having cut them out ready to use Answer me quickly that I may see if I can get a Guthrie before next Friday when I want it
Goodbye
Yr Affte Son
W.H.FTalbot
was my last letter well folded up?
I am sure this is not
I have been puzzling how to fold it up, & dirtied it but I have no time to clean it
Notes:
1. Harrow School: WHFT attended from 18111815 and his son Charles from 1855-1859.
2. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (17801837), Royal Navy; WHFTs step-father.
3. Penrice Castle and Penrice House, Gower, Glamorgan, 10 mi SW of Swansea: home of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.
4. Probably William Guthrie, A new geographical, historical and commercial grammar and present state of the several kingdoms of the world (1805). [See Doc. No: 00541].
5. Rev George Butler (17741853), Headmaster at Harrow.
6. Text obscured by ink blot.
7. Rottingdean, East Sussex, 4 mi SE of Brighton: WHFT attended school there from 18081811.