Margam <1>
9th February
My Dear Henry
You never wrote a word about the elections as you promised – and now I want very much to hear how you are I am quite unhappy to think you should be ill. I advised Lady Adare <2> to try Laurel leaves hot to a dreadful pain in her face & it quite cured her, she had never heard of it before, suppose you try. Let me know whether you really think you shall come here because in that case I will endeavor to fix a day for going back, after I have seen the Paper of tides – but it is no use to do so, if you think after all you will not put yourself in motion. Mr Calvert Jones <3> has begged to be asked to meet you whenever you come – il veut s’aboucher avec vous. <4> He wants I suppose to learn something. Jane <5> is here & Isabella & Mary e sua Madre <6> a large family party as it includes all the grown up children, of which there are more than I reckoned upon – tempus fugit. <7>
a lady arrived here last wednesday from London which she left deep in snow which continued till she came out of Box tunnel where there was not a vestige, which I attribute to the warmth generated by the Bath Waters, which of course could not come boiling out of the Earth without there being great internal heat throughout that Valley. Pray answer this
affly yrs
E F
Notes:
1. Margam Park, Glamorgan: home of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.
2. Caroline Wyndham (d. 26 May 1870), wife of Windham Henry Wyndham-Quin, 2nd Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl (1782-1850).
3. Rev Calvert Richard Jones (1802–1877), Welsh painter & photographer.
4. He wants to make contact with you.
5. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796–1874).
6. Isabella Catherine Franklen, née Talbot (1804–1874), Mary Thereza Talbot (1795–1861), WHFT’s cousin, and their mother Lady Mary Lucy Cole, née Strangways, first m. Talbot (1776–1855), WHFT’s aunt.
7. Time flies.
8. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.