Dear Sir,
As I am about to leave your neighbourhood and may not for some time be permanently resident amongst you I cannot feel satisfied without expressing my satisfaction in having nearly completed the workhouse <1> the beneficial efforts of which I trust and believe will be ultimately felt by the parish – I will endeavour to promote its success by finding a fit person to superintend as Master whose services I hope will be called into action early in the Spring after all our trouble and some little expence to you & me I have suceeded in directing the labour of the poor to the altering and improving Nash Hill and by cutting off two corners [illegible deletion] and opening as well as deepening the ditches we have greatly relieved the agent and prevented the road from being washed we have also obtained the consent of the canal compy to lower the Swing Bridge which has long been dangerous from its height and the lane beyond near Raybridge is now cleared of water which used for most parts of the year to be covered – I hope you will be enabled to ride round and see the alterations as I am inclined to think you would much approve them and be fully sensible of the advantage to your farms it would also tend to encourage such useful occupations and by your sanction add weight to the scale – Sincerely hoping we may in time improve the parish and lessen the [vote?]
I remain Dr Sir Yours very truly
Ez Harman
[address panel:]
Talbot Esqr
Notes:
1. The Poor Law Amendment of 1834 standardized the system of poor relief throughout Britain, and groups of parishes were combined into unions responsible for workhouses. Under the new law, all relief to the able-bodied in their own homes was forbidden, and all who wished to receive aid had to live in workhouses. Planned during 1833, it was apparently completed early in 1834 and promptly modified to have less impact on the view from Lacock Abbey - see Doc. No: 02947 and Doc. No: 02848.