My dear Sir,
I wish to trouble you on the subject of the Ejectments brought agt the subtenants of the property claimed by Haywards Repreves, And to request your direction, premising in the first place, that I have been wrong in the service of the Notices, for the Notices shod have been served, according to the Opinion now given by Mr Blick, upon Haywards Representatives whereas I directed the service merely on the Tenants in possession. But tho’ thus far wrong, I will not persevere in the error, and must not allow so serious an expence as that of going to Trial, to be incurred, with the probability not merely of failure in the Ejectments but the certainty in that event of the Payment of all the Costs.
I propose therefore to discontinue the present proceedings & before Lady Day to give fresh Notices to quit at Michas.<1> But what I want to submit for Your Consideration is, wher, after all, it will not be more to your pecuniary interest to bring out the Repreves – rather than to incur hereafter the expence of the Trials of the Ejectments. Mr West Awdry <2> has informed me that the Repreves are in indigent circumstances & in his apprehension utterly unable to pay the Costs of the proceedings in event of the Verdicts passing agt them. Now if that be so as your Costs of the 3 Ejectments cannot, without including the expence of bringing down the original Will, if deemed necessary, be less than £120, will it not be better for you to throw away £75 or even £100 in bringing out the Repreves than to expend a larger sum in Costs, which you will lose, to obtain possession by Law. I do not throw out this suggestion because of my blunder, but because the better policy as it seems to me is to obtain your object, the possession of the property at the least possible expence. I infer from Mr West Awdry that you may buy out the Repreves for less than £100, And if you view the subject in the same light that I do you will probably direct him to make, without prejudice, an offer of £50 & most likely they will take 75i which sum you will probably think it right to give. I hope I need not assure You that I regret the mistake & will do all I can to rectify it.
I am Dear Sir Yours faithfully
Wm Read King
W.H.F. Talbot Esqr
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. Lady Day is one of the traditional English quarter days, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, on 25 March. Michaelmas, the Feast of St Michael the Archangel, is 29 September.
2. West Awdry (1807–1892), solicitor, Chippenham.