Lyme Regis Dorset
August 3rd 1870
My dear Mr Talbot,
Many thanks for your letter. My objections to Pennington were not so much the style of parishoners, as the state of the church feeling, evidently from the information I received the feeling was decidedly low church, and not likely to improve: this to me would be the greatest of all drawbacks to any parish, I know from experience what hard work it is to raise the tone of a parish and do not at present feel inclined to have such another uphill undertaking: ever since my illness last winter I have never felt the same man.
As to my estimate of the expenditure in the new house which I had incurred beyond the money received from the different sources named in your letter, it was of course simply from memory and not exact, but I can tell you a few items
Gale for cow shed &c £200
Phelps for fencing £80
Fortune extra plumbing &c £100
Light, carpenter. £20
Hart door & window furniture & grates £60
Parham grates &c £60
Dining room chimney piece £16
Carving £14
These are some of the items which I paid myself, not through Mr Awdry, and therefore not included in his account of the building. Of course I was at a considerable expenses in laying out the grounds, & planting trees but all this I do not calculate in – Will you let me have a definite answer to the following question: –
If I am willing to resign Lacock Vicarage on October 1st 1870, will you make good to me the expenditure I have incurred on the new Vicarage & glebe over and above
Q.A. Bounty 900
Dilapidations 100
old parsonage 400
<total> 1400
the sum not to exceed £1600?
My reason for asking this definite question is that I find it impossible to get a curacy as long as I hold the Vicarage of Lacock, nobody likes to engage a curate who may have at any time to leave them.
Your affe Cousin
Edward P. Nicholl
P. S. I do not understand what you mean by fixtures that I have sold: no fixtures have been sold my me –