Landough Castle
Oct. 29th –
My dear Henry,
I have found Adiantum Capillus Veneris in equal perfection at Dunraven <1> upon the Rocks in abundance I will send you a little bit in this letter – I found likewise a plant growing on the wet rocks. I will describe it as well as I can – Roots – fibrous – of a light brown – Stalk round branching from the root and for the flower stalks – and of a light green colour. Plant growing from four five to eighteen inches in height – Leaves this shape the largest two inches long & growing wherever the stalk branched off – Blossoms about twenty on a stalk alternate, white, very small & I think five cleft joined at the bass [sic] – the seed vessells this shape seeds this size sticking round the seed vessel around which there is a case – I am afraid this is not very like it but enough perhaps for you to understand it my description My language is not very Botanical – which you must excuse – It was a very pretty plant which I think very uncommon for those sort of looking plants it was odd enough for me not to know what is was – Mama <2> did not know it – Tell dear Chris <3> – that I wish he would write to me – Mama says we must not all write so many and Mama take up [sic] all the correspondence.
Write soon as I am all impatience to know what it can be. Miss Bee went on Monday never to return I am afraid she is a great loss –
yours affec
Jane Talbot
Mama says she will send some money to Christopher as soon as she can get any that will go –
Kiss this dear Boy for me if you will or can condescend –
Wm Henry Fox Talbot
Revd Dr Butlers <4>
Harrow
Middlesex –
29 Oct. 1814. <5>
Notes:
1. Dunraven Castle, Glamorganshire belonged to Thomas Wyndham.
2. Lady Mary Lucy Cole, née Strangways, first m. Talbot (1776–1855), WHFT’s aunt.
3. Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (1803–1890), immensely wealthy landowner, mathematician & politician; WHFT’s Welsh cousin.
4. Rev George Butler (1774–1853), Headmaster at Harrow.
5. Written in another hand at the back of address panel.