Penrice <1>
July 31st
My dear Henry
Write to me, I want to hear all about your proceedings since I left London to the present time also who is at Malvern <2> & how Caroline & Horatia <3> like it – You remember the <Shysanthus?> at the Horticultural Garden that we begged a broken branch of – to my surprize when we arrived at Merthyrmawr <4> I found at least two dozen plants of it in the Greenhouse – Sir J. Nicholls <5> Gardener came from the H. Garden & I suppose brought the seed – they have given Mama <6> two plants & she is delighted with it – & I am happy to say she has two little seed vessels full of seed so I hope we shall not loose <sic> it – We are so dreadfully burnt up that we shall soon have neither fruit or flowers Mama is busy every evening earthing up & watering in hopes of saving some few – all the plants that usually blow in the Autumn are flowering now & very miserably – Christopher <7> left us a week ago – he was anxious to be present at the match between the Pearl & the <Arrow?> which is to decide an old dispute about the superiority of one of them. – I don’t know when we shall see him back but he ought to be at Cardiff at the Races as he is steward, I hope if he is you will come & join the family party & help to support him in his nervous situation – It has been too hot for driving out we attempted it once but we find good thick walls are necessary to secure us from the sun & flies. – Johnny <8> is as you may suppose a great amusement to his Aunts & I think it will <be> <9> fortunate if he is not <to>tally spoilt by their indulgence. Mr Nicholl <10> is at Plymouth by this time I heard from him at Exeter yesterday it is dreadfully hot weather for Courts of Justice & he has three weeks more of it to go thro’ before I see him. Love to all
Yours affly
Jane H. Nicholl
I dont know whether you know that Maryanne Shakespear <11> has lost her eldest Brother John – he died on his passage to England he was in a bad state of health – he has left nine children! his wife died a few months ago & his health which was not good at the time became rapidly worse – what will become of his children I cannot think for of course he did not get the pension as he had not served the number of years to <illegible deletion> intitle <sic> him to it & his fortune was not large.Swansea August one 1825. Chrisr Cole
Henry Talbot Esqre
Post Office
Gt Malvern.
Notes:
1. Penrice Castle and Penrice House, Gower, Glamorgan, 10 mi SW of Swansea: home of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.
2. Malvern, or Great Malvern, 9 mi SW of Worcestershire.
3. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister, and Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
4. Merthyr Mawr, Glamorgan, on River Ogwr.
5. Sir John Nicholl, father-in-law of Jane Harriet Nicholl.
6. Lady Mary Lucy Cole, née Strangways, first m. Talbot (1776–1855), WHFT’s aunt.
7. Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (1803–1890), immensely wealthy landowner, mathematician & politician; WHFT’s Welsh cousin.
8. John Cole Nicholl (b. 1823), son of Jane Harriet Nicholl.
9. Text torn away under seal.
10. Dr John Nicholl (1797–1853), MP.
11. Mary Anne Thackeray, née Shakespear (1793–1850).