Barnack Rectory
near Stamford
April 3. 1832.
Dear Talbot
Your letter, <1> received this day, renewing the offer of Lacock curacy, gave me much pleasure –
Mr Paley, <2> having placed the curacy at your disposal, has removed the chief obstacle that lay in the way of my wish to accept it – when you named it to me two years since –
In the short correspondence that then took place between Mr Paley and me, he gave a very poor account of the parsonage house – according to his statement it would not accommodate our family – as we require two nurseries, two other bedrooms and a dressing room, and three sitting rooms; besides two goodsized or three small rooms for servants –
It would not, I think, be unreasonable to expect such accommodation in every parsonage; but Mr Paleys description of his vicarage is as follows –
“Ground Floor: two rooms 15 by 16 feet: one on each side of a passage which is 8 or 10, by 6 or 8 feet kitchen 18 or 20 by 8 or 10 feet; pantry &c small cellar.
First floor, five rooms! (they cannot be rooms CP) Three good garret rooms.”
Now as Mr Paley wrote the above description from Bath, and perhaps rather wishing to deter than invite me: I think he must have much underrated the dimensions of the rooms.
It would be extremely inconvenient to me, and expensive, to go to Lacock; but will you allow me to ask if you could not obtain more accura<te> <3> information respecting the dimensions of the rooms – and the capability of making the parsonage suit our wants –
Then, the only obstacle that stands between me and my wishes, would be removed; and I should gladly accept your friendly offer –
I have an excellent house here, though it is somewhat out of repair – and as my Rector resigns this Living for another next month, I look to being obliged to quit Barnack at the end of July – You are perhaps aware that I ought to give three months notice of my leaving this curacy, unless I had could get my parish attended to, to the satisfaction of the Bishop and Rector –
Believe me, very truly yours
Charles Porter
H. Fox Talbot Esqre
31. Sackville St
London
Notes:
1. Letter not located.
2. Rev James Paley (1790–1863), Vicar at Lacock.
3. Text torn away under seal.