Sunday July 4

My dear Henry

Marian & Laura ^<1> came yesterday.– which I thought very spirited conduct, as they had so little time to make up their minds.– I hope the change of air & scene may do them good. – I wrote yesterday to Aunt Newton to tell her that my Sisters’ visit must delay my going to Marle-hill ^<2> – I also mentioned your project of taking a house at Barmouth & said I could perhaps go to her in my way before the 20 or 25^th. I hope you will succeed in your search, for I like the idea of Barmouth very much & think the time will suit exactly. – Where must I direct to you in future? – Was the parcel of Sensitive paper right? – I gave Porter ^<3> directions to send it off before I set out for Clifton. ^<4> We had a very pleasant day there, & no mis-adventures. We intend to chuse another fine day for Bath. Pray engage a house positively at Barmouth if you find one – and do not fear that my mind will change respecting that as it did about London –

Your aff^te
Constance –

M^r Sotheron ^<5> & M^r Starky ^<6> called yesterday with Sir Francis Burdett. ^<7> I could not admit them as the Gallery looked too uncomfortable with the books on the floor. But I heard their voices under the window as they walked round & admired the place. –

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Notes:

1. Laura Mundy (1805–1842); Marian Gilder, née Mundy (1806 – 14 October 1860); m. 6 August 1844 William Troward Gilder (d. 1871), Army Surgeon (ret).; WHFT’s sisters-in-law.

2. Eleanor Newton, née Stephenson (1788-1880), wife of Sarah Leaper Newton's brother, Robert Newton Leaper-Newton (1775-1846); she continued to live at Marle-Hill House, Cheltenham.

3. Charles Porter (b. 1828), a servant at Lacock Abbey. He was the frequent subject of photographs and occasionally also photographic assistant.

4. Clifton, Bristol, on the Avon Gorge.

5. Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron Bucknall Estcourt (1801–1876), MP.

6. Edward Andrew Starky of Spye Park, Wiltshire, 2 mi SE of Lacock.

7. Sir Francis Burdett (1770–1844), MP; prominent advocate of Reform and a strong supporter of the Whig government in his early political life. He sat for Westminster in 1832, 1835 and 1837, the latter time as a Conservative, then for Wiltshire North from 1837 until his death.