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Document number: 3245
Date: Thu 14 Apr 1836
Postmark: 14 Apr 1836
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: TALBOT Constance, née Mundy
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 16th November 2016

Southampton
Thursday April 14

My dear Henry

I imagine that you did not leave Lacock so soon as you intended as I have no letter from you this morning – however I will not delay sending you my various commissions that you may not be troubled with them at the last moment. – I have asked Mina <1> to get a few things for my Sisters <2> & myself & to call upon you for payment thereof – they will probably amount to one pound or more – & you are requested to send to Chesterfield St for the parcel if Mina should not send it to you in time. – I heard a rumour through the Servants that Mrs Chambers intended leaving Town some day this week, in which case I fear Mina would find our commissions rather troublesome as I only wrote to her two days ago – at any rate they are sure to be moving soon, so I hope you will take an early opportunity of calling as you promised to do. – And please not to forget our dear Aunt Matilda Feilding. <3> – I wish you could fix a time with Mrs C. & Mina for coming to visit us at Lacock. – If they should not be going into Yorkshire before we reach home I should think an early time might suit all parties better than after the return of the Feildings. <4> – I do not think that Mrs Chambers would suit Lady Elisabeth particularly well, but I may perhaps be mistaken. – How delightful it is to have some mild weather at last! – yesterday & today Marian has been able to sit out in the garden & has enjoyed the air extremely. – She is rather more brisk & certainly better than when I wrote last – but she still complains of head ache & looks far from well. – Laura too has looked sadly pale & ill the last few days – Ela <5> was weaned last Monday on account of Nurse <6> being indisposed with another bilious attack much more severe than any former one. – Mr Maul attended her & said that there was no hesitation about the expediency of weaning Ela – and it has been most successfully performed – Ela eats & sleeps delightfully & looks much more rosy than usual. – It will do you good to see her again. – Please to bring her frock with you which was to be sent to Sackville St from Halliday’s in Regent St – & which must have been finished long ere this. – And the hair chains with the remainder of the piece of hair from Mr Heath the Jeweller – I must remind you too of having a copper plate engraved with your crest for pasting into books at Lacock after the fashion of Mr F. <7> – Emily bids me say that a small parcel consisting of a pair of shoes will be left in Sackville St for her directed to the care of your servant which the said servant must bring down with him to Southampton. – What mean you to do touching this servant – have you heard of a new one? – I find that Southampton will not furnish any colored rice papers that are fit to be used & therefore I shall be much obliged to you to bring me some – they may be had at any of the Bazaars & I think used to cost 2d per sheet – I should like two sheets of every variety of color – greens & whites are & blues excepted – Reds, pinks, yellows & lilacs I believe are the only other colors made. – On one of the flaps of my letter you will find a commission f which you can tear off & send to 170. Piccadilly, where alone it can be procured – thereby you will much oblige some individuals of this family – of course they must be paid for – I hope you w’ont [sic] forget to have all the books packed up which we brought from Lacock, especially those in the little bookcase on the right hand side of the fire place in the back Drawing-room, which contains all those which I had anything to do with. – Don’t you think that as the house will be almost turned topsy-turvy by the operation of cleaning &c – that it would be best to have the doors put up & locked on the bookcases in the Drawing room? – Mr Feilding would perhaps be better pleased to find them so – & Fanny <8> has the keys. –

I long to hear what you intend doing about staying here a day or two, & if the weather is fine we might perhaps manage to see Netley Abbey, <9> which I should much like. – Mr Page <10> has taken no notice yet of my message – Have you engaged the Gardener recommended by Professor Hooker? <11> – Emily who is more than half a botanist, though I believe you do not give her credit for it, was so delighted with the Ladies Botany of Dr Lindley <12> which you gave me, that Marian has presented her with a copy. – My Sisters are much entertained by another book, (given me by somebody I love) namely the Latrobe Wanderer. <13> – And the Antiquary <14> is highly approved. – I hope you got a letter from me at Lacock last Monday. – Indeed you are rather naughty about writing to me whenever there is a journey in question – & you leave me most unmercifully in a state of suspense. – I see I have room left for my kind of prescription on this side of my paper & therefore I will conclude with it <15> –

Ever dear Henry your affectionate
Constance. –

Henry Fox Talbot Esqre
31. Sackville Street
London

Notes:

1. Mina Mellish, niece of Mrs Chambers.

2. Laura Mundy (1805– 1 September 1842); Emily Mundy (1807– 5 November 1839); Marian Gilder, nιe Mundy (1806 – 14 October 1860); m. 6 August 1844 William Troward Gilder (d. 1871), Army Surgeon (ret).; WHFT’s sisters-in-law.

3. Matilda Feilding (1775-1849), WHFT's 'aunt' - sister of Charles Feilding, his stepfather.

4. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, nιe Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother and Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father.

5. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.

6. Mary Kennedy.

7. Charles Feilding.

8. Lady’s maid.

9. The ruins of this 13th-century Cistercian abbey, near Southampton, were a source of inspiration for writers and poets.

10. Nurseryman.

11. Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785–1865), Prof & botanist.

12. John Lindley, Ladies’ botany: or, A familiar introduction to the study of the natural system of botany (London: J Ridgway, 1830?).

13. Charles Joseph Latrobe (1801–1875) published many descriptions of his extensive travels throughout Europe and North America and Mexico. From 1839 to 1854 he was governor of the state of Victoria, Australia.

14. Sir Walter Scott, The antiquary.

15. Remainder of page, with the ‘prescription’, has been torn off.

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