Lacock
Tuesday April 27
My dear Constance
Mr Awdry called here today, we talked about poor Goodwin <1> and he promised to do all those things which you speak of in your letter.
I suppose we must pay the reasonable expenses of the funeral, and that will be our last payment to the family.
I hope to return to Bath on Saturday –
There are some beautiful things in the garden and the houses The warm bright weather has brought them on rapidly of late. The spring shrubs seem likely to be very gay. Already the Ribes, the Mahonia or evergreen barberry, and others, Forsythia &c, have been and are in beauty. In the zinc we have a fine plant of Abutilon vexillare I think it is called whih [sic] Mr Ellacombe <2> says is hardy but we have not ventured it out.
I returned Johns letter to Tilly <3> – & I was very glad that Jack <4> was so comfortably placed at Eton – I am also glad tht he was not sent there much younger – Small boys might be lost in a school of nine hundred.
Your affte
Henry
Tilly says you spoke of a new carpet for my Library. I dont think it wants one yet. Next Year perhaps.
Notes:
1. George Goodwin (d. 1875), footman at Lacock Abbey.
2. Henry Nicholson Ellacombe (1822–1916), clergyman, Honorary Canon of Bristol, Vicar of Bitton; gardener & author.
3. John Gilchrist-Clark (1830–1881), Scottish JP; WHFT’s son-in-law, and Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.
4. John Henry Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Jack’ (1861–1902), WHFT’s grandson. [See Doc. No: 04531].