Wednesday Octr 21st/68
My dear Father.
Will you ask Goodwin <1> to forward the next Wiltshire paper to me at Markeaton but not the one after? I gave no directions about forwarding letters when I left. I suppose none have been sent. Will you tell him to send them to Markeaton up till Tuesday next. (as I stay there till the Wednesday or Thursday) –
At Marlborough an amendment (of Lord Folkestone’s)<2> on Mr Mr [sic] Chalmer Smith’s motion was carried, viz to defer all further proceedings in the matter of Salisbury gaol till the report of the Royal Commission upon centralisation of Assizes, (or whatever title the commission bears) be published.
I found it cold at Marlborough but by no means so cold here. The club house especially is very warm. I do not think either that it is particularly cold out of doors today. – The weather keeps remarkably fine. – I thought Marlborough a dead place enough, but and remarkably out of the way, but it has some very picturesque houses with tiled fronts. The tiles must have been red when new but with lapse of time have acquired a very pleasing colour. – There is one church with a very fine perpendicular tower. – Marlborough School looks a good one and very much in the “genre” of Harrow, but its chapel though respectable is by no means so good as ours. – Merewether <3> seems to me to make a very good chairman. – I saw no traces of the Savernake accident. – The fireplaces in this club would please you as they throw out plenty of heat. Perhaps also the kind of coal may make a difference for I think we use Somersetshire coal which does not give much heat. – The day being very fine I am going to take a look at the Thames embankment, <4> and to see if Mallock <5> be in Town. –
I shall leave Town tomorrow at 11.30 by a train which is due at Derby at 3.15. –
Your affect son
Charles.
[envelope:]
H Fox Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. George Goodwin (d. 1875), footman at Lacock Abbey.
2. Jacob Radnor, Lord Folkestone (1815–1889). [See Doc. No: 09359].
3. Walton Merewether. [See Doc. No: 09315 and Doc. No: 09359].
4. Under construction as part of Sir William Joseph Bazalgette’s grand scheme to modernise London’s sewage system. This land reclamation project was to house low-level sewers and a section of the London underground with the minimum of disruption, during construction, to London traffic and residents whilst creating new areas of greenery alongside the Thames. The first section opened in 1870, between Westminster and Blackfriars.
5. Charles could have been friends with either of two sons of Charles Herbert Mallock (1802-1873) of Cockington Court, Torquay, whilst at Harrow. Charles Herbert Mallock (1840-1875), later a barrister, entered in 1854. Richard Mallock (1843-1900), later an MP, entered in 1858. Both left Harrow in 1859, the year of Charles Henry's departure.