Trin Coll. <1>
Sunday evening
My dear Father.
I received your letter some time ago, informing me that 115·£ had been remitted to Mortlocks Bank. for which I am much obliged. I hope you have received the 3. examination papers which I sent you a few days ago – on Euclid. algebra. & Statics. I have been reading Optics in Goodwin’s book. Goodwin is very short. As Goodwins book only contains what is rqu required for the 3 days examination in the Senate house. I suppose you know wherein the first 8 days differ from the rest. The calendar. explains it. Parkinson <2> is the book most commonly read for Optics here, & I suppose I shall read something in that soon. At present I am reading Phear’s. Hydrostatics. <3> which seems a nice book. I had read – Goodwins Hydrostatics through once at Millburn <4> which was very short. I is Brewsters <5> book on Physical Optics? I am obliged of course primarily to read those books which my coach thinks most likely to be of use in examinations, &. Coddingtons <6> optics are I believe read occasionally. but Parkinson seems the commonest book used. I find. that I get on much better this term though there is room for improvement still. You didnt write to me about my wildflower as you promised. Dr Vaughan <7> hs has. been preaching the University Sermon these 2 last Sundays – they were very good sermons and I believe that he is to preach on the 2 next Sundays. Did you see in the Times that { Dhu- Juleep Singh. <8> or whatever his name is, has bought Hatherop Castle in Gloucestershire, wh & that the estate of Hatherop was of old part of the possessions of the Abbey of Lacock, & came into the possession of Sir Will. Sherington. <9> who sold it to somebody. the in the possession of whose descendants I think. it said, it had remained till it was sold. the other day.
I owe a letter to Ela. <10> & another to my Mother. <11> and purpose to write them soon
Your affect son
Charles.
[envelope:]
H. Fox Talbot Esq
Millburn Tower
nr. Edinburgh
Notes:
1. Trinity College, Cambridge.
2. Stephen Parkinson (1823–1889), A Treatise on Optics, was reprinted many times.
3. Sir John Budd Phear (1825–1905), Elementary Hydrostatics.
4. Millburn Tower, Gogar, just west of Edinburgh; the Talbot family made it their northern home from June 1861 to November 1863. It is particularly important because WHFT conducted many of his photoglyphic engraving experiments there. The house had a rich history. Built for Sir Robert Liston (1742-1836), an 1805 design by Benjamin Latrobe for a round building was contemplated but in 1806 a small house was built to the design of William Atkinson (1773-1839), best known for Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford. The distinctive Gothic exterior was raised in 1815 and an additional extension built in 1821. Liston had been ambassador to the United States and maintained a warm Anglo-American relationship in the years 1796-1800. His wife, the botanist Henrietta Liston, née Marchant (1751-1828) designed a lavish American garden, sadly largely gone by the time the Talbots rented the house .
5. Probably Sir David Brewster (1781–1868), Scottish scientist & journalist, A Treatise on Optics (London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown & Green, 1831).
6. Rev Henry Coddington (1798-1845), natural philosopher, fellow & tutor, Trinity College, Cambridge; d. in Rome, had been a schoolfriend of WHFT. Coddington, An Elementary Treatise on Optics (Cambridge: printed by J. Smith, 1823); A treatise on the eye and on optical instruments: being Part 2 of A system of optics (Cambridge: printed by J. Smith, 1830).
7. Charles John Vaughan (1816–1897), headmaster.
8. HH Maharajah Duleep Singh, the last King of Punjab, (1838–1893). Charles placed ‘Dhu’ directly above ‘Juleep’ as an alternative spelling suggestion.
9. Sir William Sherington or Sharington (1495–1553).
10. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.
11. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.