Dabton <1>
Thornhill
Feb 25th 1876
My dear Papa
It is too good of you to have written to me for my birthday when I had failed the other day in writing to you on a similar occasion – only I had most certainly meant to do so – Thank you very much for your letter: This has been a very stormy day heavy snow almost without ceasing – & a great deal of wind – the few spring flowers that have begun to peep are all buried in the snow – but there was not much, besides snowdrops & hepaticas I should very much like to have some bits of the plants you speak of – & so would John <2> – it is very fond of perrenials – & I think they answer best with us – Will you also send me a bit of the false Heliotrope – there was an Autumn flowering convolvulus, or a plant resembling a convolvulus, that you once promised me – but I do not remember its name – I think all the plants you have given me at different times are alive & have done well – I hope you are not too cold at Lacock you must not stay there too long at a time if it is very cold – for the old Assyrians will not be very comforting company I should think! The children are well & we have good accounts from the boys – Jack <3> says the Examinations begin on Monday week & he is getting nervous – so I have written to advise him not to get nervous – as I have no doubt he will get through them creditably, if not brilliantly. Connie, Mimay & Maud <4> send love – they (at least the 2 first) have had a half-holiday in honour of my birthday which they have spent in making Almond biscuits! – John sends you message – he has just finished his rent collections today – which he is glad of –
With much love your most affecte daughter
Tilly
Notes:
1. Dabton, Dumfriesshire: home of WHFT’s daughter Matilda.
2. John Gilchrist-Clark (1830–1881), Scottish JP; WHFT’s son-in-law.
3. John Henry Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Jack’ (1861–1902), WHFT’s grandson.
4. Constance Stewart, née Gilchrist-Clark (b. 1863), ‘Connie’, WHFT’s Scottish granddaughter, and her sisters Mary Emily ‘Mimay’ and Matilda Theresa Gilchrist-Clark ‘Maudie’. Matilda (15 July 1871 - 25 March 1958) met her grandfather, WHFT, when she was six years old and was surprised to find upon Charles Henry Talbot's death in 1916 that he had unconditionally left Lacock Abbey and all its contents to her. Miss Matilda changed her surname to Talbot and lived at Lacock Abbey the rest of her life, working diligently to preserve her grandfather's memory.