Penrice ^<1>

Ja^ry 23^d
My dear Henry

I am sure you will be glad to hear that Kit ^<2> wrote to us from Naples on Christmas day, he says it is a great comfort to be able to sleep in peace without fire arms by his side! &c he sent the Galatea home & we have just heard of her arrival at Southampton having been only 22 days coming from Naples, which is a short passage I hear. Some of the crew are come home and as the Yacht is to be laid up for the winter, the others will come too with the exception of those who are to take care of her at Southampton. –

I hope your party are all well we have had some invalid’s this year & Isabella ^<3> still continues very indifferent at times but is much mended since she took to the Shower bath. Charlotte ^<4> has been extremely busy & so has Emma ^<5> painting & drawing on cards &c for a sale of fancy works, Aunt Louisa ^<6> begged us to send some things to her, for it. Mamma ^<7> has not been able to do any thing comfortably in her garden for some time past we have had such damp weather & she is so apt to suffer from Rheumatism when she is out in it that she has not attempted much, we are in despair about Slugs they are as busy as can be & I am afraid no frost will come to kill them for us before it will be so late as to destroy the flowers too. every thing is coming on like it was Spring and the blackbirds sing all day long as well as many other birds; there has hardly been any winter as yet here, tho’ we have had some bitter easterly winds. – I should think you must have had floods at Laycock have you thought of having a boat instead of a carriage to go out visiting in? I heard of such a thing in Bedfordshire once! – All send their kind love. – I hope we shall meet in London this Spring. good bye

I am your aff^ate coz
Mary.

Butterflies, bees & flies are all alive & merry this year, we shall be sadly tormented by the latter, I fear, in spite of the daily destruction which goes on, they were troublesome enough last year. –

The wicked slugs have eaten the blossoms of your early narcissus before they were out of their sheath: the caterpillars spoil our wind flowers & the birds our crocus’s! –

1828, Swansea Jan^y twenty three Chris^er Cole ^<8>.
Henry. F. Talbot Esq^re
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts

---

Notes:

1. Penrice Castle and Penrice House, Gower, Glamorgan, 10 mi SW of Swansea: home of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.

2. Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (1803–1890), immensely wealthy landowner, mathematician & politician; WHFT’s Welsh cousin.

3. Isabella Catherine Franklen, née Talbot (1804–1874).

4. Charlotte Louisa 'Charry' Traherne, née Talbot (1800–1880), WHFT’s cousin.

5. Emma Thomasina Llewelyn, née Talbot (1806–1881), photographer; WHFT’s Welsh cousin.

6. Louisa Emma Petty Fitzmaurice, née Fox Strangways, Marchioness of Lansdowne (1785-1851), wife of Henry Petty Fitzmaurice, 3^rd Marquess of Lansdowne; Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, 1837-1838; WHFT's aunt.

7. Lady Mary Lucy Cole, née Strangways, first m. Talbot (1776–1855), WHFT’s aunt.

8. Sir Christopher Cole (1770–1836), Captain, MP & naval officer.