My Dear Henry
I hope you have had some Sun at Lacock to prosecute your experiments with pleasure, tho’ certainly at this time of the year I never saw so little of it pray send me some little thing to amuse a sick friend of mine, she was much pleased when I showed her the little Campanula <1> you sent me some time ago. I want badly to hear what the name of my new little cousin <2> is & whether she is much like her eldest sister or Rosamond <3> I make no doubt they admire her very much. Isabella <4> who is the most idle of ladies with a pen has begged me to send you some seeds she saved according to your wish when you were last at Clemenstone she cannot remember the name of the Everlasting or the plant from Parnassus. She came over to spend the day & brought the seeds, so I have not dawdled in sending them at all events. Jane <5> did not return to Town with Mr Nicholl <6> as the boys have the whooping cough & she thinks one little one Stephen is too poorly to run any risks if the weather should be cold on the way, at present they are al doing well. John <7> makes a great noise but does not seem to mind the cough at all. We have been spending a few days with Jane & are going to Coedriglan <8> for the rest of the week. I dare say you have a backward Spring as well as us, it is not long since the Spring flowers made their appearance I hope they will stay longer to make amends. The Gardens look gay with Windflowers & some other common things, all acceptable at this season particularly to those who have no Greenhouse. Do you remember years ago bringing Mamma <9> a little root of that lovely Scilla bisolia I think it was from Albana? It has flowered every year since & with one Jane brought also and two or three raised from seed make a brilliant spot in the flower bed I do not think there was any seed (good seed) for some years latterly.
Pray give our kind love to Mrs Talbot & Ela I do not know where you all are now so I shall send to Uncle Wm <10> no doubt he knows all about every body.
I am your affate Coz.
Mary
Dorchester April nineteen 1839 W Strangways
H. Fox Talbot Esq
Lacock
Chippenham
Notes:
1. This is the photogenic drawing referred to in Doc. No: 03831. It was probably made in November, 1838, before the public announcement of photography - see Doc. No: 03845.
2. Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.
3. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter, and Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter.
4. Isabella Catherine Franklen, née Talbot (1804–1874).
5. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796–1874).
6. Dr John Nicholl (1797–1853), MP.
7. John Cole Nicholl (b. 1823), son of Jane Harriet Nicholl.
8. Coedriglan, near Cardiff, Wales: home of the Rev John Montgomerie Traherne, husband of WHFT’s cousin Charlotte.
9. Lady Mary Lucy Cole, née Strangways, first m. Talbot (1776–1855), WHFT’s aunt.
10. William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways, 4th Earl of Ilchester (1795–1865), botanist, art collector & diplomat.