13 Great Stuart Street
Edinburgh
Thursday November 23rd.
My dear Papa,
I daresay you will be glad to hear that Pussy performed her journey with her usual equanimity, and is now quite as much at home here as if she had never left the house. Of course she remembers it quite well, but I wonder whether she puzzles her head all the time she is in the basket as to which of the numerous houses she knows, she will find herself in at the journey’s end? – The plants arrived quite safely from Lacock, and we are going to beautify the garden tomorrow. I daresay you are enjoying this wonderfully mild weather. It is quite fine today: yesterday foggy and rainy, with some wind, but not a hurricane as Mama <1> had at Cheltenham. Lady Gibson Craig <2> has just been here: they are quite delighted at the approaching marriage of her sister with Mr Heneage’s eldest son; only they think it might have been arranged a little sooner whilst they were in the south, to enable them to be present. Young Gibson Craig<3> has quite recovered from the his dreadful rheumatic illness, which has luckily left no ill bad traces behind it, and he has been about the country shooting and deerstalking as actively as ever.
I have sent you some berries of Baytree I gathered at the Winter Villa, <4> but which have travelled about with me ever since. All the trees, and they have many, were covered with ripe fruit, and I though you would like to try and raise some.
We left Tilly <5> and all her little family as well as possible. They are dear little children all three. We thought Jackie <6> much improved, and progressing in his education; he can read short sentences, and spells easily. He is rather a grave, thoughtful child, and comes out sometimes, Tilly says, with very sensible observations. Little Connie <7> is the most darling pretty little thing you ever saw, very strong and active; but the Baby <8>is the most admirable of the three: quite a perfect baby, always smiling and laughing, so good indeed that we were quite glad one day to hear him cry, proving that he could cry and was not dumb! . . . I am sure you will be pleased with him when you make his acquaintance.
We enjoyed both our visits very much, and I am sure they did Mamie <9> good and strengthened her for the coming winter. With her love and mine to Charles <10> & you
believe me, dear Papa, you affectionate daughter
Rosamond.
Notes:
1. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
2. Lady Elizabeth Sarah Gibson-Craig, née Vivian (d. 1895), married Sir William Gibson-Craig, 2nd Baronet of Riccarton, Midlothian in 1840.
3. William Gibson-Craig (1843-1872
4. Winter Villa, near Plymouth: estate of the Earls of Mt Edgcumbe
5. Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.
6. John Henry Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Jack’ (1861–1902), WHFT’s grandson.
7. Constance Stewart, née Gilchrist-Clark (b. 1863), ‘Connie’, WHFT’s Scottish granddaughter.
8. William ‘Willie’ Gilchrist-Clark-Maxwell (1865–1935), WHFT’s grandson.
9. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal ].
10. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.
11. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.