Penrice <1>
March 26th
My dear Henry
Our tour is not at all determined on that is the direction of it, for we shall certainly go in May and mean to go to Spa for me to drink the waters in June, after that for the rest of the Summer we mean to wander, and if you will not insist upon any of your plans being adopted, I shall be glad of as many projects as you will give yourself the trouble to sketch, for I like such imaginary flights, though I believe our real journey will be more determined by the meaner considerations of good inns & bodily convenience than anything else and as we have very comprehensive likings no sort of sights will come amiss to us, whether antiquities, pictures, fine views or historical localities – yet as it is impossible to enjoy myself in two places at once I am very indifferent which way we go –
I should like to meet you somewhere or other abroad – but I suppose you have not no thoughts of going this year –
Pray tell me how Kit <2> looks since his bad cold and how all your family are – I hope Horatia <3> is well –
I should rather have liked to have gone to Lacock after the marriage <4> but we are to go to Redlynch <5> and then to London to finish our preparations for going abroad so I shall see you all I hope then –
I am very glad you are going to have follow your own ideas about the alterations at Lacock for it is difficult sometimes to understand what other people think and so very doubtful whether what one does to please them is what they meant and then nobody is pleased –
Your affectionate cousin
Charlotte Talbot
W. H. Fox Talbot Esqr
31 Sackville St
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. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
4. She married the Rev John Montgomerie Traherne (1788–1860), JP & author on 29 April 1830.
5. Redlynch, Somerset, seat of the Earls of Ilchester (Barons of Redlynch).
6. Isabella Catherine Franklen, née Talbot (1804–1874), and her husband Richard Franklen.