St Hilary
Cowbridge
May 15th
My dear Henry
Uncle William <1> tells me you are thinking of a trip to Germany shortly When you put yourself on the rail, I wish you would come first in our direction & visit me & Jane <2> who is at Merthyr mawr <3> – I should like you to have a notion of my present whereabouts and it really would be a nothing in your journey to come here – you would branch off I suppose from York to Birmingham & Gloucester & then be here in a twinkling – I am sure you would not be sorry afterwards if you will only come! The Llewelyns <4> are on the Italian or Swiss Lakes they are to be in England by the end of this month and will be in London then for some weeks before coming home – but Bella <5> will be at home so three of your Cousins will be most happy to see you if you will only come – I met a Mr Monkhouse <6> at my cousin Mrs St Johns last autumn who knew you & all your family when you lived at the Lakes and spoke with great pleasure of his acquaintance. I thought him a very pleasant & clever man – he has the living of Ockley near Basingstoke – Give my kind regards to Mrs Talbot & your daughters <7>
Yours affly
Charlotte L Traherne
[envelope:]
W H Fox Talbot Esqre
Millburn Tower
Edinburgh
Notes:
1. William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways, 4th Earl of Ilchester (1795–1865), botanist, art collector & diplomat.
2. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796–1874).
3. Merthyr Mawr, Glamorgan, on River Ogwr.
4. John Dillwyn Llewelyn (1810-1882), Welsh photographer, JP & High Sheriff; and his wife, Emma Thomasina Llewelyn, née Talbot (1806–1881), photographer; WHFT’s Welsh cousin.
5. Isabella Catherine Franklen, née Talbot (1804–1874).
6. Possibly Rev John Monkhouse of Lizzick Hall. [See Doc. No: 09272].
7. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife and Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter; Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter; Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.