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Document number: 02309
Date: 17 Feb 1832
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: AWDRY William Henry
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Collection number historic: LA32-005
Last updated: 1st September 2003

Chippenham <1>

17h Feby 1832

Dear Sir/

I went over to Lacock yesterday & talked with Mr Paley <2> Thos Moore & Phelps <3> on the subject of your last Letter & by united exertions I hope we shall do a a good deal towards making the Village clean – Mr Paley is all on the alert about it & from his continued intercourse with the Poor, is enabled to point out those Houses where the greatest nuisances are kept – He did so to me yesterday – Moore has promised to enforce the removal of them & the Potatoe <sic> ground which the parish rent of you – will be a convenient receptacle in every respect for filth of every description & the Parish may thus afford to pay the Poor for the heaps wch they have collected – it is particularly fortunate that the common Sewer of the Village was so lately opened – as it enables us to direct the course of private drains at the present moment without fear of interruption –

I am glad to find that Stroud has replaced the dead Trees in the new Plantation – Phelps says it has been all done well –

I think it will be very desirable when Cattle <4> leaves his situation, that some Person of good Character should occupy the Cottage in Inwood <5> – it will be a great security against depredations from Wood Stealers (who injure the young Coppice Wood much) as well as tend to prevent the Game from being disturbed – it would be a comfortable thing for a Man & his Wife to live rent free, so long as they are found to behave properly –

The Tradesmen completely understand what you mention, respecting <any?> <6> work to be done in future –

I am Dear Sir
Yr Obliged Sert

W. H. Awdry

PS.
I have got your Seal from Kings – he says he fears it will not last long without breaking, the mounting being got so very thin –

W. H. F. Talbot Esq
31. Sackville Street
Piccadilly
London

Notes:

1. Chippenham, Wiltshire: largest town near Lacock, 3 miles N.

2. Rev James Paley (1790–1863), Vicar at Lacock.

3. Thomas Moore (possibly d. 1854), member of the Lacock Parish Vestry, and Philip Phelps, Surveyor of Taxes & Bailiff, Lacock.

4. Charles Cattle. [See Doc. No: 01588].

5. Inwood, near Lacock, Wiltshire.

6. Text torn away by seal.