Lacock Abbey
Monday June 22d
My dear Henry
The letter you wrote from Swindon was brought to me at ½ past nine the same evening – I hope the correspondence so happily begun will continue during your tour. – particularly I want to know what are your first impressions of Ambleside under the present circumstances. I sent off yesterday (according to your directions) the 20 sheets of Iodized paper – but was greatly puzzled as to whether they should go as a parcel or letter. – We held a consultation with Wright, <1> and after much fear & hesitation decided for the post, as being the surest – Wright said more over he did not think a parcel could de directed received at a Post office, which was your address – I now regret that I did not make it a stiff letter by means of brown paper or card-board, as I fear the letter carriers may double it for their own convenience – and that the pictures made thereon will be injured thereby – A rolled letter has arrived from Reading <2> which I opened expecting to find the portraits of Ld Mt E <3> &c &c but it consists wholly of the Royal children <4> – The letter which was enclosed, I forward to you with another – making one parcel as you suggested – None of us caught cold by dining in South Sherrington’s room on Saturday. – It seems likely that the heat will drive us there again as the freshness of Yesterday (which was a perfect relief) has left us – and today is exactly as hot as it was all last week – Unfortunately Horatia <5> thought it necessary to go again today to Ld Mt E. – but she means to come back again this evening – and I hope it is the last time & that he will go up to Sackville St <6> on Wednesday.
We have haymaking in our own field today – when that is finished, & the Roses faded, there will be little to regret in this place, if you meet with a house on the Lakes to suit us – I have been reckoning the number of rooms we should require – I think 5 or 6 best bedrooms containing 6 or 8 best beds according to their size and 5 Servants rooms. –
Your affectionate
Constance
Notes:
1. James Wright, footman to the Talbots & Constable for Lacock.
2. Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), born in Holland and trained in Paris, was WHFT’s valet who emerged as his assistant in photography. Henneman set up his Calotype works at 8 Russell Terrace, Reading. Commencing operations at the start of 1844, it functioned both as a photographic studio and as a photographic printing works and continued through late 1846, at which time Henneman transferred his operations to London. Although Talbot supported Henneman through custom, such as printing the plates for The Pencil of Nature, and loans, it was always Henneman's operation. His business cards made no mention of "The Reading Establishment," the designation that it is popularly given today; the only contemporary use of that title seemed to be by Benjamin Cowderoy - see Doc. No: 05690 - and in Henneman's initial correspondence with WHFT.
3. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
4. Edward VII (1841–1910), King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British dominions and Emperor of India from 1901, and possibly also Victoria Adelaide Mary, Princess Royal (1840–1902) and Alice Maud Mary (1843–1878), daughter of Queen Victoria. (For the talbotype of the Prince of Wales see Doc. No: 05464, Doc. No: 05560, Doc. No: 05570, Doc. No: 05886).
5. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
6. 31 Sackville Street, London residence of the Feildings, often used as a London base by WHFT.