Chippenham ^<1>
25^h Oct. 1832

Dear Sir/

I beg to advise having paid to Mess^rs Hammersley’s ^<2> £300 & Mess^rs Gundrys ^<3> £300– on your Account –

I am glad to observe from your last Letter, that you are not inclined to grant the permission of shooting over the Estates for the Term that was offered – I think nothing would make it desirable, except it was to a Neighbour, whose conduct as a Sportsman you could depend upon, in which case, he should agree to feed the Pheasants & enter into other stipulations in order to prevent disputes with the Tenants – if I should have any offer of this kind, I will not fail to inform you of it – a Gentleman of the name of Plimmer at Melksham,^<4> has applied since M^r Green,^<5> but as his offer appears quite inadmissable under present circumstances, I need not trouble you with Particulars –

I am glad to say, that the Person who applied for the Red Lion Inn,^<6> has agreed to the conditions w^ch you proposed & has taken to the Stock from Myles – He is now in possession of the Premises & appears an industrious young Man – his name is John Harding – I have had a tolerably good Audit up to the present time & more money promised – in a shortly time – the price of agricultural produce has fallen lately, which makes the Farmers begin to talk again – & added to the continued high state of the Poor Rates, prevents my talking about their undertaking part of the Repairs at this time – on this latter subject I can now speak with greater confidence than at any former period, having for the last six months ordered & chequed [sic] all the Repairs by myself – I trust that you will believe I feel it my duty, as much as it is for my personal convenience, to keep down the Repairs in every way that is consistent with the security of the Property – but I can assure you, that I am quite satisfied, it will not do to let such ancient Buildings as your Property consists of, remain without a constant attention – the Buildings are now in as good a state, I flatter myself) as such a Property can be expected to be & I have every reason to hope, that the Repairs will amount to a smaller Sum, for so [illegible]^<7> Years to come – but I find it quite impossible to limit it to any precise amount, without endangering the Buildings – There is such an immense quantity of tiling in particular w^ch must be kept in repair, in order to prevent the decay of the Timbers, that it would, I am persuaded, soon become untenantable, if it was ever to be neglected, I make a point of never giving an order without being satisfied of its expediency, but I assure you that I scarcely remember a Week that there was not something wanted to be done – you may rely upon my keeping the expence down in every way practicable

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Notes:

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

2. Hammersley & Co, bankers, London.

3. Misspelling of Gundrey & Co.

4. Probably George Plimmer, Surgeon at Bank Street, Melksham. Melksham, Wiltshire: market town near Lacock, 2 miles S.

5. J F Green.

6. Red Lion Inn, Lacock.

7. Text torn away under seal.