Chippenham<1>
16th Feb. 1833
Dear Sir/
I have recd both your Letters of this Week & will lose no time in consulting with Captn Fielding<2> Mr Harman <3> & Thos Moore<4>, on the subject of letting Land to the Poor – it strikes me, that a sufficient quantity to enable each family to raise their Potatoes & other Vegetables, would answer best in every way & certainly at the commencemt of the Plan – as it would enable us to judge of the ability of the Parties to find manure for the Land & pay their Rent &c & when that is ascertained, then to increase the Quantity to such Persons as may be able & willing to cultivate it, instead of being relieved from the Poors [sic] Rate – All this, however, shall be fully discussed & I will report to you the opinions of all Parties, for your determination upon the subject –
I expect a good deal of opposition from the Farmers – as I believe they are in general opposed averse to the System upon any extended scale – but I hope we may be able to convince them, that in time it must reduce the Poors Rate – With respect to the Land to be taken for the purpose, I think it must be done equally from the four large Farms, as they have all got arable Land near to the Village & if it is an inconvenience to part with such – it should be borne by all in proportion – I have got some very good regulations for letting Land to the Poor in this way – on the Draycot Estates,<5> which having answered – I shall be able to recommend for adoption in the present instance* – I hope by the end of next Week to have seen the different Parties & to write to you again –
I am Dear Sir
Yr Obliged Sert
W. H. Awdry
I have paid £80 to your Account at Gundrys<6> –
The Circumstance you mention about Ring, shall be enquired into immedly –
*I enclose you a Copy
W. H. F. Talbot Esq, M.P.
31. Sackville Street
Piccadilly
London
Notes:
1. Chippenham, Wiltshire: largest town near Lacock, 3 miles N.
2. Misspelling for Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father.
3. Ezekiel Harman.
4. Thomas Moore (possibly d. 1854), member of the Lacock Parish Vestry.
5. Draycot House and Park, Draycot Cerne, near Chippenham, Wiltshire.
6. William Gundry, banker, Chippenham.