Chippenham
21st April 1835
Dear Sir
I have held the Lady day Audit<1> & have sufficient Balance in hand to make a Remittance of £500 I will therefore beg the favor of your informing me, to whom I shall pay this amount
Messr Haden of Trowbridge have sent their Acct for the Iron Work over the South Gallery viz £10 as pr Contract I presume I may pay them as it appears that the Work has answered the purpose in all respects
My son <2> has recd an answer from Mr John Haywards <3> Solr in wch he takes, that he cannot advise his Client to give up the Property upon the terms wch you have offered but he says, he is ready to renew if you should be inclined to do so & offers to meet my Son at Melksham <4> for the purpose of fixing the Sum so that they have given up one point wch they first claimed viz the renewal without a fine My Son has no doubt whatever as to your legal claim to the Property, but as they have now offered to pay for a renewal of the Lease, he will [illegible deletion] wait to hear from you again, before he takes any Steps in the Business & if you should feel inclined to take a Fine for the renewal of the Lease, he will negociate with the Parties for that purpose or, he will give Notice to the Tenants to pay their Rents to you in future, in order to bring the Matter to an issue as you may prefer I am considering what is best to be done with the Cottages where we can get no Rent paid & I hope in a few weeks, to submit some plan for your consideration upon the subject I find from Thos Moore <5> that there is the same complaint from other Landlords & it appears to have been occasioned for by the stoppage or reduction of pay, since the alteration in the Poor Laws
I am glad to find that the new System seems working well, in a parochial point of view the Rates are already reduced but as it affects your interest as a Landlord in another way, it will be necessary to make some alteration with regard to letting a part of the Cottages, in order to meet the difficulty but I find it is not an easy matter to do it however I hope to devise some plan in a short time, for it will not do to go on as at present.
All things appear going on well at the Abbey & I was glad to observe yesterday, That the Wall fruit does not appear injured by the late sharp frosts Fitzsimmons <6> had protected the Blossoms, with Leaves &c. quite effectually Mr John Awdry <7> is returned to Keybridge & I am happy to say, in a very improved state of health
I am Dear Sir Yr. Obliged Servt
W. H. Awdry
W.H.Fox.Talbot Esq
31 Sackville Street
London
Notes:
1. Lady Day is one of the traditional English quarter days, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, on 25 March.
2. West Awdry (18071892), solicitor, Chippenham.
3. John R Hayward.
4. Melksham, Wiltshire: market town near Lacock, 2 miles S.
5. Thomas Moore (possibly d. 1854), member of the Lacock Parish Vestry.
6. Cornelius Fitzsimmons, Scottish gardener at Lacock Abbey.
7. John Awdry (17661844), solicitor, Reybridge.