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Document number: 3655
Date: 19 Apr 1838
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: AWDRY William Henry
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 23rd December 2010

Chippenham <1>
19 April 1838

Dear Sir,

I have held the Audits at Lacock this Week – & now write to mention that I have remitted Messrs Hammersleys <2> a Draft for £600 – on account of the present Year’s Rents – I have still too many Arrears on the last years Book, but hope that I may get several of them paid before you return to Lacock & then to give you the Account & pay in the exact Balance, as usual –

I could hardly hope for a good receipt of Cottage Rents, after such a trying Winter as we have had, & I am sorry to say that many of these Tenants have not even made their appearance – I must bustle about & see what can be done with them, but it is really difficult to know what to advise with respect to this description of Property at the present time – the alteration in the Poor Laws, having so completely cut off the means of paying them with regularity, to many of the Poor & there being such little chance of a weekly saving by themselves, to form a half yearly fund for the Landlord – Something, however, must be thought of to prevent this part of your Property becoming more & more depreciated in value & before I see you again, I will endeavour to ascertain from other Parties who are, in some degree, similarly circumstanced, what method they are intending to adopt, in order to meet the difficulty – Happily, the Farmers are now generally able to pay their Rents, with punctuality – & the amount of the present deficiency is therefore not so much fell – but I see that it must be attended to forthwith – for the reasons before stated –

I saw Lady Elisabeth Feilding <3> on Tuesday at the Abbey & she told me that you had returned to London for some days & that I had better direct to you there, for this Week –

You may depend upon my attending to the contents of your last letter – I spoke to Mrs Marcant <4>, the other day, upon that subject & the report wch she makes at present is quite satisfactory – Wright <5> has not yet discovered any thing about the burning of the Furze –

I am Dear Sir Yr obliged Sert
W.H. Awdry

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


Notes:

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

2. Hammersley & Company, bankers, London.

3. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, nιe Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.

4. Probably a misspelling of Mrs Marchant. [See Doc. No: 03660].

5. Probably James Wright, footman to the Talbots & Constable for Lacock.

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