Chippenham <1>
25th Nov. 1825
Dear Sir,
In reply to your Letter <2> of the 18th Inst I fear I cannot give any exact statement respecting the cost of the School without dissecting the different Bills for the last two Years & these were delivered to you with the Accounts – even if I had them, I doubt if I could now separate every Item, as it is so difficult to keep the Account of Carriage & some other articles separate in the general list of Repairs –
The annual Rate which you mention is entirely got rid of, by the sale of the Property at Melksham <3> –
I have increased the Rents £190– pr annum & if corn does not fall much next year, I expect to add £15– to the sum recd for Great Tythes –
Respecting the £100– laid out in converting the old House into Tenements I assure you I feel quite confident that it was advantageously expended – The Materials of such Buildings sell for a mere trifle in the Country, after deducting the expence of pulling down & the Ground would have let for very little as Garden – After what has been done to the Tenements, they are not likely to be in want of repair for several years –
In addition to the increase of Rent by the alteration – it was particularly convenient in enabling me to pull down the ruinous old Cottages where the School now stands & wch I knew you wished be erected as soon as it could be done & unless we could have found some place for the poor People, we should not have got them out, I believe, even by this time – so unfortunately crowded is the Population at Lacock, that it is almost impossible to remove a Family, even when the House is known to be in danger of falling – The Premises in question, are situated at the corner of the street below the School, on the Melksham Road – & are now very decent looking cottages – They are just opposite Mrs Brindleys –
In mentioning the heavy expence of Repairs for some years past – I should state, that in addition to the great number of Houses to be kept in a tenantable state, the Buildings on the Farms were in many instances in a very delapidated [sic] state & it was absolutely necessary to improve them – this has been done & I certainly now look forward very confidently to a reduction in the expence of repairs for some years to come. You may rely upon my constantly bearing in mind your wish to reduce the number of Houses & I assure you it is a system upon which I have acted for a long time, as Captn Feilding <4> had enjoined the same thing, previous to your coming of Age. There are several at this time wch may be taken down with great propriety, as soon as the Tenants can get any place to remove to –
When you return to Town, will you be good enough to inform Mr King <5> – as he has some of the Deeds, connected with the late Sales, now ready for your Signature –
I remain Dear Sir Yr obliged & obedt Sert
W. H. Awdry
W. H. F. Talbot Esq
Notes:
1. Chippenham, Wiltshire: largest town near Lacock, 3 miles N.
2. Letter not located.
3. Melksham, Wiltshire: market town near Lacock, 2 miles S.
4. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father.
5. Of William Read King & Son, solicitors, London.