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Document number: 1338
Date: 29 Dec 1825
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: AWDRY William Henry
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Collection number historic: LA25(MW)-079
Last updated: 1st September 2003

Chippenham <1>

Decr 29th 1825

Dear Sir,

In reply to your Letter <2> of the 27th Inst I beg to assure you that I had spoken to Mr Beaven’s Solicitor, in consequence of what you mentioned in a former Letter & he stated that the Deeds would be ready in about a Fortnight – He pleaded a great press of Business as an excuse for their having not been done before – I am however glad that Mr King <3> has written upon the subject, as it will probably hasten the thing – According to the Conditions of Sale, the Purchase Money was to be paid by the 11th of October, but if any delay should occur from either Party, 5 p Cent Interest was to be paid from that Period – I trust it will now all be settled in a very short time – Beaven’s Deposit Money was £130 –

As I have not any thing else to say to Mr King, I will beg the favor of your letting your Servant call at his office to mention that I have recd the Parcel containing the Deeds & Leases – I expect I shall get the Money from Tayler Pettifer & Mr J. Awdry <4> the end of this Week & will remit it to Messrs Hammersly’s <5> together with £100 for a further Payment on Rect of Rents – they will be paid in separately, in order to distinguish them in your Account –

Mr King is mistaken in supposing the Bills for Hauling &c to be Allowances to Tenants – These Charges are for conveying the Timber, Stone, Lime &c for the repairs and latterly have been unusually large in consequence of building the School – The plan of conveying the Materials for the repairs in this wholesale way, had been acted upon long before I had the Stewardship & I beleive <sic> is customary on large Estates, but it certainly had occurr’d to me that it would be desirable to try an alteration in this respect – viz – to make the Mason & Tiler &c – find these Materials & charge them in each repair, as is done on small Estates & it is one of the regulations which I made upon appointing the present Bailiff last Summer – My reason for wishing to try the experiment was, that in some cases, plenty makes waste, & it would also be easy upon the present plan to know the exact expence of each repair – The Hauling of Timber cannot be dispensed with, as it would not answer to buy that article –

The Plan wch you suggest respecting not<ing> <6> down each House in the Bills, has always been acted upon, but from the Materials being conveyed together, we could not get at the separate amounts in the way wch we shall now be able to do –

There is a miserable old Cottage at the foot of Nash Hill <7> – so bad, that I have long since declined to repair it & yet I could not get the Tenants to leave it, I have now an offer from a Farmer to purchase it at its value, & I strongly recommend your selling, as it is not connected with other Property – If you approve it – Darley shall look at it & state the value & submit it for your consideration – you will find it in the Local Index described as follows –

74Withey Bed
75DoAmbrose Hunt, Tenant
£2– pr annum
80House & small Garden

There are two Farms to be sold at Bowden Hill, <8> belonging to Mr Coxwell – I mention it because you told me to do so when any thing was to be disposed of near Lacock – but I do not think they would pay pay much Interest at the present price of the Funds –

I am Dear Sir
Yr obliged & obedt Sert

W. H. Awdry

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


Notes:

1. Letter not located.

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

3. Of William Read King & Son, solicitors, London.

4. John Awdry (1766–1844), solicitor, Reybridge.

5. Hammersley & Company, bankers, London.

6. Text torn away under seal.

7. Nash Hill, also Naish Hill, a hill and farm 1 mi NE of Lacock, Wiltshire.

8. Bowden Hill, Wiltshire, 1 mi SE of Lacock.

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