The Vicarage
Lacock
Sept 25. 1854
My dear Sir. /
I hope you will excuse the liberty I am now taking, in writing to you. Having heard rumours at different times of your coming home, which I am sorry are not yet realized, I have been rather waiting until your return rather than writing
The object of my writing now is to ask you if you would object to some of the Boys in the National School, sitting on a Sunday in the Chancel. The reason for my asking is because the boys & girls are so numerous, that the Gallery in which they sit is utterly inadequate to hold them. They are so crowded together that, the result is they behave very improperly & noisily to the disturbance of persons who have seats below the Gallery Now if we could thin the ranks & bring some of the Boys away they would do very well.
I mean, that they should sit on Benches in the Chancel placed in, simply for the Sunday Service And if on your return you should find that the Boys in any way inconvenienced you, they should be removed at once. back. I do not know your feelings upon the subject nor indeed would I have asked you r now, but all other open spaces in the Church are already occupied The Aisles as it is, being filled by the Union House & other Children.
I am hoping to begin on a small Scale this winter A Reading Room for the Middling Classes, if a sufficient sum can be raised amongst themselves to carry it through a year except with a little help from Honorary Members. Such a Society ought as much as possible I think to be self supporting
A Parochial Lending Library I have already begun, & seems to be working well.
Apologizing for the liberty I have taken in thus troubling you
Believe me, dear Sir, Very faithfully Yours
Arthur Blomfield
W H F Talbot Esq
[envelope:]
W. H. F. Talbot Esq
Greta Bank
Keswick
Cumberland-