Lacock Vicarage
Dec^r 22

My dear Sir,

May I venture to ask you to Contribute towards a Fund which I am forming for Furnishing some of the most Necessitous poor of Lacock with coals during the present severe weather –

I sh^d also feel obliged for your & M^rs Talbot’s subscriptions to the Schools amounting to £10 according to the account left by M^r Matthews – viz

Y^rself £6 + M^rs Talbot £1 = 7 Nat^l schools

………2 + …………….1 = 3 Inf^t………..

£10

I am sure we ought all to be very grateful to you for Y^r handsome present of a site for the new Cemetery – it is what is sadly needed here; it beig [sic] impossible to dig a decent grave – I am glad to find that the farmers are beginning to see the necessity of a Mortuary Chapel – they seemed very much inclined to oppose its creation at first – it w^d of course be most inconvenient both to the mourners & Clergyman to go into the Church with the Corpse & then be compelled to pass through the village to the Grave–

My wife unites with me In Kind Compliments to M^rs Talbot & Y^rSelf –

Believe me Y^rs very Faithfully
E Percy Brett

[envelope:]
W.H.F. Talbot Esq^r
Greta Bank
Keswick
Cumberland