Dowlais Works
9th feb. 1857
Sir
You are welcome to say that your ore has been assayed by Mr Riley the Chemist in the employment of the Dowlais Works, And to use as you wish the assay I sent you – More than that I cannot say – the fact of my declining to use the Wiltshire ore is scarcely consistent with my expressing a favourable opinion of it in a commercial sense, neither can I name any Works at which it is likely to be used. Iron Masters do not seem to be guided in their choice of ores by any very rigid rule – I found these Works two years ago purchasing Northampton ore certainly not superior to yours & I mentioned to you on good authority that the Wiltshire ore was in use in Staffordshire Although I did not know at what particular works –
I remain Sir yr Obt servt
Geo. T. Clark
H. F. Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham