Cotehele House
Calstock Tavistock
Friday Decr 27th
1867
My dear Henry
I was charmed to receive such an unusually long letter from you – tho’ we were both very sorry you could not come to us for Christmas. We have spent ours’ quite alone. We had asked the Edgcumbes <1> – but the youngest daughter is rather delicate & they were afraid to bring her here in cold weather. I am sure Matilda <2> must have enjoyed having you very much. Pray give her my love, & Ernestine’s <3> – & all our good wishes for the season to her & Mr Clark. <4> I was so very sorry to hear of the death of his cousin, Col Clark Kennedy, at Cairo – the first that has occurred in the Abyssinian Expedition. <5> His wife is a daughter of old Col Peregrine Cust – Who lost a Son, quite young, at the Battle of the Alma. <6> He, Peregrine, is a brother of old Lord Brownlow’s. <7> I wrote to Amandier <8> at San Remo on the 23rd inst. I fancy it must be a delightful place! so very picturesque, & so near the Palm trees of Brodighern; but Nice has more resources, no doubt. I hope Rosamond <9> has quite got over the cough wh generally lingers on after the measles. – If I were them, or you, I wd much rather go on to Rome, than Pisa – the latter is, I believe, dreadfully dull – while now Rome is as safe as ever – & is likely to be so, as long as the Napoleonic shield is extended over the Papal throne. There is no place like it for interest. I could live there for months, with the greatest satisfaction. Charlie & Ld Hinchingbrook <10> staid two days at Cannes, & then went by sea to from Nice – coasting close to the shore, to Genoa. He was delighted with all the picturesque corniche towns, & no doubt passed close to San Remo. He described the view of Genoa, on entering the bay by the light of a splendid full moon, as magnificent. They then proceeded by sea to Leghorn & by rail to Rome. They only slept there one night, being in a great hurry to see Vesuvius. Long before they arrived at Naples, they could see the mountain flaming – but next day, when he wrote, thick clouds obscured it’s Glories – & I have not heard since. We are going, abt the 7th or 8th of Jany to visit Lady Brownlow <11> at Torquay – & towds the end of the month we wish to go to Cannes – but cannot yet settle such a weighty matter.
Ernestine begs me to thank you very much for the little photographs, which she admires very much. They are certainly beautifully done. She sends her love to You, & best wishes for a Happy New Year, to which I join mine.
Charlie gave a very favorable account of Katie. <12>
The entourage of the Queen <13> seem to be in a great fright lest some attack shd be made upon her; but she herself is not the least alarmed. Osborne <14> bay is well guarded by the Warrior, Irresistible, a Steamer & gunboat – The boats are continually rowing guard – a Company of Guards are quartered in some new stables close to the Lodge gates, & keep a constant watch all night between the house & the sea.
We are so busy preparing a Tree for New Year’s Day that I must now conclude. We have fine weather. Christmas Day was quite beautiful & very warm. Today is colder.
Yr affte Sister
Caroline
I hope you will light your stoves when you go back to the Abbey.
[envelope]
Henry Fox Talbot Esq
Dabton
Thornhill
Dumfries Shire
Scotland
Notes:
1. Hon George Edgcumbe (1800–1885); and his wife, Fanny Lucy, née Shelley (d. 1899).
2. Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.
3. Ernestine Emma Horatia Edgcumbe (1843-1925), WHFT’s niece.
4. John Gilchrist-Clark (1830–1881), Scottish JP; WHFT’s son-in-law.
5. British Ethiopian Expedition 1867–1868.
6. 21 September 1854.
7. John Cust (1779–1853), 1st Earl Brownlow.
8. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
9. Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter.
10. Charles Earnest Edgcumbe (1838–1915), JP, WHFT’s nephew and Edward George Henry Montagu (b. 1839), Lord Hinchinbrooke and later Earl of Sandwich.
11. The wife of the 1st Earl Brownlow.
12. Lady Katherine Elizabeth Edgcumbe, née Hamilton (1840–1874), wife of William Henry Edgcumbe.
13. Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom (1837–1901), Empress of India (1876–1901).
14. Osborne House, Isle of Wight. Purchased in 1845 by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a retreat from court life.