Port Eliot
St Germans
Cornwall
Monday 30th Decr 1872
My dear Henry
I hope you have had a merry Christmas – & now I must write & wish you a very Happy New Year – & the same to you all.
I have not heard of any of you for ages! I wrote a long time ago to Amandier <1> – & gave her a message for you. It was to know how I should send & address the Italian Jessamine plant I promised you. I believe it will not be in a pot – or if it is, it will be a small one – but it is a fine plant. You should plant it against a South Wall – or where it can have plenty of Sun – & it will flower nearly to December – & is almost quite an Evergreen.
There was a plant of the common wild pink Lychnis in the Rookery this year, quite under the shade of tall trees, wh blossomed abt the usual time, April or May, I think, & went on, always in flower, till I left Cotehele, <2> on the 9th Decr – Rather a curiosity I think. From Plymouth I went to see & deplore the sad havoc made by the gale of the 8th at Mt Edgcumbe. <3> You remember the Avenue of old Elms leading up to the House from the beach? There are 15 trees uprooted there – 11 of them all in one place, in both rows at once – They were regularly swept down, as if by one blow. It was a kind of hurricane – & quite alarming, even on shore, while it lasted. A great many vessels dragged their anchors in the Sound, & went on shore – & during the dark evening rockets & blue lights were being continually fired, to point out the position of the endangered ships. Most of the lives, indeed all, I think were saved fortunately! One poor Vessel was wrecked on the Rame Head – & totally disappeared. 6 bodies were washed ashore, & some of them having sabots on, it was supposed she was French. This turned out to be the case – as a piece of board, with the name of the Ship, was washed ashore. The authorities immediately telegraphed to France, but no answer was returned.
We went for a few days to stay with the Hartmanns <4> at Par Saltram – a very pleasant party – & thence to Mt E. with Val, Charlie <5> & a shooting party. We then came here for a week – & are just on the start for Cotehele – where please write to me.
Give my love to all.
Yr very affte sister
Caroline
[envelope:]
Henry Fox Talbot
Esqre
4 Circus
Bath
Notes:
1. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
2. Cotehele, Cornwall: ancient house, seat of the Earl of Mt Edgcumbe, now a National Trust Property.
3. Mt Edgecumbe, near Plymouth: seat of the Earl of Mt Edgcumbe.
4. Lord Morley’s tenants at Saltram. [See Doc. No: 09944].
5. William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’ and Charles Earnest Edgcumbe (1838–1915), JP, WHFT’s nephew.