Sunday
My Dear Henry
Lord L. <1> could not come yesterday as Lord John <2> had sent for him to London to help to concert the new Administration but none of the others failed, & we asked Lord Dunkellin <3> instead, so we had our full complement. The Hall looked grandiose with a feudal fire, to receive Lady Shelburne <4> for the first time she has ever been here after dark. The whole house was beautifully lit, & with two fires in the South Gallery looked & felt as warm & as gay as possible. After conversation & Music, we ended with a tour de walse, Flora & Annie & Caroline <5> with the three young Lords. We are to have a smaller spread on Tuesday Mr Bridges, Shelburnes & Lord Dunkellin, & perhaps Lord Moreton. Mr Sotheron <6> was in great admiration of the Talbotypes <7> Caroline shewed him (the mounted ones you gave her) He talked quite affectionately of you & former days at Harrow. <8> Upon that same foundation of Harrow he made an alliance with Valletort <9> who shewed him his prize Suetonius, & they talked over the school. Mr Sotheron is not a violent tory, I always thought him a calm Politician, but he thinks the Corn Laws a necessary evil. I think that as the Queen <10> with [sic] have [illegible deletion] plenty of things to employ her thoughts for some time it would do very well if Caroline takes these specimens to her when she goes into Waiting in February. She thinks the Artist at Reading should not be allowed to retain the Drawing. It is lèze majesté. We have very bad accounts to day of poor Harriet Gallwey <11>
Affly yrs
E F
Notes:
1. Henry Petty Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne (1780–1863), MP, WHFT’s uncle.
2. Lord John Russell (1792–1878), politician. He was attempting to form a Whig government after Peel’s resignation. [See Doc. No: 05464].
3. Ulick Canning De Burgh, Lord Dunkellin (1827–1867).
4. Emily Jane Mercer-Elphinstone-de Flahault, Baroness Nairne (1819-1895), second wife of Sir Henry Petty Fitzmaurice, Lord Shelburne, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne (1816–1866), MP and WHFT's cousin.
5. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
6. Rev George Wilson Bridges (1788–1863), photographer and traveller; Henry Fitzmaurice, Lord Shelburne, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne (1816–1866), MP; Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron Bucknall Estcourt (1801–1876), MP. [See Doc. No: 05463].
7. Although WHFT modestly used the term calotype, his mother and other loyal supporters honoured him by calling these Talbotypes, in parallel with the term Daguerreotype.
8. Harrow School: WHFT attended from 1811–1815 and his son Charles from 1855-1859.
9. William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’.
10. Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom (1837–1901), Empress of India (1876–1901).
11. Lady Harriet Payne Gallwey (1784-1845), née Quin, widow of Lt Gen Sir William Payne Gallwey (1759-1831), 1st Bart.