My dear Henry,
My mother thinks that perhaps your plans with regard to your party may be altered by this shocking accident of Ld Rivers’s, <1> as it will prevent the Seymors [sic]<2> from paying you their intended visit – & she would be glad if you would let her know if this makes any difference & Whether you still will have any one, & she will then let you Know by return of post Whether she can accept your invitation, but we are all agreed in thinking that Laycock does not require a party to tempt us. We are at present staying here, & shall go for a few days to Abbotsbury <3> next week, & by the time your answer arrives we shall have seen my father<4> who is not with us here, [illegible deletion] When we shall be able to settle our plans. – I shall be delighted to visit you, having been very sorry when you all went to Brighton at finding all idea of it must be given up. – We have snow on the ground, & it looks as if more would fall, but as I very much object to cold weather, I hope my forbodeings [sic] may come to nothing. –
I am my dear Henry Your affte cousin
Louisa C. Frampton
Melbury <5>
Sunday Jany 30
Notes:
1. Horace William Beckford, Lord Rivers (1777–1831); he died on 23 January. [See Doc. No: 02137].
2. Harriet Ker Seymer, née Beckford, and her husband, Henry Ker Seymer (1782-1834), Sheriff of Dorset. The Seymers of Hanford, Dorset were family friends of the Framptons.
3. Abbotsbury, Dorset: home of William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways.
4. Lt Col James Frampton (1769- 8 Feb1855), High Sheriff, of Moreton, Dorset.
5. Melbury, Dorset: one of the Fox Strangways family homes; WHFT was born there.