London
Febry 1st 1831.
My dear Sir
The newspapers <1> have probably apprized you of the sad and awful event which has occurred in our family, and so accounted to you for Mrs Seymers <2> not having replied to your kind letter of invitation. I need hardly say that all visits of the agreable [sic] nature of that proposed by you are now out of the question with us for some time to come. I still hope however that on some future occasion we may avail ourselves of your kind wish to see us at Laycock Abbey –
The dreadful news of poor Lord Rivers’s <3> death brought us up to London for a few days, where we have the comfort of finding Lady Rivers <4> and his family as composed and well as we could expect. I am happy to say that Mrs Seymer is so likewise. We shall probably return home in a day or two –
With our united kind regards believe me, my dear Sir yours very sincerely
Henry Ker Seymer.
Henry F. Talbot Esqre
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. See for example The Times, 28 January 1831, p. 4, which announced the death of Horace William, Lord Rivers, on 23 January.
2. His mother, Lady Harriet Ker Seymer, née Beckford (1779-1853), wife of Henry Ker Seymer (1782-1834), JP, MP & Sheriff of Dorset.
3. William Horace Beckford, 3rd Lord Rivers (1777–1831), brother to Harriet Ker Seymer.
4. Frances Beckford, née Rigby, Lady Rivers.