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Document number: 952
Date: 08 Jan 1822
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: KING William Read
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Collection number historic: LA22-004
Last updated: 1st September 2003

Dear Sir,

The two Tenants are perfectly satisfied with Your assurance that you will execute their Leases when you return to England & to that period they readily defer it – I think your Estate of Tenants are going on as well as can be expected considering the times, (which really are very bad) tho’ we can no longer boast as formerly of that prompt & regular payment from the Farmers in general – from some Mr Awdry is obliged to get in the Rent by Instalments, for those that have not good capitals are badly off indeed – many have made applications to abate the present rents – but none has yet been made & one tenant Crocker has given notice to quit Nethermore, <1> the poorest farm upon the Estate – the present rent is £110, so that much will not be lost there even if we are obliged to change the Tenant. The Widow (for the man is since dead) is a respectable Woman & wishes to continue and I think it will be as well to make her an abatement of about £15 a year to induce her to continue, for if we have a new tenant we must abate at least that sum. Indeed I fear you will have to abate all the Rents, even those of the dairy farms at the next rent day; 5l PCt will be some relief, but that will not be sufficient, unless the Farmers are relieved from some of the more oppressive Taxes & the poors <sic> rates, & neither 10 nor even 20l PCt as things are at present, can keep them going for long – Farmers & Traders are mostly living upon Capital, to support their Credit & in the hope of a favourable change – but that recourse will ultimately fail. At the present time I know no Estate where the Rents are better paid than they are upon Yours & it will be so longer than in most cases, for your Tenants have never been racked to the fullest extent – nevertheless they cannot pay as they have done & it will be desireable <sic> for you to authorize Mr Awdry or myself to throw off 5l PCt – but not more – with an intimation that upon your return You will consider what further relief You can give them. Or perhaps You will give us a discretionary power to relieve in those instances where the occasion is most pressing not exceeding a limited per Centage upon the Rent – in many of the highly rented farms in different parts of the Kingdom even half the old rent cannot now be obtained, but as to yours about 10l to 15l PCent will be a very fair & liberal allowance – of course none will be made except in cases where it is absolutely necessary, & that too confined as much as possible to the arable farms, for as to the dairy farms 5lPCt may at present satisfy – You will perhaps do me the favour to write to me on this subject & tell me where I shall address my next communication to you as I expect to hear speedily from Mr Awdry fully regarding the Tenants applications for an abatement of their Rents.

I am Dr Sir
Your much obliged & obedt Servt

Wm Read King

Serjeants Inn
Fleet Street

8th Janry 1822

W. H. F. Talbot Esqre
Nice
Italy


Notes:

1. Nethermore Farm and Wood, Lacock, Wiltshire.

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