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Result number 127 of 971:   < Back     Back to results list   Next >  

Document number: 3666
Date: Fri 04 May 1838
Postmark: 5 May 1838
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: TALBOT Constance, née Mundy
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Collection number historic: LA38-9
Last updated: 16th November 2016

St Leonard <1>
Friday May 4th

My dear Henry

I have heard of a Cook who is likely to suit us, & I have written by today’s post to enquire her character of Sir Henry Campbell of Richmond Park with whom she says she lived 2 years & a half as kitchen maid. – She is not a native or even a resident of St Leonards, as you might naturally suppose from my having heard of her this morning, but she is a person recommended to me by the Cook & housekeeper who lived last at Markeaton <2> when my Sisters <3> were there the last time. – This same housekeeper (Mrs Smith) is an excellent person herself & understands the kind of servant that we require, & therefore I feel great confidence in engaging a person upon her recommendation, that is of course, provided – the character from her last place is satisfactory. – I will let you know the result as soon as I get an answer from Sir H. Campbell, & I hope you will approve what I have already done – In regard to her being tried in Sackville Street <4> before she is positively engaged, I think there are several weighty objections to such a plan – I wish her to enter our family exactly as she is at present, without having seen or talked to any one who has previously filled the station of Cook at Lacock. – I think that were it possible for me at this minute to have five minutes conversation with you, you would be convinced as I now am, that it is better that a person should set out in her new situation as it is intended she should continue, under the orders of her own Mistress, & uninfluenced by the foolish advice & prejudices of other servants. – I have said all this, because I know you like to have me explain my wishes & fancies clearly, & I am only sorry that I cannot give you all my reasons in a letter.

The woman’s name is Elizabeth Torrence She is steady & respectable looking (Mrs Smith says) & has nearly attained the desired age of 30. – She has agreed to commence with 14 guineas – which is 2 less than Mary Solman had latterly. As soon as I get Sir H. C’s answer I will write to the woman herself & engage her & fix the time for her going down to Lacock, &c unless I hear from you in the mean time that you wish to arrange it otherwise. –

Lady Elisabeth <5> writes me word that Mary Anne <6> has lost a situation which her Sister had heard of for her, because the Lady could not wait. – Now it so happens that I can spare her perfectly well at any minute – because the woman who now assists in cleaning the house is a professed Cook & can do anything & everything that I require in the culinary department. – So will you tell Lady Elisabeth, that if that same Lady is not already suited & would like to engage Marianne, I will send her off by the coach at a few hours notice. – I should be sorry that she should miss an opportunity of placing herself to her satisfaction & the inconvenience to me in sparing her would be nothing at all – I am grown quite happy again about Clifford <7> for I really do believe she is regaining her strength. Dr Duke’s prescriptions seem to have been exactly right for her & he is even surprised himself at the extent of her improvement. What a satisfaction it is to be able to make some return of attention & kindness to a person who has always shewn herself so devotedly attached to the children! – I am sure you will agree with me that 2 or 3 Doctors fees are well bestowed in obtaining the re-establishment of her health – The children <8> are grown a little pale with the sudden change in the weather but I am trying to remedy this by moderating the heat of the nursery, which is difficult to effect where a fire is always kept. – I cannot yet pronounce upon the pictures being in a promising state, for there have been only 3 half sittings & many difficulties I fear to encounter – but Mr Forster<9> does not despair yet & says I shall not be able to judge about the likeness till there have been several more sittings. – I think he is very anxious to succeed. – I shall prefer Miss Edgeworth <10> in 2 vols octavo – since that is the least expensive form. I am so sorry you have caught a bad cold & I must say it was ill contrived at the moment winter was going – Is Mr Strangways <11> returned to London? – if he is, pray send me his direction in case I should have anything to enclose to you – I liked the colored lithography which you sent for me to look at – Do you intend to have many so done? – I have been engaged several days most industriously in copying some of the circular crystals but I find them very difficult – perhaps I may improve with practice. – I imagine that in a few days I must give my Landlord a week’s notice about leaving the house? – If you have lately seen Harriot <12> or my Brother, <13> they will probably have named to you that my poor Uncle was last week released from his protracted sufferings we heard the news a few days ago – He died at Boulogne

– Yr affte
Constance

H. F. Talbot Esqre
31 Sackville Street
London


Notes:

1. Sussex, west of Hastings.

2. Markeaton Hall, Derbyshire, NW of Derby: home of the Mundy family.

3. Laura Mundy (1805– 1 September 1842); Emily Mundy (1807– 5 November 1839); Marian Gilder, née Mundy (1806 – 14 October 1860); m. 6 August 1844 William Troward Gilder (d. 1871), Army Surgeon (ret).; WHFT’s sisters-in-law.

4. 31 Sackville Street, London residence of the Feildings, often used as a London base by WHFT.

5. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.

6. Mary Anne Kennedy, former nurse to Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.

7. Constance’s lady's maid.

8. Ela Theresa Talbot (25 Apr 1835 - 25 Apr 1893), WHFT's 1st daughter; and Rosamond Constance Talbot (16 Mar 1837 - 7 May 1906), 'Rose'; 'Monie'; artist & WHFT's 2nd daughter; died & buried at San Remo, Italy, with a memorial at Lacock.

9. Almost certainly Robert Edward Forster (b. 1811) a London artist & teacher of drawing and a regular exhibitor of portraits in the Royal Academy from 1838-1855 (he went bankrupt in 1861). He was commissioned to do portraits of Ela and Rosamond - see Doc. No: 03673, and Doc. No: 03667.

10. Maria Edgeworth (1767–1849), Early lessons: in two volumes (London: J. Johnson and Co., 1815).

11. William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways, 4th Earl of Ilchester (1795–1865), botanist, art collector & diplomat.

12. Harriot Georgiana Mundy, née Frampton (1806-1886), WHFT’s cousin & sister-in-law.

13. William Mundy (1801-1877), politician, WHFT’s brother-in-law.

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