St Leonards – <1>
May 13th
My dear Henry
Fancy my being disappointed at last about the Cook after writing to engage her positively! & her place actually taken by the Coach! – But according to report it appears that Lady Campbell herself (the woman’s late mistress) after having replied to my enquiries in the most satisfactory manner, actually wrote to the woman to take a situation that the Lady Campbell had chosen for her – I don’t consider this to be very ladylike conduct – Mrs Smith has taken infinite pains to find a substitute of I have written for her character today’s post to Sir George Talbot, at St Georges Hotel Albermarle Street – & I have requested him to direct his answer to Sackville Street <2> to same time, because if he does not reply by return of post I shall have left St Leonards – Will you therefore be so kind as to receive & peruse his answer, & inform Price <3> when she arrives in Town if she may engage the person in consequence – for she has promised to keep herself in readiness to set out for Lacock with our other Servants on Wednesday morning if we chuse to engage her – only no time must be lost in the final arrangements after Price gets to town on Tuesday –
You have been very kind in engaging an inside place for Price – but during this fine weather the air could scarcely hurt her. – The places from hence are taken by the eleven o’clock coach – as you recommended I will write to you from Guildford, or wherever we sleep the first night of our journey. – I think as I have seen Tunbridge Wells so lately it is scarcely worth while to stop there, as I hope we shall easily perform the whole distance in 2 days – & I have chosen the route by Seven oaks & Reigate Dorking &c instead of Cuckfield because I think it appears more civilized & has not that terribly long stage at the end which the Cuckfield road has – I have seen a lady who is well acquainted with the Seven oaks road & speaks of a[ll]<4> the Inns being excellent which is a comf[ort] to know in case the children should be tired & wish to stop.
I am so impatient for the return of the picture which went home to be finished after the last sitting of yesterday. – the likeness of Rosamond <5> was strikingly like, but Ela’s <6> did not quite satisfy me – Mr Forster <7> promised me however that he would make several great improvements in it – How tired you will be of so many stupid letters from me!!
The Cook’s name is Mary Muckleston – Did you go to the Duke of Devonshire’s <8> party or her Majesty’s Ball? <9>
H. F. Talbot Esqre
31 Sackville Street
London
Notes:
1. Sussex, west of Hastings.
2. 31 Sackville Street, London residence of the Feildings, often used as a London base by WHFT.
3. Mrs Sarah Henneman, first m Price ( ca.1811–1848), housemaid at Lacock Abbey.
4. Text torn away under seal.
5. 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.
6. Ela Theresa Talbot (25 Apr 1835 - 25 Apr 1893), WHFT's 1st daughter.
7. 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 also Doc. No: 03667.
8. Sir William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (1790–1858).
9. Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom (1837–1901), Empress of India (1876–1901).