Lacock
Wedny 17 May
My Dear Charles
I have paid £125 to your credit with the N. Wilts Bank at Melksham <1> and I enclose their Memorandum <2> of receipt. The weather here is dark and rather cold and showery. Your mother <3> desires me to say she expects a letter from you. Rosd <4> and Mlle A. <5> leave Edinb. for this next Tuesday. Yesterday we all went to see the site of the Vicars intended house it looked very pleasant, green and rural in all directions He will see the church & the distant downs from his windows, Mr Bailey & Mr S. Fussell <6> having cut down the trees which interrupted the prospect – our Natal Lily is in flower very sweet and pretty. All the shrubs and trees are in great vigour of vegetation, the horsechesnuts [sic] & crimson thorns are finer than usual. One of your seedlings of Laburnum is in flower it is not tricolour like its parent, but plain & simple yellow.
Your affte
Father
[enclosed memorandum of receipt:]
Melksham, 17 May 1865
Received One hundred twenty five pounds
Account of C H Talbot Esq
for North Wilts Banking Company
£125 Ernest A Stiles
Envelope:
C. H. Talbot EsqMr Prichard’s
Llandaff
Notes:
1. Melksham, Wiltshire: market town near Lacock, 2 miles S.
2. Enclosed on seperate sheet of paper.
3. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
4. Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter.
5. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
6. Probably Stephen Fussell. [See Doc. No: 07632].