Llandaff
Wednesday evening
My dear Father.
I am going to send you tomorrow one of the numbers of the Photographic paper which is here, and the other in a day or two.
Today has been quite as hot as yesterday, and I I cant tell where the rain can be.
I see from the periodical called “The Ecclesiologist”, <1> that they are going to put up a memorial to Mr Markland <2> of Bath who was an early a sort of pioneer in reviving the taste for stained glass windows. The memorial is to be a window erected in Bath Abbey <3> by public subscription, and I think it is an appropriate one form for it to take. Bath abbey will I expect be much improved by what they are doing. They seemed to be renewing the stone of the windows pretty extensively when I was there. Mr Markland gave a window to Llandaff Cathedral. <4>
When you are next in London you ought to go and see the chapel of the house of commons which was the lower chapel of St Stephens, <5> and which is said to have been very well restored. I have not seen it.
They have been launching a large ship here today which many people went to see. I think it must have been rather too hot to be pleasant. Mr Prichard <6> contrived to be too late for the launch but got int time for the lunch.
Your affect son
Charles.
[envelope:]
H. Fox Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. Ecclesiological Society, The Ecclesiologist (Cambridge : Cambridge Camden Society), bi-monthly periodical.
2. James Heywood Markland (1788–1864), antiquary.
3. Primarily an Anglo-Saxon Abbey church, dating from 676, pulled down by the Norman invaders soon after 1066. As a replacement, the Normans commenced the building of a massive cathedral in 1090 but was in ruins by the end of the 15th century. The present Abbey church was founded in 1499, but was not completed until 1572, its progress being hindered by the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. The last major restoration occurred in 1874.
4. Founded in the early 12th century by the occupying Normans and has had a turbulent history of destruction and restoration since then. A great deal of the 19th century restoration work, including all of the work by John Prichard, Welsh architect; Charles Henry Talbot apprenticed to in 1865, was destroyed in a bombing raid in 1941.
5. Destroyed by fire in 1834.
6. John Prichard, Welsh architect; Charles Henry Talbot apprenticed to.