4 Grove Place
Weston super Mare
Wednesday Decr 14.
My dear Father
I received your last letter on Sunday, and was sorry to hear such a bad account of Goodwin, <1> but I got a letter from Ela <2> on Monday with a rather better account.
The weather here has changed from that very cold and unpleasant east wind, which I began to think must be the normal state of things. It is now warm and rainy. – I have become tired of Weston, and shall give up my lodgings and leave the place on Wednesday next the 21st. I went down to Taunton yesterday and looked at the Museum of the Somerset Archaeological & Natural history Society, <3> in which there is a very fine collection of the bones found by Mr Beard <4> and others in the caves at Banwell & other places in this county.
The day was dull & rainy but luckily it was clear enough for me to take a look at the church of St Mary Magdalene, <5> which possesses one of the finest “Perpendicular” towers of the Somersetshire type, to be found in England.
The tower having become unsafe was taken down and rebuilt in facsimile some few years ago. I did not see it with the Sun on it, which it requires no doubt. It is rather like the tower of All Saints Church in Derby, but that church has a modern body, the tower only being old, whereas at Taunton the whole church is old. –
I think it not unlikely that some day this week, I may go down there and stop a night in order to see the Museum &c more comfortably.
I have finished Sir John Lubbock’s <6> book & found it very interesting.
Your affect son
Charles H Talbot
Notes:
1. George Goodwin (d. 1875), footman at Lacock Abbey.
2. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.
3. The Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society was founded in 1849 and was based in the Victoria Rooms (since demolished) in the centre of Taunton. By 1851, the Society had 420 members, including large numbers of the Somerset gentry and clergy.
4. William Beard (1772–1868), sold his collection of bones dug from the hills around Banwell Bone Cave, Somerset, to the Society.
5. Ditcheat, Somerset.
6. Sir John William Lubbock, 3rd Baronet (1803–1865), mathematician & astronomer.