32 St James’ Place
Thursday evening September 22
My dear Father,
I said in the letter I wrote to Monnie <1> yesterday that I should leave my lodgings. Having had a night to think over it however I don’t think I shall change but endeavour to reduce my expenditure [illegible deletion] on when I next come to London I shall try stopping at an hotel & I think shall probably find it convenient to be in a club. I got Your letter to day as also one from Monnie. I am very sorry to hear that Goodwin <2> has got the ague and as you have put Aunt Caroline <3> off I shall not come to Lacock on Saturday. I wonder if there is anything wrong about the drainage or anything at Lacock. Wouldn’t that give people ague? I am glad you made out something from my description of the Assyrian sculptures. I suppose you do not know the basement story in which these are, and if so when you are here you should certainly go and see it as it is very interesting. One may easily escape finding it at all as the descent to it is not very obvious & I don’t think many people do go down there. Uncle William <4> told me to ask you, whether you are interested to know in knowing that 2 photographers are quarrelling about the right to sell Mullers photo portrait. It has been very nice here lately but I believe there was a heavy shower last night. They are pulling down a lot of houses near London bridge to make a new railway terminus & a new bridge, and they are pulling down Southwark Blackfriars Bridge. It is difficult to judge of what the Thames embankment will be like as yet except from the model. there are also all sorts of queer looking steam cranes & other machines at work on it. I took a walk today about the City & finally found myself at the London Docks which I walked about for some way & then came back & took the train at London Bridge Station to Charing Cross to help me on my way home. It is so very convenient & only a sixpenny lift – 1st class. I have bought Wylds <5> map of the environs 20 miles round London. Have you heard anything of the Photo sculpture Company <6> lately? I have never seen any of them the productions of that art.
Your affect son
Charles.
H Fox Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts.
Notes:
1. Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter.
2. George Goodwin (d. 1875), footman at Lacock Abbey.
3. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
4. William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways, 4th Earl of Ilchester (1795–1865), botanist, art collector & diplomat.
5. James Wyld (1812–1887), geographer and cartographer; exhibited his ‘great globe’ in London, 1851–1862; liberal MP for Bodmin, 1847–1852 and 1857–1868.
6. See Doc. No: 08875.