Llandaff S
Saturday evening November 19th
My dear Father.
I am surprised to hear that you have subscribed to Chapel Hill, <1> as I do not know who can have asked you. We have had some stormy weather but it is now fine & far from being cold. I wrote Mamma <2> an account of my visit to Merthyr Mawr &c. I understood Mr Talbot to say that the drawing of the Mansels House at Margam was one which you had found at Lacock and had given to him. Champneys has now been here a little while, & seems likely to work harder than I gave him credit for.
I was very much struck by the extraordinary sand hills at Merthyr Mawr and I should like to try experiments for turning them to account, by trying to get something to grow on them. What did you think of the geometrical proof I sent you? –
Your affect son
Charles.
P.S. Mrs Nicholl <3> is a great genealogist I believe so I asked her if she knew anything about the Ivory Family. The family of Mr Mansel Talbot. <4> She said she did not and she very much wished it could be got up. They produced a history of the family of Ivory but there is no tacking Sir John Ivory <5> on to it. Now Lacock is the most likely place to find out particulars relating to Sir John Ivory so when I am there in the summer I shall have a hunt to try & make it out. I believe think the practice of taking other f the names of other families is a questionable one at best, & that these families if they ta must take other names should make a double name a combination of their own & the one they take. therefore I to consider the Margam Family as Ivory’s. and ourselves as Davenports, and some of these days I hope to make acquaintance with my family. I think I remember seeing letters of Lady Anne Ivory Anne Lady Ivory in the Tower <6> but they would probably not through [sic] a light on the subject. Deeds & settlements are more likely to do so. Can you send me any photoglyphs? I should like to have some to show people or to give away and particularly I should like to have one of the west end of the cathedral of Notre Dame at Poictiers.
[envelope]
H. Fox Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. See Doc. No: 00447.
2. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
3. Christiana Judy Nicholl, of Merthyr Mawr.
4. Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (1803–1890), immensely wealthy landowner, mathematician & politician; WHFT’s Welsh cousin.
5. See Doc. No: 04101 and Doc. No: 08830.
6. See Doc. No: 08831.
