| Description | 1. 23 Mar, year unknown from William Henry Fox Talbot sent from Cotehele House, Calstock, Tavistock confirming that a letter from Charles was awaiting his arrival, expressing no surprise that a lecture by Dr Crum Brown had failed to interest Charles as William knew him of old from his papers on chemistry, that the journey from Lacock had been very cold and the drive from Plymouth long and for the most part through bleak and hilly country.
2. 2 Apr, year unknown from William Henry Fox Talbot offering to send Charles' letters in a parcel to his Club, confirming that he had had a very pleasant visit to Cotehele but the journey both ways had been very cold and the neighbourhod of Taunton on the return covered with snow, Rosamond Talbot had confirmed that the weather in Venice was still very bad with Florence equally so, that he had written to Matilda congratulating her on the election victory of her friend Major Walker over the London Alderman Sir S Waterlow but commenting that elections did no good in a county as people in Dumfries, once a quiet county, now receive threatening letters.
3. Undated account from A W Smeeth, wine and spirit merchant.
4. 8 Apr, year unknown from E H H Shorter confirming that by the same post he had sent two copies of his notes as had been requested.
5. 19 Mar, year unknown from Constance Talbot asking what had happened to Captain Bellers recently elected as Chief Constable for Wiltshire as she had a circular from Captain Pinkney stating that the office of Chief Constable was still vacant. Talks of the good weather and that she had drove William Henry Fox Talbot and Ela out in an open carriage and set them down at one end of the landslip and picked them up at a stile on the Shanklin Road, John and Matilda had driven out to Black Gang Chine and that Mckenzie was going on quite well.
6. 2 Aug 1851 from John Bernard Burke enclosing a formula for completion by William Henry Fox Talbot for the "Visitation of the Arms and Seats of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain" and inviting him at the same time to apply to become a subscriber to the work.
7. 5 Apr 1878 from John Moffat's Photographic Establishment acknowledging receipt of a cheque for £1 and stating that they had that day forwarded by rail the enlarged portrait, that of 10 x 8 would be sent the following Monday and the cartes in the course of the next week or 10 days. Confirms that the photographs had been offered for sale in London and all large towns in England and Scotland but that up until that date not a large number had been sold, Mr Moffat was unable to write personally as he was still confined to the house.
8. 1 Feb 1865 from Rosamond Talbot wishing Charles happy birthday, that for the present she thought it best that they took no further notice of the "tree cutting affair", that their father had accepted two invitations to dine and that they were to give three dinners.
9. 1 Dec 1865 from Rosamond acknowledging the safe arrival of some pheasants, the improving weather and outlining a turkish or vapour treatment for Pleuropneumonia in cattle. Second letter in the same envelope from Rosamond dated 8 Oct 1865 saying that Aunt Caroline had asked for a correct drawing of some of the windows in the village for what reason she did not know and that she had asked Aunt Caroline for a recipe for chestnut soup who agreed to try and obtain it from the cook. Third letter in the same envelope dated 13 Feb 1865 from Rosamond Talbot thanking Charles for his letter and advice about learning to salsa but that the previous week's assembly ball had had quite enough dancing without. Rosamond outlined the season's balls and asks when Charles would join them in Edinburgh, that their dinners had gone well, that she though the proposed school alteration at eleven to twelve hundred pounds too grand and that the snow and some fog had returned
10. 28 Oct, year unknown from William Henry Fox Talbot to say that a letter with a Melksham post mark had been received but not forwarded as those were Charles' directions, the quinces had been sent to his aunt by luggage train, his wife had decided to spend winter in Venice which she finds very comfortable as carpets were being laid and the fires were lit a month later than Lacock and was congratulating herself as there had been a landslip on the railway between Rovigo and Ferrara necessitating passengers to spend 4 hours in a Diligence rather than the train. He had two long letters to show Charles on his return and the Russian Granduke's three sons and a daughter of the Emperor had caused a great sensation at the hotel in Venice and throughout the city becoming enormously popular, one of them, Grand Duke Alexis, had been shipwrecked the previous month on the coast of Scotland. Their mother, the Empress had rented a villa on Lake Como but had been flooded out and fled to Milan and how the King of Italy Victor Emanuel had travelled though floods from Florence to greet her.
11. Extract from unspecified magazine of unknown date of a letter dated 25 Jun 1553 from Sir William Sharington to Sir John Thynne concerning the proposed employment of an carver known as Chapman, who had worked on Lacock by Sir John Thynne, apparently Chapman was taking an already worked on chimney with him to Dudley to the house of the Duke of Northumberland who was executed two months later on 22 Aug 1553. Also mentions his ship reaching Bristol after a fight with the French. With narrative on the letter.
12. 12 Mar 1910 Extract from Western Daily Press concerning the workings of the Public Trustee.
13. Untitled photographs of the interior of the tithe barn, Lacock; porch to Hungerford Almshouses at Corsham; and Lady Elisabeth Feilding.
14. Undated draft letter from Charles Henry Talbot to N Henneman of Sun Picture Rooms allowing the use of the Talbotype or Calotype process by amateurs provided it was for the purposes of amusement only and that they purchased all materials from Mr Henneman's establishment.
15. Undated note concerning the death of John St Loe and whether his wife had re-married.
16. Undated note regarding whether a barn was formerly part of Bromham Hall.
17. Undated note about a visit to the British Museum plus a note 10 Jan 1873 regarding the drawback to the enjoyment of the architectural crests of the completed palace. |