| Description | 1. 15 Jul 1880 from her father wishing happy birthday. Mentions drinking lots of water from spring.
2. 1889-1890 Certificate for English Literature course from University of Glasgow to Mary Gilchrist Clark.
3. 11 Feb 1895 in unknown language from Ellen Kruse.
4. 31 Mar 1898 of recommendation as teacher of cookery and domestic economy from Roan School for Girls, where Matilda worked.
5. 21 Mar 1899 Postcard from Denmark.
6. 7 Oct 1900 from Elias Antonsen, Norway.
7. 21 Aug 1902 from Ernestine Edgcombe with details of the coronation of King Edward VII.
8. 8 Feb 1907 from Maehrisch Budwitz in German.
9. 26 Mar 1908 from George Aston, Army Headquarters, Pretoria.
10. 28 Aug 1909 from George Aston from Swindon concerning travel plans.
11. 1911 Jottings from a diary, notes on Matilda.
12. Nov 30 and 3 Dec 1913 from Grace Gilchrist-Clark in Lacock about her new fiancé.
13. 29 Sep 1914 from E J Pullen, RD Fusiliers, Yough Barracks, County Kildare, Ireland. Only three weeks since he enlisted.
14. 1914 in French from Le Caesens. Best wishes and hope hostilities will end in 1916.
15. 1914 Greeting cards and letters of thanks from nieces Adrienne and Simone and Lucie Caesens in French. Also from a Belgian thanking Matilda for caring for them.
16. 1 Jan 1915 Information from the Mary Leaf Fund (Lambeth) including balance sheet for 1914. Help to girls leaving the Police Home.
17. 1915 Notes from F H Golding, Corsham Hospital Authorities. Matilda's assistance to hospital mentioned.
18. 1 Mar 1915 from Inverness-shire. Bill was killed.
19. 5 Sep 1916 from Geoffrey Howard, 12 Downing Street. Baby born that morning.
20. 13 Sep 1916 from Ted on active service in Serbia and Salonica. Conditions hard. He married before leaving for service. Mentions Matilda's war work. Letter passed by censor.
21. 31 Dec 1916 from Rosie in Marlborough about Charles' death.
22. 25 Nov 1917 from G Vivien Beachcroft. Her husband was killed in the war readily and she is proud.
23. 11 Jan 1919 from "R L" from Marlborough commenting on Charles Henry Talbot's will making Matilda mistress of Lacock Abbey.
24. May 1919 from Lloyd George, 10 Downing Street, thanking her for helping Belgian refugees now that their repatriation is drawing to a close.
25. 30 Sep 1922 from Balmoral Castle. Bertha Dawkins commanded by Queen to thank Matilda for photographs of Lacock Abbey.
26. 14 Oct 1922 from Sandringham, Norfolk from Mary Trefusis. Queen grateful for photographs Matilda sent.
27. 12 Aug 1927 from Westonbirt, Tetbury. From Joan Veruy, letter regarding the Queen's visit to Lacock.
28. 1 Aug 1934 from the Advertisement Manager, the Queen Publication. First article of Matilda's series appearing and one of her photographs.
29. 18 Dec 1938 from Elsie, thanks for picture of Lacock and for visit. Mentioning Matilda's Estonian friends.
30. 21 Dec 1938 Postcard from Tallinn. Very cold on deck of ship.
31. 18 Nov 1938 from the Church Missionary Society. Elsie Thorpe, assistant foreign secretary wishing all friends around world happy Christmas and asking for more prayer in this time of European crisis. Also for church in China and Japan. Mr Caley, Home Secretary travelling round India.
32. 16 June 1942 in reused envelope (patriotism demands their use). C/o matron's office, St Thomas's Hospital.
33. 27 Oct 1943 from Kate Steel. How peaceful her stay was at Lacock when she was an 'evacuee'.
34. 16 Nov 1943 Newspaper cuttings from the Farmer and Stock Breeder.
35. 6 Dec 1943 from Kate Steel. Remembering how kind they were to her whilst in Lacock, and spiritually strong.
36. 6 Dec 1943 from H Northrop Steel. Believes in little amount of free will. Beauty of God.
37. 17 Dec 1943 from H Northrop Steel. Praise of Bach's mass showing love of God.
38. 19 Dec 1943 from Kate Steel. Flu had been bad in Lacock.
39. 10 Jan 1944 from Eric Marsden-Jones about garlic appearing among Matilda's crocuses.
40. 3 May 1944 from Jessie Clifton with thanks.
41. 23 May 1944 from Lucy Farmels about photography.
42. 3 July 1944 from Mervyn Taylor, solicitor at Maxwell House, London. Worried about Jean. Flying bombs keep them awake. Stupid of Germans to use them.
43. 29 July 1944 from Newbury coming to visit. Polish friend being discharged from Polish army. French marines are gay company.
44. 5 Aug 1944 from Judy. Feels Lacock is her second home. Abbey and village now safe from vandalism as given to National Trust. Her milking the cows.
45. 7 Aug 1944 Letter from C B Pulman regarding Lacock being given to the National Trust.
46. 22 Aug 1944 Letter from William E Rothfelder with regard to the safety of children not to ride in government vehicles.
47. 8 Aug 1944 Letter from R Wilkins, grandson of George Wilkins, who was gardener to Matilda's grandfather and uncle. Matilda's broadcast brought his childhood memories back
48. 6 Aug 1944 Letter from Mary A Nicholson from Lacock in Yorkshire, was for many years interested in all information she could gather about Lacock (Wiltshire).
49. 9 Aug 1944 from Leslie Hagan in Birmingham, sympathising with how Matilda "must feel giving her old home to the Nation". If only rest of world were as Christian as her.
50. 30 Sep 1944 Letter from Harold White regarding photography experiments, including a print of "a small maid".
51. 23 and 25 Nov 1944 Letters from Hugh Heard regarding Miss Pearse's will. Sent in war economy envelope saver.
52. 18 Jan 1945 Letter from Kitty Talbot, California (opened by examiner). Her husband distant relative of Matilda. Her recreation is making up parcels to send to England what is scarce to those she knows.
53. 29 May 1945. Letter from Lieutenant Colonel P L Parr, US Army, from Belgium. Fond memories of Lacock.
54. 3 Aug 1945 Letter from A Paul Bodman. Quotation from Job (Bible). Christ the solution to any problem in world.
55. 14 Oct 1945 Letter from J H Bland van den Bey-Telders from Holland. Husband died before liberation. Near starvation conditions in winter and spring.
56. 19 Oct 1945 Diocesan Conference address. Only Christianity can be answer to current affairs of world. Mission has to include home country, not only colonies. Parish churches have been foundation of Christianity in England.
57. 13 Dec 1945 Letter, membership card, and receipt for ten shillings from Guild of St Aidan. Thanks for her offer of prayer support
58. 14 Jun, 3 Oct and 14 Jul 1945 Letters from the British Museum about the Magna Carta. Mentions differences between Charters of 1215, 1216, 1217 and 1225. Official letter of gratitude from director and principal librarian of British Museum for one of two extant copies showing Magna Charta in its final form, complete with impression of first Great Seal of Henry III.
59. 16 Jul 1945 The Times newspaper cuttings about Matilda Talbot giving the Lacock Abbey copy of Henry III's 1225 reissue of Magna Carta to British Museum.
60. 29 Jul 1945 from St Thomas's Hospital, Surrey. From Margot who read article in Times about Matilda's gift to nation and highly impressed. She is giving up her work to help mother
61. 13 Sep 1945 from Edie in Wales, mentioning letters saved from burnt-out train and family matters. Saying will love Maudie forever.
62. 5 Feb 1946 from The Young Women's Christian Association of Great Britain, enclosed receipt for 5 Shillings membership fee, calendar for 1946, members' handbook, weekly spiritual guidance. Letter from Jan 1946 on necessity of members working on peace in world by getting together, and on 90th birthday celebrations previous December.
63. 20 Feb 1946 from Chelsea, post war years being difficult for finding staff.
64. 8 Apr 1946 from People's Dispensary for Sick Animals. War made it hard to raise enough money.
65. 8 Apr 1946 from Workers' Educational Association asking to visit Abbey.
66. 18 Mar 1946 about the Victory Celebrations to take place in Abbey Grounds.
67. 20 Apr 1946 Postcard of Angkor-Vat from Courtenay on active service. Leaving Indo-China tomorrow.
68. 16 Apr 1946 from Amy Buller, who has been away lecturing to prisoners of war.
69. 28 Feb 1946 from Anne in Bath.
70. 1946 Wiltshire Federation of Women's Institutes budget account with notes.
71. 25 Feb 1946 from Bradford-on-Avon regarding the tuning of Matilda's harp.
72. 9 Sep, no year from Sophie Schey Telders from Warnsveld-Boschlaan. Deaths in her family in past years.
73. 29 Sept 1954 from T.W. Beames, about payment for use of woodland
74. 18 Jan 1957 from Lloyds Bank about her subscriptions.
75. 17 Sep 1957 Account from Hills of Swindon for royalties.
76. 19 Sep 1957 from Lloyds Bank about War Stock, also enclosing a list of subscriptions.
77. 13 Dec 1957 from Wood & Awdry about Matilda having sent them her new will. Family connection with firm goes back nearly 100 years.
78. 21 Jan 1958 Empty envelope with Lloyds Bank seal.
79. 4 Mar 1958 from the manager of the Grand Atlantic Hotel in Weston-Super-Mare, advising her to book early.
80. 5 Mar 1958 from Edie, the Red House, Lacock. Hoping to see Matilda on Sunday.
81. Poem from Frank, Carlotta, Billy and Baba about a Christmas cake.
82. Undated note mentioning Fox Talbot as a father of photography.
83. Undated note on great charter of our constitutional liberties.
84. Undated religious note in French.
85. Feb 11, no year essay by Matilda Talbot, University Extension Lectures, Corsham on "Which did more for England, Edward I or Simon de Montfort?"
86. Undated card from the Children's Mission held in S Mary Abbott's Church, Kensington, with Mission Texts.
87. Empty envelope with seal.
88. Extract from Archaelogia Vol 57 Part 1, 1900: Lacock Abbey by H Brakespear (The Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 1905, C H Talbot)
89. Undated letter from Susan mentioning Queen's and her party's visit to Lacock and how much they liked it.
90. Thanking card from the Army Blood Transfusion Service.
91. Timetable of outing to Lacock and brief history of it. |