TALBOT1507

Chippenham ¹
30^th Nov^r 1826

Dear Sir /

Presuming from your Message thro’ M^r Darley,² that you are likely to remain some time in Paris – I trouble you with a few Questions which I have to ask at present – first with respect to the half acre of Land on Bowden Hill ³, which was sold at the Auction, subject to there being a Life upon it – I beg to acquaint you that I have enquired & find that the Person is living & about Seventy years of Age – M^r Bruges of Seend⁴ who was the Purchaser, desires me to say that he shall be happy to complete the Purchase upon being allowed the fair Value for this Life & if you should accede to this Proposal, I will get M^r Darley to fix a Sum – I thought (when I wrote after the Auction) that the Lease would be void, in consequence of its being mentioned in the Life Book “under a Covenant to build” – but upon speaking to my Solicitor upon the Subject he says if we have rec^d the Quit Rents it would not be void & such has been the case – If you prefer keeping the Ground, I have nothing to do but return the Deposit Money, as agreed upon at the Auction –

The next thing I have to mention, is respecting the Farm rented by the late John Curnish – His Son, who was always living upon the Farm, having applied to me to rent it, I thought it desirable to have it valued, as it had not been looked over for many years – & I obtained a considerable advance by doing so after the death of Farmer Edwards – Upon the present occasion the case is as follows – The Estate was, during the late War, let for £307 – after the Peace reduced to £260, & is now valued at £282 – This Sum the Farmer thinks too high, having a great deal of poor Land w^ch wants draining & he has requested me to say that he will give £270 & expend £12– p^r annum in draining – I am rather inclined to recommend acceding to his offer, as I know the Farm not to be an eligible one to let – but this Man having been brought up in it, will probably give more than a Stranger & he has Property, w^ch is so essential for Tenants in these times – If you should agree to his Offer, I will take care to keep him to his covenant as to draining

Since the last Audit, I have paid the £300– to Captⁿ Feildings ⁵ Acc^t, as usual & have remitted £700– to Mess^rs Hammersleys ⁶ – I am sorry to say that I have considerable difficulty at this time in getting some of the Cottage Rents paid, from so many of the Poor being out of employ & in a few cases I fear I must resort to a seizure of their little furniture for payment – but as I am aware that you would wish this avoided as much as possible, I shall give as much time as prudence will allow –

I remain Dear Sir Y^r obliged & obed^t Ser^t
W. H. Awdry

W. H. F. Talbot Esq
Poste Restante
Paris