Dear Talbot,
I have before me a letter 1 that I received from you about two years ago when I was residing in Virginia and though late I will now acknowlege [sic] it. I assure you it gave me great pleasure to open a letter from old England for our situation in Virginia was not very agreeable, particularly at the time I received it. When I see you which I hope will soon be the case, I will give you a full account of that place. The want of good society was my chief reason for leaving. In a pecuniary point of view it was all one could wish; our salary was 1500 Spanish dollars with a good house and walled garden and in addition a certain fee from each student attending one's class. One year I had 98 in my class, who [illegible] 2 my income altogether about 4500 dollars. A [Spanish?] dollar may be considered as 4/6. My class and [illegible] were always far the largest, some of our colleagues could not collect a dozen. We were however at an unmeasurable distance from any large town so that during my stay there I saw nobody who was not accidentally thrown in our neighbourhood and after Jefferson's death 3 even this society was diminished.
Now that I am once more in London, I must of course be looking out for something to do; and very luckily I find that the Council of the London University have not yet filled up the appointment to the Professorship of Pure Mathematics.4 I have therefore presumed to offer myself as a candidate, and as I understand have every prospect of success. I have brought some letters from Virginia and Whewell Peacock 5 &c have also given me very flattering certificates, all of which have gone before the Council. I enclose copies of them having had a few printed
My three years absence from England has prevented me from forming any Mathematical acquaintance but what I had at College and it is highly probable that (see second frank)
London October twenty nine 1827 T Hyde Villiers 6
William H. F. Talbot Esqr
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts
[continuation sent as separate letter:]
Babbage and Herschel, 7 being in London and of such first rate rank as Mathematicians, may be consulted by the Members of the Council. With one of these, I was informed at Cambridge, you have been this Summer travelling. I should therefore feel greatly obliged to you, if you would write to him and inform him of the opinion you were enabled to form of my qualifications, during our Undergraduateship, whether good bad or indifferent. The decision of the Council will be made on Thursday week, so that the Earlier you may be able to write the better. I mention this as one way of [assis]ting me, I should be equally obliged were you [to] think of any other method either instead of this [or] in addition to it. I will add the list of the Council
| Lord Auckland 8 | L. Macaulay | Thos Wilson |
| Abercrombie | James Mill | John Wishaw |
| Alexr Baring | Duke of Norfolk | T. Campbell |
| G. Birkbeck | Lord J. Russell | Olinthus Gregory |
| H Brougham | Benj. Shaw | Geo Grote Junr |
| Ld Dudley & Ward | John Smith | Joseph Hume |
| Isaac Goldsmid | Willm Tooke | |
| Ld Lansdowne | H Warburton | |
| Mackintosh | H Waymouth |
I was at Cambridge last week and heard that both Ollivant and Arnold 9 are about to be married. Trinity was flourishing more than ever. Poor St Johns in a deplorable state. I have called twice in Sackville St. 10
Yours Truly
T. H. Key
My direction is
39 Lombard St
London October thirty twenty nine THV 1827 T Hyde Villiers
William H. F. Talbot Esqr
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts
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