TALBOT7466

Dowlais Works

9^th feb. 1857

Sir

You are welcome to say that your ore has been assayed by M^r Riley the Chemist in the employment of the Dowlais Works, And to use as you wish the assay I sent you – More than that I cannot say – the fact of my declining to use the Wiltshire ore is scarcely consistent with my expressing a favourable opinion of it in a commercial sense, neither can I name any Works at which it is likely to be used. Iron Masters do not seem to be guided in their choice of ores by any very rigid rule – I found these Works two years ago purchasing Northampton ore certainly not superior to yours & I mentioned to you on good authority that the Wiltshire ore was in use in Staffordshire Although I did not know at what particular works –

I remain Sir y^r Obt serv^t

Geo. T. Clark

H. F. Talbot Esq

Lacock Abbey

Chippenham