Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X95/291/87
  • Title
    From: John Sworder, Dowlais Brewery; To: Thomas Sworder, Hertford
  • Date free text
    12 Feb 1857
  • Production date
    From: 1857 To: 1857
  • Scope and Content
    From: John Sworder, Dowlais Brewery, nr.Merthyr; To: Thomas Sworder, Hertford "I am almost ashamed to write to you now after this long silence but have deferred from time to time in hopes I might give you something definite. Tom came down here some little time since as I suppose you are aware and has left me here to see after this business. You would be surprised at this place were you to come down here. When I first came it certainly was very discouraging but I hope now very soon to get it into something like working trim. Dowlais itself is a town of small cottages with a large population being built on the side of a Mountain it consequently is very uneven. The floor of one house being a good deal higher than the one next to it on the lower side. I am now getting quite to like the place and as Summer comes on I hope things will progress. Business is very fair now considering the time of year and as Spring advances I expect people will drink more beer. A Horrid place for Drunkenness. During Christmas week you could scarce stir without seeing a drunken man. The country round here is rather pretty and from my window here (I am now lodging in Dowlais, waiting until my cottage is ready) I have a very nice view over Merthyr and of the opposite mountain in extent some three or four miles. I have not heard much lately how affairs are going on at home but suppose everything is waiting for the nineteenth. I shall be very glad when it is over. I am afraid that you have experienced great annoyance lately. I shall be very pleased to hear your opinion as to results and what will be the best thing for father to do. Being now as far away I scarce know anything. I was surprised to hear that you had decided for Fanny to go to Paris and also that Ellen accompanies her. I hope they may both reap benefit from it. I intended visiting you before I left for this but was unable owing to Tom's writing for me to go to Luton so unexpectedly. Shall not fail to do so when I am up at Easter".
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