Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    L30/9/60/287
  • Title
    Typed transcript available, sent from Newby:
  • Date free text
    1783
  • Production date
    From: 1783 To: 1783
  • Scope and Content
    Grantham is not a good correspondent. "Seems to have the secret of shutting himself up pretty completely in his own domains, but yet to make himself happy there. He is delighted with his own improvements and buildings, is overlooking the workmen half the day, playing with the children as often as he can, and at night is frequently scrawling little plans and sketches of architecture, whilst Mr R sometimes turns over a book and sometimes does nothing at all". Boy slow in talking. "Lord Grantham does dote upon the child! God forbid that any alarm should happen about it, for he would not know what to do with himself. Yet... he has a good notion of keeping it in order... The child is really and truly a sweet child,... a charming fresh complexion with a fair skin and blue eyes, runs about stoutly, and is not deficient in taking notice of things.. first pleasure... was to march round the house, now it is to stand amongst the stones and look at the workmen and now and then he is vastly pleased with being led up a sloping board... He repeats Papa very distinct.. Little Frederick... crows and screams... humming-top struck him at first more than his brother. But this morning Tommy had... a mind to find out the contrivance and manage it himself". Tommy hurt his hand "but never offered to cry... There is a picture of Lord Grantham when a child the very image of Tommy" Sister unwieldy, saunters out morning and evening and sits on some bench. Has made one little sketch from her window; part not large, but well covered with wood; road through it and neat gravel walk of ½ mile or more round half of it; behind house was an old garden, now being demolished "to let in more of the river"; natural terrace to the west with a hanging bank of wood through which you catch the water. House: rooms below stairs are of good sizes but old and ill decorated; sister's room very pretty, bedchambers fitted up last year very neat; nursery wing now rebuilding, so East side grass covered with rubbish and workmen. Acknowledges account of "new aunt".
  • Level of description
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