Letter of John Willis Fleming to George Atherley, 11 Feb 1853
From The Muniment Room, a resource for social history, family history, and local history.
Transcription[1]
Union Club
Trafalgar Square
February 11th 1853
My dear Atherley,
I have always understood our arrangement was one hundred & fifty pounds per annum for Chilworth House, & fifty pounds per annum additional rent if you took the lawn & small orchard with the piece of land now being converted into a kitchen garden.
In the total absence of any estimates it is almost impossible to make any terms for the construction of the wall round the new garden. Will you have one prepared & then I will endeavour to meet you in a fair and liberal manner. As far as I can now judge I think, if you were to build the wall twelve feet high taking a lease for three years without any additional rent for the land, it would be a very equitable transaction on both sides. But when you have provided yourself with a plan, & a detail of the probable expense, we can then arrive at a more certain valuation of the matter.
If you will plant the fruit trees, I shall be happy to take then at a valuation, whenever you may quit, according to the schedule contained in the Printed Agreements now generally adopted on my estates. There are some old fig trees, which unless too old are well worth removing, they are now against the wall in the old kitchen garden. Would you permit me to suggest the propriety of adopting the French method in the pear & apple trees which you may wish to plant in the new garden. The French term is I think “[Quinaille?]” or something closely resembling it, & the benefit derived from the adoption of this kind of tree is that you have a vast quantity of fruit, without overshadowing a great portion of the land, as is […] the case in our English gardens. The French always plant them near the walks, & are thus enabled to have more trees & consequently more fruit, without encroaching on their vegetables. I shall be happy to hear from you stating whether my proposition meets yr views; shall you require a lease? If so my solicitor Mr Lambert will draw one out. Pray present my compts to Mrs Atherley & believe me
- my dear Atherley,
- sincerely & faithfully yrs
- sincerely & faithfully yrs
- my dear Atherley,
George Atherley Esqr
- Chilworth Manor
