The Letters of Sir Samuel Hellier (1736–1784)

Mr John Roger’s at the

Woodhouse  near

Wolverhampton

Staffordshire

a

Single Sheet

only

/

London, January 3^d 1767.

John.

I Received Mr. Jordan's Letter which gave me

a full & Satisfactory account of his proceedings & I have this day

recieved yours which I Chuse to reply to immediately as no Time be

lost. — I Desire you would make my thanks acceptable to Mr. Jorden

for his Letter & hope he will Excuse my not writing as I am

much hurried. — With regard to the Organ that will be now

got ready Directly and Passion week will bring it Down & fix

it in Wombourn Church In the mein Time Desire you would.

speak to Lawyer Banton or somebody to have the Faculty got

ready ^ out of Lichfield Court ^ to give by Leave to Erect it or we shall wait for it

so Pray hasten it now Both yourself & Mr. Jorden mention

the Organ standing against the steeple but both off you forget to

send the Dementions & Height so when it's to be fixed up —

we must alter its measure Pray inform me in your next which desire

may be soon you are all so long in Doing Things in the County

'Tis Indifferent to me what Part of ye Church it Stands in, & if Placed

Quite right it should stand in the arch of the Chancel but so as we

have it in the Church no matter where it’s fixed Though Mr. Honeybournes

Objections have no sort of weight for The Great Organ in the

Cathedral at Canterbury is placed Sideway's & so is the Organ

in St. John's College Oxford & 20 other Places. Pray take Care

to be Perfect in the Singing Te Deum Messiah &c as we shall

call upon you to perform Easter Monday or in that week at ye —

opening ye organ, & Remember to get Every Persons name down &

what he Subscribes towards ye organ this I must know in your next.

The Dragon next Occurs I have again been with Mr. Bannon he Say’s —

once for all that he is quite Certain it is made right & a greater Quantity

of Body behind than before I shew’d him that part of your Letter he

further adds Unless by some Means or other you Can Effect an alteration

he must have it again sent Carefully Packed to alter in London

so Determine some way or other but by no means to hurt ye Beauty

or Elegance of it sure you may alter it I've almost a mind to Come

Down myself to see it Done you don’t say how its liked —

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you do not say one word concerning whether you are in the mind

to Learn Hautboy, Horn’s & Bassoon’s However shall hasten them

all in my Power & send them Down. — Together with a most Elegant

Book for Wombourn Charity School. in the Box I shall inclose

A Pattern ^ Gown ready made up ^ for the Girls Gown which they must wear (Viz.) a

Dark Brown with Scarlet sleves, Robings, & Stockings & Scarlet

Top Knotts. The Boy’s Dark Brown Scarlet sleves & Collar’s

& Stockings & Scarlet Round Capps & Band’s: I am glad the

number is fixed at Twenty. Mr Jorden Objects against Surplices

but I will Present the Boy’s them ^ and be at that Expense myself ^ Girls never wear any

& The Boy’s I Purpose to select & make them Learn to Sing —

chorus’s &c. & Chant in the Service for which reason and

a Thousand other very good ones ‘Tis Proper they wear Surplices.

I’m Concern’d Charity finds so few Friends but when we bring it

to bear more people will Chearfully Come into it & by all

mean’s have an annual Charity Sermon as a Dudley & other

places. am sorry Lawyer Banton two Beddar'd & Mr Hill Object

to giving towards ye Charity School. But hope they will towards ye Organ

Charity Schools are much in Vogue & receive great Countenance I was

at Court at St. James’s on New Year’s Day & saw forty ^ or fifty ^ Boy’s Presented

to His Majesty. Each had a Paper of his own Drawing in his —

hand some architecture some Navigation, &c, &c, Mr. Hatrell has

been in Town & intends Calling at ye Woodhouses in his way home

he say’s he will Contribute towards ye Charity School. Mr Jorden should

Directly receive ye Subscriptions & get ye Children Fix’d upon & your

Brother as soon as 12^th Day is over begin to Teach them &

cater[?] upon his Office. — I hope in the midst of your Zeal you have

not forgot to complete the Gilding & Painting ye End of the Organ & other

Trifling things that were to be done in the wood & the Door’s for the

Mill wheel should be Done, and ye Board for Ned Bantons ground.

Tell Nanny I would have her set my new shirts in hand & though the

Turkey is not Fat to send up the Mutton Ham & to Present

my Duty to the old Lady & try if she cannot get her to send up

some Pig meat meat. It will be by way of new year’s gift.

The Gardnor must Try his hand again in shooting & send up

some woodcocks if Possible. — I would have him the first open

weather Plant some Laurels & Ivy &c Against the

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Tiles of the Root House in order to be coming on against —

Spring to hide the Root house being seen as you go —

along the walks & now is the Time to Plant Ever Green’s.

Tell Nanny Mr. Hatrell will be over soon & she must

Look in the Studdy in the Corner where my Musick Books

stand & there is a Large Mapp Rolled up this she must

shew Mr. Hatrell & take Care he keep’s it quite Clean &

when done with Roll it up again in ye same Manner & put in

its Place as before there are also some other Mapps in

a Bundle tyed together they Lye on the Top of the

Book Case where the Musick Book's are likewise [page torn] Little —

White Heads which are placed on the Top out of Sight she

must get on the Steps & reach them & shew him Those &

when Done to see he leaves them all q[ui]te safe & takes none

away & bundle them up & place them as before. —

I shall be anxious to hear how you go on old Lady

Wrottesley should give Something. I am

Yours & S. Hellier

I intend Sending some Remarkable fine Ink for Mr. Jorden to Enter

the Records in ye Charity School Book with in order that it may stand

the Shock’s of Time & be of Long Duration Some short a [???]

origin of the Parish its Name & Derivation &c. Enter'd in ye said

Book. The Stage Coach is not yet arrived so [I can]not tell

If the Hare you mention is Come & Expect to Pay Carriage —

against for unless say Carriage Paid it is always’s paid for again

if any Hares or Birds or woodcocks can be got my Friends’

here will be very glad of them. —