The Letters of Sir Samuel Hellier (1736–1784)

January 31st. 1767

John,

Your's of the 26^th instant is arrived safe &c

I hope you have Received the Hautboy's & French Horn 

safe in the Box with them I sent a long Letter which

desire you would answer soon. The Severe frost & hard

weather has been Universally felt but we here begin

to find an alteration for ye better it being much —

gone. As ye snow has been so deep I desire you would Examine

the Roof of the Musick Room & have it Thoroughly

cleared away & the Pipes unstopp'd. & look at the

Bee house the Temple Seat & other out of Door

Ornaments lest any Damage has been done them —

The Boat house also examine. ^┌ I hope ye Coach House where ye new Boat is is kept Locked for fear of Frost ^┐ — The Dragon is not

yet arrived when it does Mr. Bannon shall Directly

alter it being a Matter of no sort of dificulty to

Those who know how to go about it you shall have

it sent Down as soon as Possible & then Pray down

with the Scaffolds Directly it Looks so unfinished as it is.

I'm pleas'd you sent me the form of ye Cap Stone I'm

fearfull it looks Clumsy & heavy — but you are the

best judge who are on the Spot & have seen it let me

know what you think in your next as we will alter any

imperfection Discernable to the Eye. As There are 13

Boys belonging to the Charity School Tell Nanny there must be

one more Surplice made Making ye number Seven as it will

appear odd one Boy should be different from the Rest. Tell Nanny

to take Care of the Boat Cussions that Mr. Kent made & also —

get those from ye seat in the Church keep them airing &c.

The Organ is the next Thing this you will have by Easter.

/

You will find ^┌ its ^┐ answer Every good purpose & very Lively

& Strong Its height about 9 feet breadth in Proportion

& The place to sit & play need not take much Room

& will Certainly Stand in the Arch. — My thoughts of the

Faculty are these that you need have no Faculty at all

for 'tis a Voluntary aff[..]??? of the Parish to which the organ 

Solely belong's to Dispose or do whatever they by a —

Magority of Voices at a meeting legally Call'd Determine

They do not break ye Church wall, nor stir the ground

& infringe on any one Cannonical Law or Rule

so 'tis not cognizable in the Ecclesiastical Court &c.

However to be on the Sure Side & Make all Things

Easy I desire you would apply Directly for a Faculty,

& State no Exact Dimentions — if required that may

afterwards be added but be sure get Room Enough —

better too Much than too Little. Let good fires be —

made in the Musick Room. — I would have your Brother

Paint of a Mehogony Colour the Moulding of the jocond

-ing Board from the Pulpit & Streak with Black as

The Book Case in the Studdy is Done & underneath

where the glory[1] is over the Parson’s head paint of

a very Light Sky Blew & Diserita the Glory & Hebrew

Letters a fresh as they now are, also would have him

Paint Mehogony Colours ye Front of the ^┌ of ^┐ gallery it will

Look a Little Lively & neat against our Organ Comes.

So Do not neglect it if its Done with Drying Spirits

It will Easily Dry any weather. ^┌ Pray see how the vault stands ye weight? ^┐ I would have Nanny

Kill the Pig and of hand & send my the Harelet &c

as Last year Let him be singed the same as before

/

Sparibs taken out ^┌ & kept on ^┐ & Exactly as the Last was —

I would Cox of Orton is the man to do it. I should like

A few of the Pig Puddings made of Each sort Black

& white the Rest let be given to poor people.

& Desire he may be nicely Settled. — Pray Remember to do the

Little Jobs I mentioned & put a new leg to ye Drum Desk.

& Hurry Harry Noakes to Do what he was to Do in the

House & the Paveing. Do in your next send word how

Much in length, Height, &c the Curtain should be to hide

the Organist. I mean it only in Front ’Twill look

very neat. Pray tell Nanny to let ye Fiddle Cases

& those up Stairs with in a moderate Distance of the

Fire to air. — I wish you would write out & learn

the other Coronation anthem you'll find it in the

Studdy Cover'd with blue paper & not bound, I mean

that which begins "Let thy hand be strengthened &c.[2]

My Poor Swan I grieve at his loss Sure you must

find out how he Dyed. Let the Gardnor diligently

[inquire?] for an other I got there from Burton on Trent

However I desire some Pains may be taken to get me

an other against Spring The Gardnor may go over on purpose

this pair cost me only a single guinea but I was ­—

befriended. — Send word if any Parcel or Packet has

been left for me. & Tell Nanny to send to Mr Crow

at Kingswinford & get home me Sheriffs Javellins &c.

At Present shall take no body in … Place is Let

The young man known. as to Roses Puppy I would have Nanny —

give it away not Distroy it. we have too many Dogs.

I have Cross’d out what I mentioned of Seven Surplices I made a

Mistake would only have Six made & Those very Neat.

Let me hear soon & am yours &c

S. Hellier

I have wrote to Mr. Jorden

when are the Charity 

Children to be Cloathed?