The Letters of Sir Samuel Hellier (1736–1784)

To 
Mr. John Roger’s at the 
Woodhouse near 
Wolverhampton
Staffordshire
a
single
sheet.

/

London February 14th 1769. 

John. 
I Received all your’s safe & also — 
the Box with the Linnen &c, &c, — respecting your’s 
which mention’s mr. adcock. I can reply in no other 
manner than thus, — that if the Dudley people 
will heartily join us — which they promised to 
do & Let Mr. Richard Jorden be spoke to — to know 
their final resolution then I will cheerfully go on 
with our intended Musical Performance but it cannot 
be had in the at Easter for it is a Dead time of ye year 
& all the Principle Families in London so that we 
should Loose Money by it & it cannot be had in July 
for at that Time the grand Musical En uniœ  is to 
be at Oxford. it must be in September or not at all 
I would have you be Cautious what you write to Mr. adcock 
you may say I am out of the Country but cannot 
speak Positively whether I’m in London or not & drop 
a Hint as if I took something’s ┌ very ┐ ill but at ye same ┌ time ┐ 
keep him in ye Dark & if he writes 20 times over to you 
still Let him be in the Dark. — Send word if 
Mr. Eller has been to Teach our Musical people yet 
if he has not send him a Letter to hurry him I Expect 
your Brother Can Trumpet Te Deum all throughout 
& shake finely by this Time — I wish you would Let somebody
Learn a 2d Trumpet to him Houndal would do it & I —
would Let them have my Brass Trumpet then there will be two. 
/ 
and I wish you would find out one more Hautboy then 
there being Three in all if one is out there will alway’s be 
Two. if its that Boy that play’s a Clarinet will Do or who your 
will Let me Know & I’ll send Down a Hautboy for him. 
I will take Care about Seed’s &c for the gardnor. — 
Pray get ye treble Trumpet in order in ye Church ┌ organ ┐ {…}
it may. you don’t send word that any of my Jobs are 
Done. The Brass Trumpet is in ye middle Drawer 
in ye Musick Book Case in my Studdy & ye Drawer not 
Locked pray take Care of it are my Silk Stockings 
come from being Clean’d at Birmingham send to Eller for them
how goes on Charity School & money for the Organ?
Suppose Mr. Shaw has seen you by this Time
Be sure be in Time with your plantation of Firs on the
Water fall Let them be Large tall healthy Tree’s &
Take a good deal of pains that ye clumps may be done
remarkably well & have a beautifull appearance —
as you will have abundance of Trees Let some be
set to hide ye Root house one Row judisiously 
set will Effectually do it. — Have you settled with Jonah
& John Sadler 5 shillings for ye Ringers Money. The Boats in
The Coach House & ye old Boat on the Pool & the
Bee house may be set about painting Handels Picture
Frame new gilt & Tin cullender to make ye Water Run
at the grotto in the wood as Mr. Bond gave Directions.
I Expect to be very agreably Seranaded by our Wombourn
/ 
musicians when I first arrive in the Country 
Strike off those marches 2 Horn’s 2 Hautboys 
& 2 Bassoon’s &c As exact as Possible. 
Let me hear again soon how all my thing’s go 
on Do ye Ducks Lay? I am yours &c. 
S.H. 
I have some new Ornaments for the Boat Canopy 
as you remember I said I would have & I have some other
things to send down so wait till I hear
again write full & Long Letters & Then I
will send you a Box full of one thing
or an other.
mind that Harry Noak does not
neglect new Tiling Musick Room
this Spring as he intended
If you could get a very nice neck of
Pork to send me I should be glad.

I hear’d a few Nights ago a new Oratorio
Of Mr. Handels Call’d Gideon its Charming Pretty
ye King & Queen both there & a Concerto on the
Hautboy by one of the finest Player’s that Ever
was in England.