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Part of Sir Samuel Hellier to John Rogers, 17th February, 1767
February 17th February, 1767.
John.
I Recd. yours and the Hare which was a
very fine one. I would have you Cautious not to let the old
Lady know about killing the Pig. As to the things for
the Gardner will Consider of them Garden Matts &
will also take Care to send. Tell him I beg the
Garden & Wood may be Quite full of flowers
in Summer. I am vastly glad ye Ratts are Caught
but imagine you might take a great many more,
as to poor old Pormney his Loss can Easily be Supplied
As to the learners on the hautboy unless they get
The proper tone of the Instrument it will be impossible
for them Ever to Play well. This must be done by
The Reed & Care must be taken to get the best
Reeds they can to suit them well to their lips
as for instance a soft Reed may suit one man
& an other cannot play at all with it and one
too Hard is as bad the other way. The must
Observe to fix the Reed fast & Firm in the —
Hautboy for the least air getting between will
Cause a Variation in the Tone & I expect they
will Break Two or Three dozen of Reeds before
they come at the True method but never —
regd that Break a million Rather than not
get a proper method & a True Hautboy player
th[ey’]d always’s make their own Reeds as the whole —
depends on it. However hope by Easter they will
be able to play a Tune or Two. — Its far from
a Hard Instrument & Tho Difficult to play Finely
But they must take Courage.
/
The Dragon I have had alter’d & inlarged tho not yet ready
to send Down as it must be all new Gilt It acts —
Extremely well I’ve had it fixed to observe it &
I wish I had seen it fix’d before It should have been
made above as large again as it now is Tho it
^ is ^ Enlarged as much as Ever it would allow. You were —
Quite out when you said it would be Too large The
place it was fixed on for me to see it was
about 70 ft. high & looks Quite small now it must
look on our Spire which is above 100 ft. However
have Done all I can for it & will do very well
When you next put it up Pray do it with your own
hands & wind it up in The Packing Box ye no bruise
or Scatch may be made. — The Poor’s —
Subscription I will not pass over Unnoticed
But let the other money be given away first
My addition will come to close the whole at
Last to ^ I shall ^ say no more on ye head just now. —
The Lamp Post was not originally intended an Octigon
so my saying Seven Lamps was not amiss but as
it now is you must have only five one at —
each Corner & one on the Top. Mr. Bond made
a rough Scetch of it which I lay’d upon one of the
Mehoggony Shelves in my bed Chamber look for it
That will guide you Joe Beddard you gave the —
old Lamp horns ^ to ^ which were made in my Fathers Time
follow for the old & Let him make a Bill I will
not be in his Deft so then we have done with him
[ILLUSTRATION] somewhat like this
But you had better draw out a Scetch
& inclose for fear of Errors. —
Remember to fix an Iron Wire for
A Conductor of Lightning to ye Spire
Remember to paint the front of the
Gallery & Pulpit Sounding
Board. I wont forget the other
French Horn.
/
Harry Noake by all means Hurry him The Parlour ceiling white
wash'd. — Mr Rudge, the blind organist must wait my being at
home will then do him any Service I can. Have you done the leg
to the Kettle Drum Desk I doubt not, a Piece of wood under the organ
to prevent it blowing hand is the Boards of ye organ Painted &
The Little pieces at the Carved work in front Gilt NO. are those
Little Things that belong to the new Boat Gilt No. The Chairs in
the Parlor glew’d where wanted. Curtain Rod in my seat in the Church
Done. A neat Brass Escutcheon put on the India Chest in the —
Bow window Room &c I am also afraid of any damage being done
to the new Mill Wheel forward of Door’s ye Job should be done indeed.
Tell Nanny the Mutton Ham was intirely Spoiled Quite full of
Maggots being too long left but, that is my Fault. However would
have the other’s which remain & any Hams or Tongues that nanny
is fearfull will not keep Sold & Eat while good. — ^ or sent to me ^ I would
have some Beer ready ag[ain]rt my Return. I wish Nanny would
put the old Lady in mind of her promise to fill a Barrel
& make me a present of it. — I see His Majesty has fixed the
Sheriffs for the year 1767. Sir Herbert Packington for Worcestershire.[1]
I purpose sending him a man The Gardnor If he can be
Spared from about the house and have no other man to send
I have wrote to Mr. Crome the Tayler about it this Past
You must Take Care the House is not left without
Somebody if the gardnor Goes & you must inform him
what he is to Do. He may take one of my Horses but
Corn him well at the assizes & take great Care of him. It
happen’s unlucky for he will ^ be ^ at the Summer Assizes just
when Every Body Comes to see the wood Every but it must be so.
If the Gardnor cannot be Spared you must find one out somebody Old Daniel or
The Gardner should have
preference to be sure as he is in my service. Whoever goes must have clean shirts and
white stockingsto appear Decent.
I am yours &c
S. Hellier
I don’t Care who There’s good
Eating & Drinking & a good suit of
Cloths & nothing to do but walk
about the Town write to me about it next Post without fail. The gardnor
Should have the preference to be sure as he is in my Service.
P.S. Since I wrote the within I have seen Mr. Jorden who has given me a full acc[ount]
of everything. — I most sincerely & Heartily repent her doing any thing to some
the Parish of Womborn and I hearby declare I will Subscribe nothing either to the Charity School
to the Collection for the Poor or anything Else whatever not shall (if I Live
to make a Will) my Heirs or Those who may possibly be Possessors & owners of my Estate
after me do anything for ^ those ^ Ungratefull good for nothing Set of People Directly or
Indirectly. For the Ill Usage & Bad Treatment I find they have (I hope undeservedly)
given me — You may acquaint Mr. Marsh that I have with no small Pains got
the intended Organ near Ready which is a Sweet Pretty Instrument
& takes no more Room than a Beuroe & Book Case.
/
That the Expense must all be out of my Pocket being resolved to Stop it Causing
unless Mr. Marsh & a few of the Leading men Countenance if Let me know
Positively by next Post I shall be a great Looser — Pray Let it be known
that I never meant to Burden the Parish w[it]h any Expence of an Organists
Salery or make any new inovations in the Parish for the Organ when
Put in the Church is the Sole Property of the Parish & they may Sell it & keep
the Money at an Hours warning. — Without being put in my
Vault to Charm ye Dead as has been insinuated. — The Dragon too —
I find is Displeasing tho not & the Ball was given them & Cost them
nothing I desire in your next to know if they Chuse it or not, if so I will
Give it to an other Church whose Parish will thank me Sincerely.
I am so Displeas’d I believe I shall not Come into the Parish any
Tho Reason I hint Mr. Marsh’s Name He & his Sisters seem’d to —
Like the Organ.
/
N:B: This Letter respects
The Mistaken Promise of
Sir. Samuel’s finding an Organist &c.
END
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