| Description | "About arrangements for his journey to Soho, and incidents at school." (The date above is that of the postmark.)
My dear Papa,
My companions told me the day after I had written to Miss Burgess, that their places had been taken in a coach, and that therefore they could not go in a chaise, as they had intended; so that if I had gone to Oxford, I could not have availed myself of their offer. I can very readily be at Slough at eight o’clock, for on the last day the boys, I believe may go as early as five o’clock. Hugh William told me a little time ago of the death of poor Lewis Atwood. The Declamations took place yesterday, in which two boys named Thinn & Kingdon spoke. I cannot bring any maps as Miss Burgess asked me, since we shew them up to Mr. Coleridge , the master who hears the Lower Remove in school, on Monday morning when we are examined in them. Mr. Smith came here a little time ago with another gentleman, and saw me. A person of the name of Bird, who lectured at Kenilworth a few years ago, came here on Tuesday, and gave some lectures on astronomy, at which 77 boys attended. I and Cotton were sent up a little time ago. The weather has been rather bad lately, and, as the fields round here are low, and close to the river, they will soon be flooded.
[Thinn has not been identified. Kingdon is George Thomas Kingdon, “M.A. Trin. Coll. Camb., 2nd cl. classics, 1838. Rector of Pyworthy, Devon; lives at Torquay.” [H. E. C. Stapylton, Eton School Lists, 1791-1877 (London, 1885).
Edward Coleridge, master at Eton; nephew of the poet. Elected a Fellow of the College, 1857.
Henry Cotton, later Sir Henry Cotton (1821-1892). See the Dictionary of National Biography. “A Barrister. Newcastle Scholar, 1838; Ch. Ch. Oxf., 2nd cl. classics and 1st math., 1842.”] |