CH/20/44/11

CH/20/44/11

File

Items 131 to 133

1849-1853

3 sheet

Items 131-133: a group of loose documents interspersed between "sub-bundle" 6 and "sub-bundle" 7. 131. 21 Feb 1853. Addressed to "The Rev Mr Canon Bowles" from W Boucher at Thornhill House, Shaston (Shatftesbury), Dorset. "It gave me much gratification to find by your obliging letter that my Observation respecting Miss Wyndham's Claim to your Field was satisfactory to you." "I am sorry it is not in my Power to send you a Statement of the Choristers Acc[oun]ts for the last three years, not having sufficient Documents here to enable me to do so . . . but I have sent you inclosed an Acc[oun]t of the regular Annual receipts & payments of the Master of the Choristers . . . which will prove that there was not the least Foundation for the illiberal . . . Report which you heard, & sufficient to raise the hihest Indignation of every Friend to the Church for so gross a Libel on any Members of it. The Funds for the repairs of the Church, when they would admit of it have been sometimes advanced to assist the Choristers acc[oun]t till the Renewals have taken place, but such Advance has been made good by the Chapter out of its own Rents and Fines. I propose to be at Salisbury at Easter, when I shall be prepared with a regular Acc[oun]t of the Receipts & payments respecting the Choristers". Below the signature there is another paragraph, possibly intended as an insert or postscript: "The Master of the Choristers used to collect the Rents, as well as he could & to make the payments himself, till my good Friend Mr Douglas was appointed to that office, when I undertook to relieve him from the Trouble of it & I have continued to do so, with pleasure , for his Successors." The gist is then difficult to follow, but there is something to the effect that Boucher "succeeded in raising the Rents" and about "opposition from the Duke of Marlboro". "Upon this Increase of the Fund Mr Douglas proposed the Chapter approved of making a considerable addition to the Stipends of the Laymen of the Cathedral", following which there is also reference to the "Vicars Choral". In another hand on the verso: "Mr Canon Bowles' answer - He being Master of the Choristers to the lying and Malignant scoundrel who said the repairs of the Cathedral were paid out of the choristers fund". Not the least puzzle about this letter of 1853 is that William Lisle Bowles, Canon Residentiary (the only near-contemporary Canon by the name of Bowles listed in Christopher Ross, The Canons of Salisbury) died on 7 April 1850. 132. 27 Nov 1849. To Archdeacon William Macdonald from J L Aford, Salisbury. "I send you inclosed [not present] the Accounts delivered to me by Mr Fisher for repairs at the Subdeanery and the vacant Canonry". With a copy of a letter dated 23 Nov 1849 from Rich & Every of Exeter, "the Agents of the Lessee of Alvington": "my client would not be justified in paying even £2,000 for the Renewal . . . judging from the present prices of Grain and the Progressive Increase of Parochal Burthens but as we have a wish to renew we will give the £2100 menitoned in your letter of the 19th of June last if accepted immediately". Applied circular seal in red wax, 20mm diameter. 133. Two copy letters, also relating to the West Alvington fine: 16 Jul 1849. To J L Alford, Salisbury, from Every & Son: "with regard to the Renewal of West Alvington . . . we hope the Dean and Chapter will be quite satisfied with a fine of £2100". 17 Jul 1849. To Every & Son, Exeter, from J L Alford: "it must be obvious to you . . . that I could not recommend the Chapter to accept the sum you name". With an undated receipt from Every & Son ("Alvington Fine paid by Chapter £2752-12-11") and an undated calculation of an alternative amount of the fine.

English