Crowdy letter 1815

Letters from the Past

“Letter concerning Lord Pembroke
To James & William Crowdy, Highworth, 1815”

Eunice Shanahan

This letter was written about four months after the battle of Waterloo, where Wellington’s army defeated Napoleon. (We have another letter on the website giving more information about that, see A Napoleon story, 1815 Napoleon onboard the Bellerophon.)

The letter was addressed to Messrs Jas and Wm Crowdy, Highworth, Wilts, and written by Henry Hoyle Oddie in London, 1815. The address was Broughton House, and as this was the London house of Lord Pembroke, it is likely that the writer was either Lord Pembroke’s solicitor or Agent, possibly both.

The paper is a heavy cream with the watermark of BUDGEN 7 WILMOTT 1812 and It has 3 postal markings, beginning with a double ring London Morning Duty date stamp in red ink in 3 lines G over 13 OC 13 then 1815 the year in a straight line.

The outgoing mails from London to all over Britain left from the main GPO at 8 am and it was a very busy time for the staff there, and the double ring date stamp was an additional hand stamp used when needed by the volume of letters.

This leaving of the mail coaches for all parts of the Kingdom was known to be one of the sights of London. The postal charge to be collected was originally put on as ‘ 8 ’ but that was crossed out and 10 put on instead. This covered a distance of 120 – 170 miles however, Highworth is 75 miles from London so the 8d would have been correct. I can find no explanation for that change, as if there had been any enclosure, it would have doubled the cost, not just added 2 more pennies, and it has not been re-directed to explain why the additional amount was charged.

As the image shows, there are two filing notes on the outside of the letter, which would have been added by the Crowdys. We find these filing notes on a lot of our old commercial letters, which seem to be put there so that the letters do not have to be opened, and whether any further action is needed. In this case the second note does not seem to have any relevance to this particular letter, but there must have been a connection for the solicitors. They used abbreviations, like as ‘ Deld ’ for the word delivered.

11 Oct 1815
Lre from Hoyle & Oddie respecting Lord Pembroke’s Tithes.

Then a further note.
18th Oct 1815
Deld Jno Vaisey an Account and particulars of Mr Goodmans Woods and Grounds beyond Wansditch.
Mr Hoyle wishes to have a Ground in ye occupn of Noah next ye Vicarage House belonging to ye Picke in part of his Globe Allotmnt.

So now to the letter which is short.

Boughton House Oct 11th 1815
Sir
I received the favour of your Letter at this place and have written to Mr Seagrim on the subject of it. I am not sure whether Lord Pembroke is at Wilton, or when Mr Seagrim can lay my letter before him.
I am
Sirs
Your most obedt humble servt
Hen. Hoyle Oddie

This is one of three letters we have addressed to the Crowdys of Highworth. Follow these links for the other two.

1815 , while Mr Crowdy was in London

1820 , Elections in 1820

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