Volume 1

The Farington diary / edited by James Greig.

  • Joseph Farington
Date:
[1922?-1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Farington diary / edited by James Greig. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    43/464 (page 11)
    contains 2 small rooms, and a bathing room, on the ground floor besides passages, and one large room above. All finished in character, with imitations of Icicles, and Shell work. The stones of which the grotto is composed were brought from Bath & Cirencester. The Spar of which the Icicles are composed, from Derbyshire. The whole was put together by a man of the name of Lane & his son.—They were common masons by trade, and lived at Westbury in Wiltshire. They were constantly employed six years about it. The Duchess of York in the course of last summer breakfasted & dined in the Grotto very often.—I made a sketch from the Terrace looking towards Walton Bridge.—Mr. Duncan [a Scotsman] refused to accept anything for the civility He had shewn us, and in every respect appeared a man of a superior kind considering his profession.—We returned to Walton. We were much imposed on by the Landlord, who charged everything at the dearest rate. October 31.—At Kingston our Bill for three gentlemen, 3 Horses, and a servant, for dinner, tea, and breakfast, was £2 is. Duke’s Head, Beds charged ; at Walton Bridge, for the same £2 2s. At the Swan at Chertsey, with better accommodation, £1 18s. At the Castle at Windsor, £2 18s. On the whole the expence at Windsor exceeded that of the other places by about ten shillings. November 1.—At Mr. Davenports, I found a letter from Mr. Coombes [George Combe—“ Dr. Syntax ”—who supplied the letter- press to accompany Farington’s drawings of the Thames], who recom¬ mends to me to make a view of Culham [about two miles below Henley], as it may induce a certain set of subscribers.—Culham, is now the property of Mr. West, a Brother of Lord Delawarr, who married a co¬ heiress. The other sister married young Mr. Powis of Hardwick, who sold to Mr. West his share of Culham. The Marquiss of Blandford has rented the place. At present Mr. Law, one of the Sons of the late Bishop of Carlisle, and who made a fortune in India, rents it.—Mr. Law, married a daughter of the Archbishop of York (Dr. Markham). November 2.—Many clergymen have passed through Henley to Oxford and back within two or three days. On October 31st an election came on of a Poetry Professor. Mr. Hurdis, of Magdalen College, author of a Poem called the Village Curate, was opposed by Mr. Kett, of Trinity College, who lately read the Bampton Lectures. The number of votes were : For Mr. Hurdis. 201 For Mr. Kett . 180 21 November 3.—We put up at Mrs. Daniefl’s at the Swan [Chert¬ sey]*, where we were before. This evening Mrs. Daniell brought me * Abraham Cowley, the poet, spent the last two years of his life at Porch House, now Cowley House, Chertsey