In July 1826, John Marsh was In London, after one among his journeys to Kent to gather his rents, when he ‘had a go to from my Sister, niece Mary & nephew John, at whose house my Sister had been staying since she left Ramsgate, to which she had gone with my Son Edw’d & family about 3 weeks before in the steam boat, which conveyed his quite a few household of thirteen (including three maids) with a lot ease. I, on Tuesday the 9th set out on my journey.’ Leaving his spouse once more at residence, he travelled via London, Stamford and Newark where he as soon as extra played on the ‘magnificent organ, put up some years in the past in that large & superb church, by England on my recomendation.’ After taking some dinner at the Inn he ‘took a stroll thro’ the city, during which I met with a Gig at one of the Inns, with a boot for luggage, which having hired, a lad afterwards drove me to Southwell (8 miles) in about an hour, the place I arrived before 6. & found solely my Sister at home, my nieces & the young ladies being all gone for an extended stroll.
Woodborough, or Udeburgh, is a village mendacity about six miles south-west of Southwell. The revenues of it arise from lands in the parish of Woodborough, demised to a lessee on lease for three lives. The Prebends took it in turn by rota to be the Canon Residentiary for 3 months at a time, thus taking their turn once each four years, dwelling within the Residence during their interval in workplace. The letter is headed ‘Residence Home, Southwell. In July, John Marsh obtained a letter from his sister at Southwell, forwarded by his brother Henry, ‘giving a really dangerous account of our brother Will’m who was a lot emaciated, & co’d keep nothing upon his stomach, having for several weeks had no appetite, altho’ in the letter I acquired from him on the 12h. he wrote in pretty good spirits, & appeared to have hopes from a brand new prescription of Dr Storer’s, of Nottingham, he had then started upon. We subsequently had some tea by ourselves, after which we went out & met them, & on our return found my brother Will’m who was come, as typical, to tea, & spend the night with the family.
As however the purchase of a home required the opinion of individuals way more competent than herself to guage of, as to the Title, state it was in and so on. I co’d say nothing without full info upon these factors, which my brother accordingly acknowledged in his reply to her letter. She due to this fact hinted that if I co’d advance this money the cost could be secured to me by a mortgage of the home. She had modified her title she informed me on Tuesday the ninth after which she & Mr H.—- had set off for Peterborough, whence she dated her letter, but not mentioning their handle there, or how lengthy they meant to remain there, I co’d not send my congratulations.’ In June 1828, ‘This being the day (Friday 20th.) my Sister & the Heathcotes had appointed to come & stay a fortnight or 3 weeks with me, my Son (John) & Edmund went to look out for them when the coaches got here in, in neither of which they have been, in order that about 5. my Son & I sat all the way down to dinner without them.
I now due to this fact returned & sat right down to a solitary dinner that had been ready for 5. Thinking they may probably come by the Portsmouth night time coach & arrive by the mail the subsequent morning I went to meet it, when I discovered, not them however my bro’r Henry, who thinking they had arrived at the tip of the preceeding week, was come to spend about 10 days with us. On Monday the 26. I anticipated my Sister, Nieces & grandaughter Harriett down by the coach, for whom I had taken places earlier than I left city, & accordingly ordered dinner at 5. after i went to stop the coach on the fleece, but was surprized at finding it are available in empty withinside, the coachman saying that nobody came both to the Belle Sauvage, Golden cross or Elephant & castle at which latter place he waited a very long time. About 10 at night time however she arrived, having gone by a Portsmouth coach to Petersfield, whence she was driven in gigs to Chichester & Bognor.’ They stayed in Bognor for only two or three days, before returning all together to Chichester. There are three sitting rooms under stairs, and a breakfast room above, (in which we sit to read & work) all besides one trying into the backyard, which isn’t I think larger than ours, but very pretty, being turfed throughout; with a gravel walk round and a border on every aspect.