Letters to Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott from various family members, September 1913 - September 1930 - Part 7

Newspaper clipping - see original

Newspaper clipping - see original 

Cross park
Mortonhampstead

Devon:

England

Feb 4^th 1923
Dear Cousin Harold,
Many thanks for your letter dated
Dec. 13^th, wh reached me on Jan. 23^rd. Many
thanks also for looking into Mr. Barker's
matter - The documents you sent for him
arrived on Saturday (Feb. 3^rd) and I forwarded
them immediately so hope he got them
the same day, if they are still staying
with Anne. We have no Sunday posts ^anywhere now.-
i.e. no deliveries - thank goodness there is
a post out, wh we had not for some time
and was a great nuisance. I expect you
will hear from Mr B. by the same mail
as ^you will get this. I hope it was not much bother
to you. I hardly liked to ask you about it
knowing how busy you must be.
I hope your mother- in-law is very much
better by this time if not quite well again
I dare say that sort of thing is very difficult
[*not found anything to do yet. I am so sorry for
their mother. They hoped to have been married
this summer
That it won't come
off unless he finds
a job. I hope your
mother keeps well.
I suppose you are
having it very hot
now - I forget if
you call it "Winter"
all the same!
The best of luck to
you all, and
many thanks again
for looking into
Mr Barber's affair -
Yr Affecate Cousin
Martha T. 

to cure. I am v. glad to hear that Neil is
doing so well. he must be a good boy, and

'brainy' too no doubt. How is little Violet
getting on? Are they good at languages?
I remember you said in one of your letters
that you were keen on their learning French
thoroughly, and I am sure languages are
a great asset. You must have been
glad when the Elections were over - I expect
you will be are sorry that Mr. Hughes is no
longer at the head of affairs but hope
Mr S. Bruce will prove a good leader.
There was a leader in to-day's "Times"
comparing Mr. Hughes to Mr Lt. George,
but I should have said that the former
was superior to the latter in his Race
career in ma wars ^many ways - not such a self
seeker for one thing, nor such a combination 

of ignorance and conceit I should
hope. However it would have required
more than super-human wisdom and
fore-sight - not to mention courage - to have
steered safely though all the rocks &
whirlpools of these late years.
Things are looking very bad again now,
what with these wretched Turks, and 

(2
the Franco-German rumpus. I sympathise
v. strongly with the French and feel it a
pity we could not have joined them
in sitting on the Germans - for it seems
impossible that anyone could believe
that Germany means to act honorably
whether she were given ^a 4 years or 40,000
years moratorium . However one can't
know the 'ins and outs', and probably the
Govt felt they would not have the country
behind them. I hope yr canvassing
tour on Mr Rodgers' behalf resulted in
his return.  The latter end of it must
have been very trying. Did I tell you
in my last letter how very interesting

I found the pamphlets you sent me?
Alicia Carter was v. much interested
in them too. I sent them to her. She
says she is going to migrate to Western
Australia with the Hamersleys, and
suggests I should go too! I am sure it is
a good idea that immigrants, should
be as young as possible, so that they
can grow up practically Australians 
and not have too many English ideas 

and traditions to shed. It is such a
splendid plan sending out boys for the
farms - they must love the different sort
of life I should think. Martha Hamersley
is going out to India again next
month, I hear, to join her husband at
Simla. She has been having great trials
with insufficient governesses, but has at
last secured a treasure (after 5 'duds'),
so can leave the children with her
mother without anxiety. I am hoping
Alicia will pay me a visit soon, a
little later on when the garden looks
nicer -We have had such an absurdly
mild winter that I fear both flowers
& fruit will suffer from the want of
^seasonable cold and frost. Everything is too far
on and will probably be blasted by
biting gales and late frosts. Yesterday
was like summer. I sat on the porch
of the little dark sitting-room I used
to call the "dug-out," most of the day
in the sun, reading and writing. The
little room is dark no longer - I had
a window made in the S.W. wall 

(3
just before Christmas and the walls
papered with a v. light creamy-yellow
paper - new decorations too in the way
of curtains and chair-covers - the latter
I have been making myself and am
v. much bored with them. I can now
use the room all day long if I want
to, and get the sun in the afternoon
as well as the morning. I hope you
find your new house comfortable.
I wonder if the cost of building has
fallen as much in Australia as it
has here. Notwithstanding that, Mr.
Bonar Law said not long ago that he
regretted that it would be necessary to
continue our Housing scheme. I thought
it had been knocked on the head altogether.
The woful experiences in Australia as well
as here ought to have been convincing
that the state can't do that sort of thing
profitably.
I have not heard from Wales very lately,
but they were all pretty well when I
last heard. Lily was so much better that
she was to start with her Nurse for Cap d'Antises
on Friday last. She was going by sea to 

Genoa. Coster, my brother Fred and his wife
were to go over land and meet them. I
don't know how long a stay they will make,
Gertie and her husband are taking care
of Bryn Howel. Gertie's chief occupation
seems to be the training of two puppy dogs,
from what I hear. I have not heard from
Anne since Christmas, but expect I should
have heard if anything was wrong. Her
car was run into by another not long ago
and a good deal damaged. I don't think
she was at all hurt, but Beatrice Barber
was rather bruised and her nerves upset.
Anne has been having the usual servant
bothers too, I am sorry to say. She
wanted to let her house and go to
Bordighera for 2 or 3 months, but most
people are wanting to do the same, so I
fear she won't find it easy. My sister
Maude spent Christmas and New Year
with me. She has been in rooms at
Chagford (5 miles away) since early last summer
but has now got into her excitable phase
again and is moving to a place further
down the line this week. She always spends
one day a week with me, so I shall
miss her when she goes. Patty's fiancé has
2DRL/0513 

Trevor Hall
Nr. Ruabon
Wales
England
Nov. 10^th 1923
Dear Cousin Harold,
I have had an envelope
partly addressed to you for weeks
lying about - Now I have more time
for writing as I am away from home
so will wish you all a very happy
and cheery Christmas and New Year.
I came here last week after a very
strenuous time trying to get the garden
into rather better order before I left
Moreton. It was really just the right
time for dividing and re-arranging
plants and digging up the borders
so I rather grudged having to come
away just then- but had promised
Emily Edwards to pay her a longish
visit after they came back from their
trip though France and Italy - They
had a most delightful tour visiting
the Somme battlefields  &c on the way
Amiens, Rheims &c - all most interesting 

to them of course, and not quite such
melancholy sights, I expect, as they
were 2 or 3 years earlier. They
went ^on to Italy by Basle and Lucerne,
visited J.C.'s Battlefields and
went to Venice, their furthest point.
They came back a different way
to see some of the old chateaux on
the Loire, and met Alicia Carter
at Blois- She was taking a fortnight
"rest" in those parts, with a friend.
They had rather a rush, as Lloyd
could only spare 5 weeks - Patty
talks of writing to you (she is away
for the weekend), so I expect you will
hear more about it. All looked
extremely well after their trip,
except Emily, who got rather a chill
on the way home. She is practically
well again now and taking advantage
of a fine day (a rarity just

now) to bustle about in the garden

and rabbit-house. I have not seen
Lily but hear she is better and
little baby Jane getting on v. well.
The garden here is still bright and
the country lovely with all the