9.3: Parents and siblings: interim communications

In the following letter from Henry (dated 8th May 1956), I find the only firm indication that Mr and Mrs Jimmy Carter must have already fulfilled their threat to depart from my domestic service, in that my father is here discussing the possibility of a replacement. The Austrian lady that he mentions never in fact took up this post, for reasons which I can no longer remember. But the letter is worth quoting for the light it throws upon our own relationship.

Dearest Alexander,

I think we have managed to find a Cook for you, but do not blame us if she is no good. She is Austrian - by the name of Mrs Onosrei - a young, very stocky, reasonably nice to look at, and has a good sense of humour; and from what I can tell, would be prepared to put up with a good deal of rush and scurry if a surprise party was sprung on her.

She is very anxious to come as she likes looking after bachelors - so please keep your head in that direction!! She was formerly with Michael Pitt-Rivers, who is now apparently going to India, and he gives her a good character reference. She should be ensconced at the end of this week. So too incidentally should be your new Electric Cooker, Refrigerator and Sink Unit.

Let us know when your exams are over, as Virginia and I would like to come and see you, and we hope you manage to get a Second.

Love Dad.

It is relevant that I should insert at this juncture an item from an unidentified newspaper - possibly the Daily Telegraph, or the Wiltshire Times? - which appeared around this date. In any case it reveals the details concerning all the legal transactions which had been enacted over the past few years, with a view to breaking the family entail so that both Henry and myself should obtain more personal benefit from the inheritance thus divided. There are in fact some omissions from the report on the extent to which a list of chattels (within the will of the 1st Marquess) were placed unprotected by Trustees, within my father's legal custodianship.

Land settled on Lord Bath's heir as duty safeguard

The Marquess of Bath has resettled most of his landed estate in Wiltshire on his son and heir, Viscount Weymouth, as a precaution against future heavy death duties. The area involved is between 7,000 and 8,000 acres out of a total holding of 9,500 acres.

When I was last here two years ago, I reported that part of the family settlement consisting of a considerable sum in investments had been rearranged for the benefit of Lord Weymouth also as a future safeguard.

Lord Bath has taken these precautions because of a serious setback to the family investments as a result of the duty payable on his father's death. In 1946 he described this liability as "overwhelming."

There is always an element of risk attached to family rearrangements designed to cut down future duty. The resettler must live five years before they become free of duty.

In this case Lord Bath, the sixth marquess, who is 51, has to live five years for the land to be duty free.

Longleat retained

Lord Bath is retaining Longleat, his seat here, together with the surrounding 750-acre park and a small amount of agricultural land. The estate passing to Lord Weymouth, who is 24, includes 25 farms and 4,000 acres of mixed woodland.

The Bath family fortune has been considerably reduced since the turn of the century, when it was supposed to be in the region of £3 million in investments and 30,000 acres of land. The father of the present Marquess left about £1 million when he died in 1946. The duty liability was about £750,000.

To satisfy this the family estates in Northampton and Shropshire were dissolved. Parts of the Longleat estate totalling about 5,400 acres were also realised to provide £340,000 towards the duty.

Despite these serious inroads into the family's finances Lord Bath has not spared himself to improve the existing Longleat holding. During the last eight years about £500,000 has been spent on a programme of modernising the farms.

Letter from Christopher, dated 21st May 1956 - from Louisville, Kentucky.

Dear Alex,

I'm so sorry that I've never written, but I hope you got my telegram on your birthday.

My landlady here in Louisville has tried every means possible to achieve my conversion to Jesus, but she has failed. She even had the local parson call on me. He read me the bible and said prayers for me, and the whole thing was one of the worst ordeals that I have ever experienced. I was blushing during the whole performance....

Have you ever thought of coming to America for a holiday?.... Do think about it seriously. I would love to see you, and you would be one hell of a success in Louisville.

I'm not quite sure whether I like it, or hate it out here. My feelings about it change so quickly, that I can't really tell. I do know however, that I don't intend to make my career with Sears Roebuck. It would drive me mad to be surrounded by such high powered business all my life; and to reveal my own snobbishness (as I suppose), middle-class values do make life so very boring. I don't see what interest they can get out of life - unless it comes from the sheer mania for their religion.

There's only one person who can persuade me to accompany him to church, and that is the store manager. He has a delightful faith that a couple of whiskies before church works up the required religious enthusiasm, and that a couple after the service will bring it back under control.

Your pet phrase "Moral justification" is causing me some worry at the moment, in that I cannot see how I can apply it to my working for Sears. When people ask why I'm doing this, I just give them a blank look.

The store manager seems to be under the misunderstanding that I am a genius, and that I was snapped up to work for Sears. It arises from the fact that I know General Wood (who is the Big Boss) and four of the Vice-Presidents of the company - from the time when I first came out on that tour organized for some British students, by my godfather Brendon Bracken. So just because General Wood himself gave me this job, no one dares to displease him by describing me as an idiot. I'm in two minds as to whether this is a delightful, or a terribly embarrassing situation to be in.

Do let me know if you hear of anyone who might be coming out to America, and ask them to come and visit this English exile. And do please write to me, if you can find the time. Please give my love to everyone.

All love Christopher.

P.S. Dad was enthusing in a letter about some girl you had staying with you, but please don't tell him that I mentioned this to you.