Eustace Letters

Some Old Correspondence (Courtesy of Noel W. Fosbery).

1. Relating to a commemorative plaque to Thomas Fosbery d. April 1st 1893, aged 73 years.

To Edward H. Fosbery Langton Hall, Chine Road Bournemouth
From T.J. Gawthorp, Art Metal Worker, 16 Long Acre London.

28th Sept. 1905

Sir,

    In reply to your favour of the 27th Inst: the "Latten" Brass as illustration No. 602 was forwarded by us to Adare Co. Limerick but we have no further information as to its destination.

Yours respectfully,

signed: T. J. Gawthorp Esq.

2. Eustace Edmund Fosbery, Solicitor, Lombard Chambers, 107 Pitt Street, Sydney.
To Edward H. Fosbery, St. Margaret’s, Herringfleet, Lowestoft, England.

10th July, 1907.

My Dear Cousin,

   I am sincerely sorry to hear from Leonard (LAF) of the death of your brother the Colonel (GVF), which I have also since seen in the various papers. I have asked Leonard to convey the sincere sympathy of myself and my people to the family, and I beg that you will also do the same should you be writing.

I think it would be a pity if the fruits of your brother’s labours in piecing together the early history of the family should be wasted, and as you take an interest in the matter it is up to you to try and get hold of the documents which he had collected if you can do so, including the various copies and extracts from the old Rolls in the Rolls Court and the records in London. He had practically pieced the history together from the time of the Doomsday Book up till about the 13th or 14th century when I heard from him last in 1894, and it is quite possible that he may have done a great deal of piecing in the gap between then and the end of the 17th century. In any event I know he had some important papers in respect of that particular period. Will you please see what you can do in this direction, and if you get them or even get access to them I shall be glad if you will have copies typed for me by a typewriter and examination of the various Court Rolls and of any other authentic records relating to this period (which the Colonel had in his possession) at my expense. [ I may say (though do not mention this) I think the Colonel was a little offended with me because I had to my satisfaction established that most of the family at the time of the emigration were very simple farming people in Hampshire and thereabouts. At any rate I know he did not answer my letter when I wrote many years ago and made a similar request.]

I need not apologise for asking you to do this for you will regard it I am sure in the same way that I do myself, and I need scarcely say that on hearing what expense you have been put to in the matter I will forward you the amount.

With very kind regards and best wishes to you and yours,

I am, My dear cousin,

Yours very sincerely,

signed: Eustace E. Fosbery.

p.s. Please pardon my having typed the above. I have done so having regard to its importance, and so that there may be no mistake through my somewhat erratic handwriting. E.E.F.

3. Eustace E Fosbery (in Australia) to Edward H Fosbery (in England).

4th February 1909.

My dear Cousin Edward,

   I thank you very much for your kind letter of the last day of the old year and for all your kind wishes, which I most heartily re-echo.

In the first place, will you pardon me for writing a dictated letter. After long habit I find it very much easier in dealing with anything more or less complex to adopt this method. It is also easier to keep a copy. Without any doubt whatever you and Henry Fosbery are right in saying that a tree of some sort is necessary to the proper understanding of my history to one who is not well acquainted with all the ins and outs and ramifications, and, indeed, after an interval when I have not touched the matter for some months I find myself a little foggy at first. I have, therefore, to explain to you that it has always been my intention to insert a "skeleton" tree, and I enclose to you a copy of the one I propose to use, from which in an instant you will admit that any one of the present descendants can be placed without the enormous extent of matter which would be necessary to plot every one in. This "skeleton" tree did not accompany the document which went forward to you. I think you will agree with me that it is sufficient for all practical purposes and avoids the alternative of putting in such a mass of names as to render the table unwieldy. As a sort of "skeleton" table or index coupledwith the full history with which it will be printed it will surely clear up your misgivings about the incomprehensibility of my history as it stands.

Please turn this over and let me have another line after you have referred to Henry Fosbery.

I thank you for the additional information you have furnished to me, which I have now plotted in.

Since you returned me the papers I have submitted them to one of the leading firms of publishers in Sydney for an estimate of the cost, and that estimate comes to Ł60, a sum which I regret I am not at present disposed to pay, and the question of printing will, therefore, have to wait until I can see my way to go to this expense. When Lady Mills was discussing the matter with me she suggested that seeing the very great expense to which I have already been in the matter, amounting to I should say over Ł100 and extending over 15 or 20 years, the final expense of printing the document for circulation among the heads of the families should be borne by contribution among any half dozen, and the expense would then be trifling, say about Ł10 each. Lady Mills I know would be very pleased to contribute her quota; indeed, she told me so.

In this connection I would be glad if you would get a quotation from some genealogical publisher in London, explaining that the matter which you can shew him a sample of will run to about 80 pages of printed matter 4to size with a binding and cover such as you may consider sufficient for the purpose, in which connection I point out to you that in my opinion a very rough binding would do, and each recipient of a copy could please himself about a binding of a more permanent and durable kind. If the printing can be done cheaper in London the only requirement would be a delay of, say, three months (during which the type would have to be held up) necessitated by sending the original and proofs out to Australia to be checked by me, which I think you will allow would be wise and proper.

With very kind regards to you and yours,

I remain, as always,
Very sincerely yours,

signed Eustace E. Fosbery.

4. Eustace E. Fosbery (Sydney, Australia) to Edward H. Fosbery (Tunbridge Wells, England)

12th July, 1916.

My dear Cousin,

   I hear from my cousin Frank that you are collecting the names of members of the Family bearing the name who have served in the Great War. My cousin Frank will send you particulars about his brother George, but I append them in case he forgets:-

   GEORGE WILLIAM FOSBERY - son of the Rev. George William, and grandson of Commander Godfrey Fosbery, R.N. Enlisted in Kitchener’s Army in August 1914 as a Private in the Battln. Sherwood Foresters, and subsequently received a Commission in the same Battalion on 27th August 1915. Severely wounded through the chest at Kemmel on the Western Front on 17th May 1915.

I shall be very pleased if you get any further names (in addition to this one and your own two nephews and your great nephew) if you will send them along to me to put in my Family Book.

Yours sincerely,

signed: Eustace E. Fosbery.