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28 letters, memorandum of agreement, two receipts, "List of deficiencies in the furnished residence," "List of articles charged to Thornhill though left by her." Henrietta Thornhill was the daughter of Col. Mark Beaufoy. She married John Thornhill who was on and off the director of the East India Company between 1815 and 1840. After his death in 1841 she appears to have stayed in England while her children continued on with the Company in India, coming back to visit from time to time. In 1848 Henrietta Thornhill, by this time a widow, employs the estate agent Edmond Cox to procure her a place to rent. He writes to her on March 15th, saying that he has spoken to J. W. Newell Birch, the landlord of Adwell, and Birch is eager to let the house for the 150 guineas a year, which he describes as a modest sum. Cox mentions other options as well, but it appears Thornhill goes with Adwell, and five letters of negotiation follow. Birch offers a three-year lease, and agrees to install a kitchen mangle. Inventories are made and the garden management is discussed. On April 30th, Birch tells Thornhill that all is prepared for her, and he solicits her on behalf of a few residents who are in need of work. One is a widow with six children younger than 10, who he hopes Thornhill might employ for sewing or laundry work. On May first a memorandum of agreement is drawn up, which includes a hand-colored map of the property. Upon Thornhill s arrival, she provides a "List of deficiencies in the furnished residence Adwell House Oxon found upon an examination of the inventory of the effects." This is organized by room and includes the, Library, Bed Rooms, Buff Room, and much in the Servant s quarters, missing dust pans, decanters, spice plates, incomplete breakfast and tea service, egg cups, pans, etc. Correspondence is relatively sparse in the following years, until it is time for Thornhill to exit her lease around January 1852. At this point Hussey, Birch s agent, supplies Thornhill with a bill for objects lost and broken during her tenancy. Thornhill, through Cox, protests the charges, and a nearly year-long contest breaks out, with Hussey insisting that a china set be completely replaced, Cox arguing that it was incomplete on arrival and only the cost of making it whole need be paid, disagreements about what normal wear and unreasonable breakage may be, lists of items that were marked lost but were present, attempts to get around Cox by both Hussey and Birch, Thornhill s son going off to India before supplying Birch with promised items, and so on, until finally Cox is ordered by Thornhill to pay Birch 15 Pounds on her behalf, which he protests as still too much but does. This seems to settle the matter, as the letters end here. The letters are all either addressed to Thornhill or have been forwarded to her through Cox. Old folds, some toning, writing largely legible, overall very good condition. The Adwell house is now a Grade II listed building, and the estate remains in the possession of the Birch Reynardson family. Seller Inventory # 59330
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