April 6th 1855
Dear Father,

We were sorry to hear by Elizabeth that you and Mother had been poorly, also by letter from Mrs Tucker that Mother had been confined to her room which we were sorry to hear, this has been a severe winter. We shall pay you a visit at Lewes on Tuesday next (Easter Tuesday). Arrive by the morning train and leave in the Evening hoping to find you both well.

Mary is very poorly, she goes to Dr. Conquest about once a fortnight. The Doctor says nothing must disturb her mind or it will bring on a Cancer – she uses the tripe fat which Mother sent. I have been going to write to you for a long time. I have postponed it from time to time. The letter you wrote to me when at Hastings I must say disappointed us. We had ordered the Cab and all was ready for Train (Lewes) before the arrival of your letter. Of course I should liked to have visited on the Jubilee Day in preference to any other and I knew Robert was ill with the Influenza at the time therefore he could not come and if he did William could have carried the honours of the Jubilee in his own house for once.

Robert, as my Solicitor says, has morally speaking Robbed us & he therefore I consider, should not have had any waite in preventing your Son’s visit on such a joyful day & this Son not the youngest, but the Eldest in your Family and one whose works have been an honour to the Family & names of Baxter and Harrild, but away from Lewes and almost forgotten. Robert Harrild has been guilty of telling many falsehoods respecting the last days of his Father and such conduct I consider should not be encouraged although he is rich & has no Family. I also consider his treatment to his Father cruel in the extreme. Consider his Fathers farewell with me on his last day. 6 separate times shaking hands and uttering affectionate sentences at each time & I could see by his countenance and his weakness he was in great trouble in parting with me. The above was the last time he spoke to me.

I told Mary on my going downstairs again that her Father I thought had bid me farewell for the last time and I was sure there was something on his mind as he was so expressive and serious in his farewell. Indeed he made more ceremony & showed more real love towards me than he did to his own Sons.

This is now accounted for, he could not do as he wished, the 2 Sons Robert & Horton had prevented him and it was too late. One of the receivers of the Residue Cash Joseph Billing acknowledged to me the other day but a few weeks back for the first time, he had heard himself at Sydenham that Mr Harrild wanted his Solicitor to make an alteration to his Will. How Robert can contradict this or any of the Family I cannot tell. Of course they, Robert & Horton, are Brokers & as a Broker told Holland the other day, they all get their living by lying. But there are exceptions, their conscience must be very troubled at times. Remember that Mr Harrild many times after he had made his last Will often said “all my Children shall share alike as near as possible, that is my desire” and I again repeat that Horton in his defence here stated that his Father, when he made his last Will actually did not know what he was worth, but when he laid upon his Death bed he well knew he was worth many Thousands (reserved for Buildings etc) & which was not willed away & which he wished should be equally divided among all his Children, but successful manoeuvring prevented his intentions being carried out.
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A few lines respecting my withdrawing my Insurance from the Guardian Insurance. I wish you to know that the pomp of Mr Snelling or the remarks of anyone else had not anything to do with it. It was withdrawn in consequence of the very severe clauses rendering it valueless to me & only causing a waste of something like £15-0-0 per year. I could not even make a Printing Ink on the premises. I objected to this and they refused to alter it and I in consequence declined to have anything more to do with them. These are the facts of that matter and surely there cannot be anything so very “little” in my refusing to throw away £15-0-0 and upwards per Year as well as leaving myself without protection in case of Fire. You know that unless I can make my Printing Ink on the premises I cannot carry on my business. I sent Holland to the office 3 times but the Clerks refused permission for my Ink Making and if Mr Snelling had not shown so much pomp about Ann’s bolting into the Linen Drapers shop (like a mad woman) I should have communicated to him the cause of my withdrawing the Insurance. When he found out I had removed my Insurance he makes a sudden attack about his Daughter (who wanted correcting bad enough) which stupid correspondence you know all about. He (Mr Snelling) would not have taken any notice about this Childlike affair but in consequence of the differences between us & the Sydenham folks (the robbery) he thought he might as well join in the Squabbles & thereby get more respected in that quarter
The Gold Regions
Good Friday last year Robert had invited us to spend the day, but hearing the amount on the Thursday, I declined & have not been & do not intend. Robert in a few days after brought in some strawberries out of his forcing house to present me with supposing I was a little upset, thinking the flavour of the Fruit would do as well as Fourteen or Fifteen Hundred Pounds. I then told him of his conduct & which closed our Friendship.
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If you can get me 3 or 4 Checker Trees I should feel obliged. They are dark brown berry. The Trees are to be had in the neighbourhood of Lewes & Hastings. Hoping Mother is better.
From your
Affectionate Son, G. Baxter
Mary & Children will accompany me on
Tuesday – they all send their Love.


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Notes: Checker Trees are a species of Mountain Ash or Rowan
GB to his father re a visit cancelled by his father at the instigation of his brother William on Jubilee Day and complained of the attitude of Robert Harrild (Jnr) to his own father at the time of his death.