[George Wyndham, Conservative politician and author.] Two Autograph Letters Signed to Canon Milford, Rector of East Knoyle, regarding arrangements for the funeral and burial of his father Percy Scawen Wyndham.

Wyndham’s entry in the Oxford DNB states that the family estate was ‘some 4000 acres in Wiltshire’. Milford (1829-1913) was his rector at East Knoyle, and the letters inform him about arrangements for the funeral of Wyndham’s father Percy Scawen Wyndham (1835-1911). Both items in good condition, lightly aged, and folded for postage. Each addressed to ‘My dear Canon Milford’ and signed ‘George Wyndham.’ ONE: 14 March 1911. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Begins: ‘I have found a written permission from my Father to have the Funeral - committal to the erth - where I think best. He desired the first part of the service to be in any case at East Knoyle.’ He accepts Milford’s proposal regarding the position of his father’s grave, and would like to take ‘enough space’ for ‘us all being buried there in process of time’. The letter concludes with details of the time of the funeral and a ‘special train’ he is laying on ‘from Salisbury at 12.35, in connextion with the fast train from Waterloo at 11. a.m. which reaches Salisbury at 12.31.’ TWO: 5pp, 12mo. On two bifoliums. ‘My dear Father left me a written expression of his wishes in respect of Hymns. / He does not [last word underlined twice] wish the Hymn ‘Now the labourers task is o’er’ to be sung. / He does wish for Hymn 608 “God of the Living and the Dead,” in the supplemental Hymns of Ancient & Modern. If this is not procurable I will telegraph for some copies today.’ His wife Sibell is conveying the note, ‘& I could not wish for anything better than that she should arrange the service with you.’ He is bringing back his ‘dear Father’s ashes’ the following evening, ‘&, if it is possible, would like to put them in the coffin, & to put the coffin in the Church tomorrow night’. He describes his plans for the day, with an ‘Early Service for us at 8.30 a.m. on Saturday morning’, after which ‘We would go straight to the church for the Funeral service & take our places in good time, so as to being punctually at 1.45. After the first part of the service the coffin would be borne to the new Church yard for interment.’ He gives details of the orientation he has chosen for the coffin, ‘pointing straight at the Church’, and gives his reasons for departing from usual practice, ending with his plan to ‘build a low wall of green sandstone, 3 feet high & plant a high hedge of cut yew trees behind it as a background’.