Handwritten letter from Henry Blandford to Messrs Moule and Gore

Poulshot July 27th 1846

Dear Sirs

I cannot express any surprise at your avowal of not ''understanding" the reply of the Messrs Awdry to your communication, you ask, is it satisfactory to me? I can only say I do not understand it - The Messrs Awdry state that "in pursuance of an arrangement made with Mr Blandford & co - now the arrangement made with me was one effecting the horizontal [underlined] not the vertical [underlined] Angle, and more particularly directed to the Bath side of the Bridge, the gradient had been settled in your agreement with the director of the company, as had also the Site of the road, but for a deviation from the original "arrangement" sought to be carried out by the company, and that too, without consulting my employers, I am in the condition of the urchin who asks "if Peter Piper picked a peck of pepper" now in all simplicity I ask if "Henry Blandford made a fair arrangement, What [underlined] was the arrangement Henry Blandford made"? Was it an arrangement made on the assumption that the level of the road [underlined] would be that of the present Turnpike Road, and on which assumption the new Bridge walls have been erected by the company's servants and the centrer placed, (for this had taken place since [underlined] my interview with the Company's Sub-Engineers or was it in accordance with the present intentions of the company - which it appears is to raise the rail two feet above [underlined] the Turnpike - if the latter [underlined] how am I to be blamed for causing expense to the company,. and if the former, can that arrangement be calculated to meet present exigencies.
I think it quite fair that the company should furnish the Trustees of the Melksham Turnpike Road with plans and sections showing what they really [underlined] mean to do. - the proposed alteration in the level of the rail [underlined] will be very inconvenient it will make it impossible for the company to comply with the consolidation clauses act, without injuring the houses, and against being called on to do that they have provided in their agreement with the Trustees.
Should you think it desirable to call a meeting of the Committee I will attend on receiving two days notice.

I am Gentlemen
Yours truly

Henry Blandford