A story about Thoms Holt

Thomas Holt died in 1799. He and his brother Rowland were friends of Ellenor Frere, of Roydon Hall, near Diss, Norfolk. She wrote in her diary:-

Admiral Wilson was at Botesdale Fair, Ascension Day. He has twice been sent for, post, to see Mr Holt in his last moments; he is one day dying, and the next riding to Diss, and next week Sir and Madam going to London, as the Admiral told Mr Catchpole at the Fair.
'Tis said that this expedition is to sell eight hundred a year to pay off large debts. I dare not say the truth of the £800 being gospel, but the following is - that Sir kept to his room, but that day Madam had neither gone in nor sent to enquire after him and had much company to dine there, and at dinner time he asked his man what time dinner was to be ready that day, for he had not been told. The servant answered "they are now at dinner, sir". He swore most dreadfully, and orderd his man to give him his stilts, tore down, and first dammed his wife most dreadfully and, that done, ended with "Damn you all!", upon which they all orderd their carriages and horses and left the Hall directly.

From 'A Record of the Family of Frere of Suffolk and Norfolk', B.S. Frere, privately printed 1982.


	THOMAS HOLT - an anecdote -