Source: Welbeck Abbey: RCHM xxix vi 168-169
Title: Portland Manuscripts
Date: 28 December 1737
Place: Essex

Mr West and I set out from his chambers in Lincoln's Inn about 8 o'clock in my chariot and six horses attended by Thomas, Charles, Ben upon the seventh coach horse, Pluckrose upon my black horse, and Mr West's man named Gabriel. Thus attended we set forward towards Chelmsford. We were obliged to stop at a little nasty house called Hare Street, famous for cakes, for the wheels being new, and never used before, took fire. We drove on and a little before we came to Ingatestone they were very bad. We stopped, and Mr West and I walked up to my Lord Petre's house, sent the chariot to be greased and the fire quenched. This house is called Ingatestone Hall, it is the old seat of the family, built by sir William Petre in queen Mary's time: he was the raiser of the family. The house is large and convenient, several old pictures, good gardens, a very pleasant country about it, and a very pretty walk over the fields to the church, where the family are buried. Several monuments in the church, but want much to be put in repair. This lord does not live here, he lives about 7 miles off. This lord is a great lover of exotic plants and raises a great many, and he is said by those that understand it that he is one of the best botanists in England. From hence we went for Chelmsford. Within a mile we left Moulsham on the right hand, it is my Lord Fitz Walter's, he has laid out money upon it. The town takes its name from the Chelm that runs by it: it has been much rebuilt of late years, a very good church here. My Lord Fitz Walter is in this parish and he is one of the churchwardens, The churchyard is well planted, the walks gravelled; this is the Mall for the beaux and belles of Chelmsford.

This travel journal is in the hand of the second Earl of Oxford.