This rare selection of early letters and designs by the young William Burges provides a fascinating insight into his budding imagination. His interest in all things mediaeval was strongly pronounced, even at such a young age. At the time of writing he was in attendance at King's College School where he had enrolled in 1839.
His antiquarian interests were coming to the fore under the guidance of family friends as indicated in the letter dated August 1st, 1841. The Leschallas family was very close to the Burges family and links between the two remained strong. Mary Burges was given the middle name Leschallas after her godfather John Leschallas whose brother William Leschallas was godfather to Mary and William's brother Alfred Edward.