11, Lower Fairview,

Dartmouth,

Devon. TQ6 9EE

Tel: 01803-833460

6th July 2004

Mr. John Smither,

Barrington House,

Mount Boone,

Dartmouth. TQ6 9HZ.

Dear Mr. Smither,

History of Barrington House.

I am currently proceeding with a Local History research project on the development of properties in Victoria Road, Townstal Road and Townstal generally, during the period 1850-1950.

As a member of Dartmouth History Research Group I have heard that you, and Mrs. Baldwin before you, have been interested to discover more about the history of Barrington House. I have been asked by the Group to collect together and pass on to you all the information that we have. This includes data from Patricia Baker, a previous owner, giving details of conveyances held by the Land Registry (Title No. DN 251125, copy enclosed), and also from various census returns, from Kelly’s Directories and from the Dartmouth and South Hams Chronicle. Mrs. Ray Freeman and Mr. Jan Cowling of the History Research Group have provided much of this information.

As you know, Barrington House was previously named Townstal House. There is a record of the land being leased from Sir Henry P.Seale (owner of the Coombe and Norton estates) and others to a Mr. and Mrs. Smith on 14 August 1867, followed by an assignment and then a conveyance from William Smith to Ralph Richardson on 18 January 1873. He then conveyed the house and land to the Rev. John Aldous on 1st July 1880. Mrs. Baker believes that the surrounding land was sold by the Seales in 1855 but this is not supported by the Lease from the Seales dated 1867. It seems probable that the house was built about 1867, ie it is of mid-Victorian vintage (not Georgian or Edwardian !).

No occupants of the house appear in the 1851 or 1861 censuses, nor is it shown on a map in Dartmouth Museum dated 1864, showing various properties sold by Sir Henry Seale at that time. However in the 1881 census it appears as a private house occupied by the Rev. John C.P. Aldous, born 1850 in Coventry, MA. late of Jesus College, Cambridge, currently Chief Instructor and Chaplain of HMS. Britannia Naval Training ship (moored in the river Dart), together with his wife and family. This ship arrived in Dartmouth in 1863, and was joined by HMS Hindostan in 1865 as a dormitory ship. Many of the officers lived ashore in the town with their families. Mr. Aldous was apparently (according to BRNC records) the first Chaplain to be appointed by HMS Britannia, in 1874. He would have been aged 30 when he bought Townstal House. Three other villas were built about this time in the area, ie. Redwalls, Ashleigh and Rook Villa (later Rook House, built by Amos Peek and first occupied in 1864). However Swinnerton Lodge dates from about 1830, and Boringdon (formerly Townstal Villa and Bexley) from about 1850.

Mrs. Baker comments that “the boundary was always the drive, the field beyond belonging to the Raleigh Estate.” The field was sold after the Bakers left in 1970, and developed as part of Mount Boone Way. “The trees on the drive were probably contemporary with the house, Veitch’s plantsmen sending back seed from the U.S. and most big houses had similar plantings of deodar, Monterey pine and Wellingtonia (now cut down)”.

The 1891 census shows that the Aldous family was still in residence and had increased to include 6 children, a governess, a “lady’s help assistant” and two other servants. The family was there until 1899 when it was leased back to the Admiralty, and in 1905 conveyed to the Rev. E.C. Bayliss. In 1906 the occupant was Engineer Cdr. Charles G.Taylor, RN. (from Kelly’s Directory), who was still there in 1910. However in 1914 the House was in use as a High School for Girls, headmistress Miss Kate Davidson according to the Dartmouth Chronicle. This did not last long, and in June 1915 the house was conveyed from Rev. Bayliss to the Rev. Francis Simpson, Vicar of Townstal, who moved from Combecote in Ridge Hill. He was still there in the 1920’s and early 1930’s.

The enclosed list of Conveyances shows various owners and lessees from 1936 to 1988, including Mr. Williams, Lt.Comm. and Mrs. Bryer (Fryer ?), Emily Linsdell, Mr. and Mrs. F.Baker, Sansum Investments, Mr. J.Pedersen, Mr. and Mrs. Pedersen and Mr. Hawke. During this time the house became a hotel. Mrs. Baker also mentions a Mr. Legge and a Mr. Royle (who named the hotel the Royal House Hotel) as later owners. In 2000 Mrs. Baldwin renamed the hotel as Barrington House Hotel.

Finally, just to put to rest one or two apparent myths that were brought to our attention :- there is no record of any connection with the Peake-Frean family, and Gen.Eisenhower never stayed at Townstal House during the 1940’s according to a neighbour. According to a Fort Record Book at the National Archives, Townstal House was in 1942 the Regimental Headquarters of the 361 Coast Battery, Royal Artillery who were stationed at Dartmouth Castle. ((update, March 2006).

I hope all this is of interest, and may be of some help to you.

Yours sincerely,

Eric Preston.

cc. Mrs. I.O’Shea, Mrs. R. Freeman, Mr. J.Cowling. (DHRG)