IZ t= c o ^ s
LEATHERHEAD
& DISTRICT
LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY
PROCEEDINGS VOL 5 No 6
1993
'74,
SECRETARIAL NOTES
The following Lectures and Visits were arranged during 1993:
January 21st
Lecture: “ South-East England in R om an Times” , by Charles Abdy.
February 19th
“ The Society’s Slides o f Bookham ” , presented by Derek Renn.
M arch 19th
The 46th A nnual General Meeting, followed by a talk on “ The Dixon Family and
Cherkley C o u rt” , by G eoff Hayward.
A pril 16th
Lecture: “ The W ater Mills o f Surrey” , by D erek Stidder.
May 12th
Visit to Albury Park and Saxon Church, organised by H onor Slingo.
May 15th
Joint visit with LCA to Crich Tramways Museum and Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire.
Organised by Jo an Kirby.
June 12th
Visit to C hrist’s H ospital, H orsham . Organised by Joyce Fuller.
July 2nd
Visit to Tenterden, organised by John Read.
July 17th
“ W alk” round Bookham , led by Stephen Fortescue.
September 18th
Visit to W inchester, organised by David Ellis.
O ctober 15 th
D allaway Lecture: “ Brooklands M useum ” , by M orag Brown, the Director o f the
Museum.
November 19th
Lecture: “ Explorations in R eigate” , by David Williams.
December 17th
Christm as Miscellany, organised by G ordon Knowles.
N um ber 5 o f Volume 5 o f the Proceedings was issued during the year.
FORTY-SIXTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
H eld at the Letherhead Institute, 19 March 1993
The R eport o f the Executive Com m ittee and the Accounts for the year 1992 were adopted.
The elected Officers o f the Society are shown below.
OFFICERS FOR THE YEAR 1993
President:
Past President:
Vice-President:
Chairman:
Secretary/Membership Secretary:
Treasurer:
Editor:
Museum Curator:
Museum Treasurer:
Sales Secretary:
Archaeology Secretary:
Lecture Secretary:
Librarian:
Record Secretary:
Committee Members:
S. E. D. FO R TESC U E
J. G . W. LEW A RN E
D r D. F. R EN N , C.B.E., F.S.A.
L IN D A H EA TH
JO Y C E FU LLER
C. V. M. LATHAM
J. C. ST U T T A R D
JA N E T G O LD SM ITH
J. R. BULL
H. J. DAVIES
E. A. C RO SSLA N D , I S O.
N. H. W EST, M.B.E.
F. J. KIRBY
J. R . CLUBE, O.B.E.
D. B. ELLIS; H. G. KNOW LES
Leatherhead and District Local History Society
PROCEEDINGS
Vol. 5, No. 6
1993
CONTENTS
Page
O ccasional N otes
C elebrations at F etch am P arish C h u rch . J. C. STUTTARD
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150
C entenary o f the L eath erh ead M eth o d ist C h u rch . J. C. STUTTARD
150
R o m a n Coins F ou nd . E. A. CROSSLAND
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150
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152
Col. D rin k w ater B ethune (1762-1844), T h o rn c ro ft M a n o r, L eath erh ead .
J. R . C l u b e
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153
T he B uilding o f Y o u ng Street. E. A. C R O S S L A N D . .
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160
T he B yrons o f L eath erh ead . D . B. E l l i s
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161
Law rie Sm ith,
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A n A p p reciatio n . L i n d a HEATH
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W illiam C otton and his Fam ily in L eatherhead, 1823-39. MAURICE EXWOOD
163
The E psom an d L eath erh ead R ailw ay, 1856-59. H . J. D a v ie s
170
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Illustrations
Fetcham P arish C h u rch
Page
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R om an C oins found at L eath erh ead . .
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151
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157
C ol. D rin k w ater B ethune, a ttrib u te d to M a rtin A rc h e r Shee
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151
W illiam C o tto n an d his wife in th e L ib rary a t T he P rio ry , L eath erh ead .
A rtist u n k n o w n
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T h o rn cro ft M anor, seat o f C ol. D rin k w a te r B ethune. C o n te m p o ra ry
engraving
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on cover iv
149
OCCASIONAL NOTES
CELEBRATIONS AT FETCHAM PARISH CHURCH
St M ary ’s church at Fetcham has been a centre o f C hristian w orship since Saxon times
and its 1,000th anniversary was m arked in Septem ber this year by a special service o f
thanksgiving, celebrated by the B ishop o f D o rking and the R ector, the Rev. D avid Baker.
There was also a flower festival and a display show ing the history o f the church from early
times. C om m em orative plates and beakers, using artw ork by the Fetcham artist, Betty
Eldridge, w ere produced for the celebrations by the Queen Elizabeth F ou n d atio n for the
D isabled, at D orincourt.
j c ST U TTA R D
CENTENARY OF THE LEATHERHEAD M ETH ODIST CHURCH
The M ethodist C hurch in C hurch R oad was built a hundred years ago and the centenary
was m arked during 1993 by several services, a dinner, a musical production and a craft
fair. The church was first opened for w orship on 4th O ctober 1893 and on the same day
this year a com m union service was held by the Rev. Ian Field. O n the previous day, the
V ice-President o f the M ethodist C onference was the guest preacher at a civic service; there
was also a display illustrating the ch u rch ’s history and the Pilgrim Players put on a num ber
o f sketches.
j c stu tta rd
ROM AN C O IN S FOUND
Two R om an coins have been b ro u g h t into the L eatherhead M useum recently and their
identification has been m ade w ith the help o f the G uildford M useum.
1. A bronze ‘a s’ (R om an penny) d ated A .D . 97 in the reign o f N erva (A .D. 96-98). The
obverse shows IM P CAES N ER V A T R A IA N O A U G G E R D A C P.M . The inclusion G ER
(G erm anicus) dates the coin to A .D . 97 when the E m peror obtained this title. Some o f
the lettering has been lost an d the reverse side which w ould give m ore inform ation has
been filed fiat possibly m aking it into a gam ing counter (‘shove h a ’penny?’).
Nerva became E m peror following the assasination o f D om itian with whom he had served
as C onsul. Being a lawyer, he was n o t po p u lar with the Army. T o strengthen his position
he adopted T rajan who becam e E m peror when N erva died in A .D . 98.
T his coin was found in a garden in D ilston R o ad , Leatherhead.
2. A silver denarius o f A lexander Severus (A .D . 222-35). A closer dating is not
possible. It was found on M ickleham D ow ns on the line o f Stane Street, in such good
condition th at D avid Bruce has been able to cast a reproduction o f it. The obverse o f the
coin shows the head o f the E m p ero r facing right w earing a laurel w reath with the letters
IM P SEV to the left o f the head an d X A N D A U G to the right. The reverse has a figure
o f the goddess o f the corn harvest, A nnona. She stands erect facing forw ard with a plant
in her right hand and an unknow n object in her left. T o the left o f the figure are the letters
A N N O and to the right N A A U G .
A lexander Severus w as a grandson o f Julia M aesa who b ro ught a b o u t the restoration
o f the Severan dynasty with his election as R om an E m peror in A .D . 222 after the m urder
o f his cousin, Elagabalus, by the P raeto rian G uard.
E A crossland
150
FE TC H A M PA R ISH C H U R C H
P h o to g ra p h su p p lie d b y th e R ev. D a v id B a k e r
ROM AN c o in s f o u n d a t l e a t h e r h e a d
P h o to g r a p h by K . W o lv e rto n
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LAWRIE SM ITH ,
AN APPRECIATION
Lawrie Smith, form er C hairm an o f the Society, died on 22nd January 1993. H e was elected
V ice-C hairm an in 1980 and succeeded Stephen Fortescue as C hairm an from 1981-89 when
he was made a Vice-President. U ndoubtedly his m ost outstanding achievement as C hairm an
was the publication o f the H istory o f Leatherhead. Heavy expenditure was needed for this
an d it was largely L aw rie’s able h andling o f the financing and p a rt sponsoring by Esso
o f the book th at ensured its publication.
It was Lawrie who arran g ed for the Society’s books to be housed in the Leatherhead
Institute L ibrary, in exchange for w hich he organised the original ro ta o f Society mem bers
to stew ard the lending library at th e Institute. Lawrie will also be rem em bered by many
o f us for his expert carp en try and jo in ery n o t least in the M useum , w here these skills were
p ut to such good use.
L IN D A H EA TH
Errata: Procs, LD LH S 5 (5), 1992: p. 141, line 4 from bottom o f page, for ‘1755’ read ‘1759’;
p. 143, line 12, for ‘£4,000’ read ‘£400’.
152
COL. DRINKWATER BETHUNE (1762-1844)
THORNCROFT MANOR, LEATHERHEAD
By J. R . C LU B E
y ^ M O N G the people o f distinction w ho came to live in L eatherhead a t som e tim e in their
lives, we m ust surely count Col. D rinkw ater Bethune w ho on retirem ent came with
his family to live in T h o rn cro ft M a n o r in 1836, and who died there in 1844. H is nam e may
m ean little today, b u t during his lifetime, and while he was living in L eatherhead, he was
a respected m ilitary figure o f n ational renow n.
Early Life
Born John D rinkw ater, the son o f a naval surgeon, he grew up in a p eriod o f w orld-wide
m ilitary activity1. H e began his m ilitary career in 1777 at the age o f fifteen, w hen, living
in Salford, he joined the 72nd, The R oyal M anchester V olunteers. This u n it was raised
by the City o f M anchester follow ing the defeat o f the British forces in S aratoga, N o rth
America, in 1777. It was presum ed th a t the R egim ent w ould go to N o rth A merica: instead
it was sent im m ediately to G ib ra lta r where an atta ck by Spanish forces was expected. The
m ilitary com m ander o f G ibraltar, Lt. G en. Sir G eorge E liott, was given good su p p o rt by
the government o f the day and was able to build up strong defences. Despite siege conditions,
shortage o f food, and disease, the garrison w as able to survive, helped by the success o f
the R oyal Navy in beating the blockade on occasion. E ventually the siege was lifted: it
had lasted from 1779 to 1783.
T he success in w ithstanding the Spanish attack was seen in B ritain as a m ajo r m ilitary
and naval achievement. D rinkw ater had kept a careful record o f events th ro u g h o u t the
siege, m aterial which he used in his boo k A H istory o f the Siege o f Gibraltar, 1779-1783,
published in L ondon in 1785. H e received perm ission to dedicate it to the K ing, by w hom
he was received. H e w as gratified to learn later th a t the copy presented to the K ing had
been bound in the R oyal L ibrary at B uckingham H ouse an d show ed signs th a t it had been
very well used. As a C ap tain , aged 23, he had become im m ediately fam ous and his book
a m ilitary classic.
In 1787 D rinkw ater returned to G ibraltar, having now joined the 1st, o r R oyal Regim ent
o f Foot. He moved with this Regim ent to T oulon when it was briefly occupied by the British
in 1793. W hen N apoleon drove the British out they m oved first to Naples, and the following
year occupied C orsica as a P rotectorate.
With the Viceroy’s Staff in Corsica and Naples
Sir G ilbert Elliot, later the Earl o f M into, was appointed Viceroy o f C orsica, and in 1795
invited D rinkw ater to jo in his staff as Secretary o f the M ilitary D ep artm en t an d D eputy
Judge A dvocate. This was to lead to a life-long friendship w ith the M into fam ily an d gave
D rinkw ater an entree into the highest influential circles in th e M ed iterranean an d later in
L ondon. The situation in C orsica d eteriorated how ever to the p o in t w here, in Septem ber
1796, the L ondon governm ent ordered th e evacuation o f the islan d .2
In the weeks before the evacuation local levies and privateers w ere recruited an d so many
came forw ard th at difficulties arose over paying them . D rin k w ater was threaten ed with
assassination at this time an d his qu arters were b roken into. H e records th a t C om m odore
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N elson arrived o ff B astia to cover the em b ark atio n o f tro o p s and stores— “ Ill-disposed
kept in check by the C o m m o d o re’s ap p earan ce” . D rinkw ater escaped in the vessel Egmont
to N aples w here he later jo in ed up w ith Sir G ilbert Elliot and his staff.
In Naples the form er Viceroy and his party were warmly received by the King. Drinkw ater
attended a R oyal H unting P arty and dinner, “ nothing could be m ore agreeable than the
condescension and affability o f the K ing . . . ” H e was equally im pressed with the kindness
and hospitality o f the British M inister, Sir W illiam H am ilton, who exhibited his collection
o f E truscan and other vases. D rinkw ater rem arks th a t the collection was afterw ards
purchased by the B ritish governm ent “ to be united with the o ther m atchless and valuable
A rticles o f C uriosity in the British M useum ” .
D rinkw ater w rote at greater length a b o u t Lady H am ilton w ho although “ past the
M eridian o f her B eauty was still very h an d so m e” . Tall, with luxuriant brow n h air reaching
alm ost to the floor, she w ore a close w hite tunic dress. In h o n o u r o f the guests she gave
a perform ance o f her “ A ttitu d e s”— poses o f w ell-known classical statues. T he guests sat
at one end o f the draw ing room while L ady H am ilton and her assistants were concealed
behind folding screens. “ The statues she im itated were num erous: the M ad o n n a was her
best perform ance . . . an d produced a strong sensation am ong the spectators. H er Exhibition
o f the A ttitudes . . . m uch exceeded any description th a t could be given w ithout the aid
o f a pencil” .3
Before leaving Italy Sir G ilbert an d his staff visited Pom peii, H erculaneum and Rome.
Drinkw ater accompanied Sir G ilbert when he was received by Pope Pius VI in December 1796.
Friendship with Nelson
In 1797 D rinkw ater accompanied the former Viceroy on his return to Britain. The vessel
in which they sailed was the Minerve, comm anded by Capt. C ockburn and flying the pennant
o f Com m odore Nelson with whom they were already very well acquainted. After leaving
G ibraltar Nelson was proceeding to rendezvous with the Fleet comm anded by Admiral Sir
John Jervis.
The Minerve joined the Fleet off Cape St Vincent on 13th February 1797, which gave
D rinkw ater the opportunity o f witnessing a m ajor naval battle. Before the action Nelson
transferred his pennant to the vessel Captain; the Viceroy and his staff were transferred to
the frigate Lively which acted as a repeating frigate (i.e. relaying communications) during the
battle. Drinkw ater was thus able to see the fleet manoeuvres and record the stages o f the battle.
Following its successful outcom e Nelson visited Lively, and seeing Drinkw ater invited him
to his cabin. D rinkw ater was able to question Nelson about the battle . . . “our intimacy was
such that I felt no difficulty in drawing from him these details . . . ”
Some time later Admiral Sir John Jervis published an account o f the battle which, in the
eyes o f many, did not adequately reflect the skill o f the men, the Admiral himself, and
particularly Nelson. So D rinkw ater was persuaded by other officers to publish his account—a
Narrative with sketches. He did this anonymously thinking it might seem presumptuous of
an Arm y Officer to report on a naval engagement. D rinkw ater records that it was chiefly due
to this account that Nelson was made Knight o f the Bath.
Years later, in 1840, when D rinkwater was living at Thom croft, he republished the Narrative
in his own name, in aid o f the Nelson Testimonial Fund.4 He added to the title “and anecdotes
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of Nelson before and after the b attle ” , and m uch explanatory detail. These anecdotes reveal
the closeness o f his friendship with N elson. H e tells, fo r instance, how he was sitting next
to Lt. H ardy at lunch when a cry o f “ M an o v erb o ard ” w ent up. All leapt from the table
and H ardy lowered a boat to try to save the m an. H e was unsuccessful in the attem pt but
was drifting dangerously close to Spanish ships. A t som e risk N elson gave orders to move
Minerve to pick up the b o at saying “ By G o d I ’ll n o t lose H ardy . . .”
D rinkw ater records o th er conversations w ith N elson on th a t occasion and after the
publication o f the anonym ous version o f the Narrative their friendship becam e even closer.
He also records calling on N elson in L ondon later in 1797 shortly after N elson had lost
his arm at Santa Cruz. D rinkw ater had ju st com e from th e A dm iralty, and N elson asked
him if there was any news. D rinkw ater replied there were rum ours o f fleet action w ith the
D utch. N elson “ started up in his peculiar energetic m anner, n o t w ithout Lady N elso n ’s
attem pt to quiet him, and stretched out his unw ounded arm . ‘D rin k w ater’, he said, ‘I would
give this other arm to be with (A dm iral) D uncan at this m o m en t.’ ”
Marriage
It was during his service in C orsica th a t D rinkw ater met his future wife. She was E leanor
C ongalton w ho had com e to C orsica in 1794 w ith Lady Elliot to w hom she was com panion.
She returned to England w ith the family, via G ib raltar, after the evacuation o f Corsica.
D rinkw ater rem ained in close touch with the fam ily after they had reached E ngland, and
writes o f a M asque w hich was perform ed by the M into fam ily at R o eh am p to n in 1798 at
which he assisted. The m arriage to o k place at Putney C hurch on 6th June 1799.
Military Administrator
By the time D rinkw ater returned to Britain in 1797 he had gained considerable experience
in civil adm inistration in the Army. Sir G ilbert, now the E arl o f M into, intro d u ced him
to the Prime M inister, W illiam P itt, w ho persuaded him to u n d ertak e the sorting o u t o f
the T oulon and C orsica accounts.5 M uch o f this w ork involved an unsuccessful attem p t
to secure prize m oney for those w ho had served there. D rinkw ater accepted the w ork
reluctantly as this em ploym ent p u t him on the half-pay list an d led to his relinquishing
the m ilitary for the civil dep artm en t o f the A rm y. He was in fact offered various overseas
appointm ents but turned them dow n preferring to stay w ith his family. He served for some
years on the Comm ission o f M ilitary Inquiry, finally as C hairm an. In 1811 he was appointed
a C om ptroller o f A rm y A ccounts, a post he held until his retirem ent in 1836. H e had long
held an honorary ap pointm ent with the D uke o f K e n t’s household resulting in a close
friendly relationship which ended only w hen the D uke died in 1821.6 The D uke attended
the baptism o f his son E dw ard in 1812. D rinkw ater kept his close co n tac t with the M into
family also and becam e financial adviser to th e 1st and 2nd Earls.
D rinkw ater had an unexpected chance to apply his military skills when Volunteer Infantry
units were set up in the face o f a th re a t o f French invasion. H e applied unsuccessfully to
be appointed Inspector o f the V olunteer C orps. He was, how ever, invited to com m and the
newly-raised “ Ealing and B rentford V olunters” in 1803 when he was living in Little Ealing,
and was subsequently appointed Colonel w ith com m and o f a V olunteer Brigade comprising
units from other areas. His ow n unit was disbanded in 1806.7 H e had been a po p u lar
com m ander and a letter o f th an k s sent in th e nam e o f all ranks reads, in p a rt “ it is to your
155
T alents and E xertions th at the C orps is indebted for the repu tatio n . . . for the harm ony
it has enjoyed. Though we now withdraw to our private stations we shall ever retain a grateful
sense o f your num erous obligations . . . ” He greatly valued a silver cup which was presented
to him .8
Retirement
D rinkw ater was 74 when he retired from public service in 1836. G ilbert Bethune, his
brother-in-law , died in the same year and the B ethune estate then passed to the six
D rinkw ater children9 (there had been seven but a daughter H arriet Sophia had died in 1827
aged 19). The nam e ‘D rinkw ater B ethune’ was then adopted. The family right to take the
Bethune arm s, less ‘the two O tter supporters which were B alfour’ was confirm ed in 1837.'°
This was the tim e when the family m oved to T h o rn cro ft, but why the Colonel chose
T horncroft as his next and final hom e is n o t known. T he family had occupied various town
houses over the years, living in Little Ealing until 1807 and K ensington until 1813, when
32 Fitzroy Square was bought. Summ ers were spent at a cottage in Elstree, b u t the family
also visited B roadstairs, D over, P ortsm outh, B righton and m any o th er places. Indeed the
degree o f travel is quite striking. The C olonel o r m em bers o f the fam ily m ay well have
passed through L eatherhead on occasion. T here is, however, no ap p aren t evidence o f a
previous connection w ith L eatherhead or with the B oulton family who ow ned T horncroft.
The explanation m ay simply be th a t T h o rn cro ft becam e available for letting on the death
o f the previous occupant, Jam es T row er, in A pril 1836, and th at this event coincided with
the C olonel’s retirem ent.
Family Matters
A t the time o f the move the C o lonel’s children were all adult, the youngest being in her
twenties. T here w ere three sons and three daughters. The eldest daughter, E leanor Anne,
was m arried to the Rev. W. E. H adow and lived in W arw ickshire. The sons, John Elliot,
C harles R am say, and E dw ard were away from home. The tw o unm arried daughters, M ary
Elizabeth an d G eorgina A ugusta, were the only tw o to com e to live at T horncroft.
O f all the sons and daughters, M ary E lizabeth, born 1806, was the one m ost closely
associated w ith L eatherhead. She clearly had a great love o f her new home by the river
and in 1839 published privately a poem entitled “ T he R iver M ole o r Emlyn Stream ” .
Proceeds were to go to the fund for N ational Schools. The book contains several illustrations
and has been an n o tated with com m ents by W illiam C o tto n her neighbour at the P rio ry .11
A few m onths after her m o th er’s death in Septem ber 1848, M ary Elizabeth m arried N orm an
J. B. Uniacke, an officer o f the D enbighshire Cavalry, o f M ount Uniacke, Co. C o rk .12 They
had four children. M ary died on 10th N ovem ber 1863 and was buried in Leatherhead
churchyard next to her p a re n ts.13
M ary’s younger sister, G eorgina A ugusta, m arried H enry M alden at Leatherhead church
on 7th July 1843. O ne o f their children was H enry Elliot M alden born in L ondon, 8th M ay
1849. He became well-known as an antiquarian and writer and was the author o f the History
o f Surrey published in 1900. H. E. M alden was a leading figure in the Surrey Archaeological
Society to w hose jo u rn al he co n trib u ted m any articles. H e was elected to the C ouncil o f
th at Society in 1896 and was secretary from 1916 to 1920.14 He died in 1931. D id he inherit
the reporting skills o f his grandfather?
156
C O L . D R IN K W A T E R B E T H U N E
A ttr i b u te d t o M a r tin A r c h e r S h e e
C o u rte s y o f th e B ritis h L ib ra ry
157
The youngest son, E dw ard, was em ployed at the A dm iralty. H e died in 1839 aged 27.
A tablet in L eatherhead C h u rch com m em orates his d eath and th a t o f his sister H arriet
Sophia, as well as those o f the parents. The other two sons, John Elliot and C harles Ramsay
both achieved success in their separate fields. They doubtless knew L eatherhead but they
cannot be regarded as L eatherhead residents.
The eldest son, John Elliot, was b o rn in 1801. A C am bridge g raduate, he was called to
the bar in 1827. He w orked on a num ber o f governm ent comm issions, and became Counsel
to the H om e Office from 1833 to 1837 engaged in d rafting im portant legislation. He was
appointed to the Supreme Council o f India in 1848, founded a school in the name o f Bethune
in C alcutta, and died there in 1851.15
C orrespondence in the British L ibrary shows th a t Jo h n Elliot was in close personal touch
with the celebrated m athem atician C harles B abbage, at least between 1827 and 1834.
B abbage was the inventor o f the first type o f calculator which he called the 'Difference
E ngine’. In 1827 (?) Jo h n Elliot w rote to B abbage “ . . . my father is much obliged to you
for the opportunity o f seeing the Beast, but he does not feel quite well today and it is doubtful
whether he will be able to go out tom orrow . . 16 “The Beast” must surely be the ‘Difference
E ngine’, and it is reasonable to suppose th at the C olonel saw it on an o th er occasion.
The second son, C harles R am say, was b o rn in 1802 and joined the R oyal Navy in 1815
serving im m ediately w ith A dm iral C ock b u rn w hom his father had know n in the
M editerranean. He sailed in the Northumberland, the vessel which accom panied N apoleon
to St H elena.17 In 1846 he m arried Frances Cecilia Staples and one o f their sons, Sir Edward
Cecil B ethune, was a G eneral in the G re at W ar. C harles was ap pointed R ear-A dm iral in
1855 and form ally retired from the N avy in 1870. F o r some years previously he had
w ithdraw n from L ondon an d m oved to the Bethune estates in F ife.18 He died in London
in 1884.
Life at Thorncroft Manor
In the few years th at Col. D rinkw ater B ethune lived at T h orncroft M anor he had the
pleasure o f his family near at hand. Jo h n Elliot was still in L ondon, C harles at the Admiralty
p art o f the time, and E dw ard w ould have visited L eatherhead before his death in 1839.
The H adow grandchildren were staying at T h o rn cro ft at th e time o f the 1841 Census, as
were M ary and G eorgina. A n elegant engraving o f 1842 shows T ho rn cro ft and the Lodge
with the caption “ The C o u n try Seat o f Col. J. D rinkw ater B ethune” (see colophon). One
can imagine that ap art from the death o f Edw ard this was a period o f com fortable retirement
in beautiful surroundings.
F o r the last year o f his life the C olonel was quite blind but rem ained active in mind
nevertheless. W hen he died in 1844 aged 81, he was still re-assem bling m aterial for a revised
edition o f his H istory o f the Siege. His widow E leanor died at C hertsey in 1848 and both
were buried in L eatherhead churchyard near the grave o f the Rev. Jam es Dallaway.
Between the siege o f G ib ra lta r an d the d eath o f C harles in 1884 som e hundred years
had elapsed. D uring th a t time the C olonel had experienced 18th century w arfare on land
and sea, had been present at events o f historical im portance, and had held influential
appointm ents in L ondon. He had achieved considerable personal fame and his children
had left their m arks in varying ways. A lthough the connection with L eatherhead was brief
158
it was o f considerable significance for th e C olonel and his fam ily and th u s o f great
im portance for L eatherhead. Indeed it w ould n o t be unreasonable to say th a t C olonel
D rinkw ater Bethune was pro b ab ly the m ost p rom inent person to live in L eatherhead in
the 19th century.
NOTES
1.
Col. D rinkw ater’s life is described in the D ictionary o f National Biography and the N ational Biographical
Archive; also in Gentleman's M agazine (A pr. 1844), p. 431.
2.
N ational Library o f Scotland, Ms 1835, Leading Incidents in the Life o f Col. Drinkwater.
3.
Ibid., Ms 1841, Elba . . . Naples etc.
4.
Narrative o f the Battle o f S t Vincent with anecdotes o f Nelson before and after that Battle, Saunders & Otley, 1840.
5.
N ational Army M useum, A CC. 8105-2.
6.
N ational Register Archives, 10476, correspondence o f 2nd Earl o f M into.
7.
N .A .M . ACC. 7805-72, f. 281.
8.
Col. D rinkw ater's Will, PRO B 11, 1988.
9.
G ilbert Bethune’s Will, Scottish R ecord Office, SC20/50/10.
10.
B urke’s General Armory, 1884.
11.
The River Mole or Em lvn Stream, 1839, note, p. 28. F o r W illiam C otton see Procs., LD LH S 5(5), 1992,
pp. 140-5.
12.
Jeremy U niacke, family historian.
13.
Stanley Parkes, L eatherhead C hurch.
14.
S.A.S. records.
15.
C. H. D rinkw ater & W. G. D. Fletcher, The Family o f D rinkwater . . .. 1920.
16.
B. L. Ms 37184, fs 102 & 214.
17.
O 'B yrne's Naval Biographical Dictionary, 1849.
18.
M. F. Conolly, Biographical Dictionary o f Eminent M en o f Fife, 1866.
Acknowledgments
The au th o r gratefully acknow ledges the help received from th e British L ibrary, the
N ational L ibrary o f Scotland, the Scottish R ecord Office, the Scottish N atio n al P o rtrait
G allery, the N ational R egister o f Archives, the L ancashire R ecord Office, the M aritim e
Inform ation C entre and the Surrey A rchaeological Society. V aluable info rm atio n on
Babbage was provided by D r M. C am pbell-K elly o f W arw ick U niversity and Jim R oberts.
The p o rtrait on p. 157 is reproduced by courtesy o f the British L ibrary from the b ook at
N ote 15. This does not nam e the artist, but the Scottish N atio n al P o rtrait G allery says
that it is attrib u ted to M artin A rcher Shee.
159
THE BUILDING OF YOUNG STREET
By E. A. C R O S S L A N D
Q N the north-w est corner o f the G ivons G rove ro u ndabout a stone cairn records the work
done by the C anadian Royal Engineers during the w ar in the construction o f the western
extension o f the L eatherhead bypass left incom plete some years earlier. The inscription
m akes it clear that the road was nam ed after the E ngineers’ C om m anding Officer, thus
contradicting the attrib u tio n som etim es m ade th a t the nam e derives from one o f the main
thoroughfares in T o ro n to called Y onge Street. The C om m anding Officer referred to was
M ajor E. J. Y oung (later to becom e a C olonel) and the road w as opened on 25th May
1941 by M ackenzie King, the C anadian Prim e M inister.
Since the narrow roads o f L eatherhead were causing congestion to m ilitary traffic early
in the w ar it was decided to em ploy the 2nd R oad C onstruction C om pany o f the C anadian
Royal Engineers to com plete the Leatherhead bypass. The C om pany had arrived in England
from T o ro n to in June 1940 and they started w ork on w hat was to become Y oung Street
at the end o f the year; their h ead q u arters was at O xshott where the brickw orks site was
used as a w orkshop and equipm ent dum p. M ost o f the large houses in the area (including
Stoke D ’A bernon an d C obham ) were requisitioned for accom m odation.
The building o f Y oung Street was no easy task. It involved removing 145,000 cubic metres
o f chalk and flint to form the cutting up to H aw ks Hill wide enough for a dual carriagew ay
(though it was built and rem ained a single roadway), enlarging and strengthening the railway
tunnel, bridging the river, and tran sp o rtin g the excavated m aterial across the river to form
the approaches to the bridge. T he bridge itself had concret abutm ents and w ooden piers
to support a w ooden deck on steel girders across the 79 ft. gap. It was m ade stronger than
w ould have been necessary for ord in ary traffic in o rder to carry the weight o f the heavy
military equipm ent. W est o f the bridge, the tunnel under the Leatherhead to D orking railway
(originally serving only a country lane) needed m ajor reconstruction w ithout causing
interruption to the trains. T his entailed low ering the roadw ay and underpinning the
brickw ork o f the 1867 archw ay. The road rem ained a single carriagew ay an d so needed
lights to regulate the traffic.
u>
ol
5
iD-i
^c-sr/c,
> 5*
.
JtoT-
I1 The bridge and the tunnel u n d er the railw ay rem ained in use until 1978, although a new
*■bridge had been built in 1976 which was no t, however, connected to the road so th at during
the dro u g h t o f th a t year there was a bridge with no ro ad over a river with no water! The
rebuilt road, undertaken by Surrey C ou n ty Council engineers, was opened on 20th January
1978 by Paul M artin, th e High C om m issioner for C anada.
After completing Y oung Street, the 2nd R oad C onstruction Com pany carried out between
1941 and 1944 m any civil engineering tasks in Britain (including building the runw ay to
D unsfold airfield). They then w ent to France soon after D -day and gave sim ilar support
to the Allied armies. Following the u n it’s disbandm ent in July 1945 the O xshott brickworks
site reverted to its form er use. It finally ceased pro d u ctio n in the 1950s and was sold for
housing. The claypit becam e flooded an d is now an attractive natu re reserve.
NOTE
This account o f Y oung Street is based on The H istory o f the Corps o f Royal Canadian Engineers by Col. A. J.
Kerry and Maj. W. A. M cDill, and on inform ation supplied by M r & M rs J. C. Elliott o f Stoke D ’A bernon.
160
THE BYRONS OF LEATHERHEAD
BY D. B. ELLIS
'y O m ost people the nam e Byron suggests the poet, G eorge G o rd o n , 6th L ord Byron
(1788-1824). However, Byron Place, a cul-de-sac o ff C hurch R o ad in Leatherhead, was
not nam ed after the poet b u t after a kinsm an o f his, R ear-A dm iral R ich ard Byron, C.B.
(1769-1837), who is com m em orated by a m em orial tab let in L eatherhead Parish C hurch;
another tablet above it com m em orates his son, C om m ander R ichard Byron (1802-43). The
A dm iral owned prop erty in the town.
The Byrons, whose pedigree can be traced back to the N orm an Conquest, were a colourful
family whose history has been fully docum ented in The House o f Byron by Violet W. W alker
(1988). D uring the 18th and 19th centuries several o f its m em bers follow ed a naval career.
The uncle o f our R ichard Byron, John Byron (1723-86), g ran d fath er o f the poet, becam e
an A dm iral and earned the soubriquet o f “ F o ulw eather Ja c k ” because his service at sea
always seemed to be dogged by tem pestuous weather. His younger brother, the Rev. Richard
Byron, m arried in 1768 and had three sons: R ichard, th e subject o f this article, John
(1771-1805) and H enry (1776-1821), who follow ed his fath er into H oly O rders.
R ichard Byron entered the N avy as a m idshipm an in 1782 in the frigate Andromache,
which was com m anded by his cousin, G eorge A nson Byron, and he was present at the relief
o f G ibraltar in 1783 (see p. 153 o f this Proceedings). T his was the year in which the W ar
of A m erican Independence cam e to an end; the U nited Stated had enlisted the su pport
o f France and Spain to overcom e B ritain’s com m and o f the sea, and Spain h ad hoped to
regain possession o f G ibraltar. Ten years later Britain was again a t w ar with F rance, and
Byron, now a Lieutenant, served in the 90-gun w arship Impregnable at the sea-battle know n
as the G lorious F irst o f June (1794). L ater he served in the 100-gun Queen Charlotte in
the C hannel, and as Flag-L ieutenant in the 74-gun Tremendous, based at the C ape o f G ood
Hope. He rose to the rank o f C om m ander in 1798. In 1801 he m arried Sarah Sykes, daughter
o f James Sykes o f Leatherhead, a Navy Agent, and sister o f John Sykes, also a naval officer.
In the following year when the w ar with F rance cam e to an end w ith the Peace o f Amiens,
Byron was m ade a C aptain on the retired list. D uring th e years in which E ngland was
threatened with invasion by N apoleon, C ap tain s were ap pointed in com m and o f “ Seafencibles” , a system o f total con tro l o f th e coastline, and Byron was recalled to service
in com m and o f the L ancashire coast in 1804 and o f Anglesey in 1805-6.
In 1811 C aptain B yron was recalled to service at sea in com m and o f the new frigate
Belvidera, which sailed to C an ad a an d form ed p a rt o f a force based a t H alifax, m onitoring
the m ovem ents o f French ships which were interfering w ith trad in g vessels in th e W est
Atlantic. France had the tacit support o f the U nited States and this turned into open alliance
when the States declared w ar on B ritain in 1812. Some A m erican ships were planning to
attack a British convoy and were intercepted by B yron in the Belvidera. A sh arp action
followed in which Byron was w ounded and his ship damaged, but worse damage was inflicted
on his A m erican opponents, w ho failed to capture the convoy which was th eir target. In
1813 the Belvidera captured an A m erican schooner w hose com m ander, a C aptain
Southcom b, was seriously w ounded in the action. Byron is reported to have behaved m ost
generously to his injured enemy; “ he to o k him on b o ard the frigate until he died, and then
had his body sent ashore with every m ark o f th e respect due to a brave officer” (V. W.
161
E X T R A C T F R O M B Y R O N F A M IL Y T R E E
W illiam Byron
4th Lord
(1669-1736)
John Byron
Vice-Admiral
(1723-86)
W illiam Byron
5th Lord
(1722-98)
Rev. R ichard Byron
(1724-1811)
John Byron
(1756-91)
George A nson Byron
C aptain. R.N .
(1758-93)
R ichard Byron*
Rear-Admiral
(1769-1837)
G eorge G ordon Byron
6th L ord (the Poet)
(1788-1824)
George A nson Byron
Adm iral, 7th Lord
(1789-1868)
Richard Byron*
Com m ander, R.N.
(1802-43)
*of Leatherhead
W alker, op. cit., p. 217). T he Belvidera was recalled to England later in 1813 and Byron
was again placed on the retired list.
A t the end o f the w ar with France in 1815 C apt. Byron, with many o ther naval and military
officers, was appointed C om m ander o f the m ilitary O rd er o f the B ath (C.B.) to m ark
(according to the official citation) th e K in g ’s ‘gracious sense o f the valour, perseverance,
and devotion m anifested by the Officers o f H is M ajesty’s F orces by Sea and L an d ’. Byron
rem ained a C aptain until p rom oted to R ear-A dm iral on 10th Jan u ary 1837. This was less
a m ark o f personal distinction than a device by the naval authorities to overcome a blockage
in the system by w hich appointm ents were m ade strictly according to seniority; there were
too m any C aptains who were to o old for service but w ho, according to the existing rules,
could n o t be passed over. The solution was to prom ote them to the rank o f Rear-A dm iral!
Several such prom otions were m ade at this time.
R ichard and Sarah Byron had four sons: R ichard, b o m 1802, who joined the Navy; James,
born 1803, w ho entered the A rm y; Jo h n , b o rn 1804, who becam e a clergym an and in 1830
m arried M ary, the eldest dau g h ter o f W illiam R ichardson o f L eatherhead; and W illiam,
born 1805, who joined the E ast In d ia C om pany. The younger R ich ard Byron becam e a
L ieutenant in 1825 and served in the M editerranean and the E ast Indies; he becam e a
C om m ander in 1836 and was ap p o in ted to the com m and o f the sloop Champion in 1841;
he died at sea o ff M azatlan, on the west coast o f M exico, on 23rd F eb ru ary 1843. The
long voyage there w ould have involved sailing dow n the A tlantic O cean, round C ape H orn
and up the Pacific coast o f S outh A m erica. C om m ander B yron’s m astery o f seam anship
m ust have been fully equal to his fa th e r’s.
A dm iral Byron died on 2nd Septem ber 1837, an d his property in Leatherhead was divided
between his widow and his son R ichard. The Tithe A llocation o f 1840, which is in the Surrey
R ecord Office, shows eleven acres o f land as being ow ned by R ichard Byron, and this was
162
all let to tenants; p art o f it is w ithin the present grounds o f St J o h n ’s School, an d p art
o f it is south o f w hat is now E psom R oad. A fu rther twelve acres, on the co rn er o f w hat
is now Epsom R oad and Linden R oad, belonged to S arah Byron; this included the house,
lawn, garden, stables and barns. The site o f the house is now occupied by Linden C o u rt,
and behind this block o f flats m ay be seen a brick wall, surm ounted by two stone urns—
possibly a relic o f the A d m iral’s garden.
Acknowledgements
M uch o f the prelim inary research for this paper was carried out by the late F ran k Benger
and the late G eoffrey G ollin. F u rth e r in form ation has been kindly provided by the C entral
C hancery o f the O rders o f K n ighthood; the C ity o f N o ttin g h am Leisure & C om m unity
Services (which adm inisters N ewstead Abbey, form er hom e o f the poet Byron); the N ational
M aritim e M useum ; and the Surrey R ecord Office.
WILLIAM COTTON AND HIS FAMILY IN LEATHERHEAD,
1823-39
By M A U R IC E E X W O O D
INlast year’s Proceedings there was an account o f W illiam C o tto n ’s com ing to Leatherhead
in 1823 and acquiring a small cottage which he m ade into a su bstantial dwelling, The
Priory, where he housed his fine C ollection o f old-m aster paintings, draw ings an d objets
d ’a r t.1 This article describes W illiam C o tto n ’s family and their wide circle o f friends in
L eatherhead during the sixteen years they lived here before m oving to D evon in 1839.
The Cotton Family
As the family tree shows, the C o tto n s,2 from farm ing stock in C am bridgeshire, moved
to L ondon in the 18th century and m ade good by their association with the rich founders
o f a great art C ollection: R o b ert T ow nson and C harles Rogers. T he C o tto n who lived in
L eatherhead, W illiam C o tto n III, inherited the T ow nson-R ogers wealth. He was b o rn in
the City o f L ondon b u t the young family soon m oved to B alham Hill H ouse standing in
6'A acres near the then fashionable C lapham C om m on.3 Five m ore children were b o m before
the m other died soon after W illiam had started b oarding school at R ichm ond, Surrey. He
later read Classics and T heology at O xford, g rad u atin g in 1814 (M .A ., 1818). He visited
cathedral tow ns and castles in southern E ngland w ith his father and then started on his
‘G rand T o u r’ in the sum m er o f 1816. He w as in Sw itzerland when he heard o f his fa th e r’s
illness and rushed back to E ngland, accom panied, according to H am ilton-E dw ards, by
H enry A usten, one o f the elder brothers o f Jane A usten, the novelist, arriving before his
father’s death in O ctober 1816.
As eldest son and heir to substantial assets W illiam found him self head o f a family o f
three brothers and two sisters responsible for the com pletion o f their education: the younger
children were away at school, and his eldest b ro th er was apprenticed to a cooper and rope
m aker; his eldest sister, C h arlotte, probably ran the Balham Hill house which rem ained
the family hom e for eight m ore years.
163
O n his inheritance, W illiam C o tto n was able to lead a life o f leisure, as well as meeting
the financial needs o f his family which b urden was to d rag on for m any years. H e resumed
his ‘G ran d T o u r’ in 1818 visiting Florence, R om e and Naples. A fter his return he m ade
the acquaintance o f the curate-in-charge o f Bodiam , Sussex,4 w hose daughter, M ary Ann,
he m arried there in 1823, the service being taken by his new ly-ordained cousin, the Rev.
F. B orrodaile.5 The honeym oon was in B righton, no do u b t very fashionable for the gentry,
and they cam e back to B alham Hill b u t they soon looked ro und fo r new pastures and,
travelling through Surrey, they found L ink H ouse in an idyllic position above the River
M ole and saw the possibility o f developing this into a grand house: so The Priory was
created. As far as the au th o r know s, neither W illiam n o r M ary A nn had any previous
connection with L eatherhead.
The C ottons moved into their new home in 1824; Balham Hill House, the family residence
for 27 years, was let for £325 p.a. They soon felt the need to travel, and in 1826, accompanied
by H arriet, M ary A n n ’s sister, they visited M ary A n n ’s cousin the Scobells in Poltair,
C ornw all.6 It was no easy journey: they travelled in their own coach to Portsm outh (say
two o r three days) then coach and passengers were shipped in the steam packet to Plym outh
and after a stay in the new ly-opened, prestigious R oyal H otel they coached on to Penzance
and P oltair (another four days). They stayed for four m onths.
T he Priory was the C o tto n ’s fam ily hom e for fifteen years. W illiam ’s two sisters did not
m arry till late so in 1827 he built a cottage in the grounds for them .7 C h arlo tte eventually
m arried William Hall, a d octor in Leatherhead, and M ary m arried a naval officer, N athaniel
F rederick Edw ards. A fter their w edding in 1837 M ary and her husband m oved to D evon
where W illiam and M ary A nn visited them the follow ing year. In Devon, W illiam took
a great interest in the history o f his m o th e r’s family, the Saverys,8 and both he and his
wife soon becam e enam oured o f the county.
W illiam ’s two younger brothers, Jo h n and Edw ard, rem ained a financial burden for years.
John, though articled to a firm o f L incoln In n ’s solicitors at the age o f 25, does not appear
to have qualified and he later m ade a nam e for him self as a bird artist, becom ing a Fellow
o f the Z oological Society, an d also w riting p o etry .9 It seems unlikely th a t these activities
enabled him to keep him self and his large family: he m arried ab o u t 1830 and had nine
children when em igrating to A u stralia in 1843, where he successfully sheep farm ed in a
big w ay.10 E dw ard, the youngest b ro th er, enrolled as a ‘G entlem an C o m m o n er’ at New
College, O xford when 23 b u t did n o t graduate. In his early thirties he m arried a French
lady b ut they had no children. He seems to have been a feckless spendthrift, em igrating
to A ustralia in 1841 where he set up in sheep farm ing, saved from bankruptcy only by his
b ro th er John when he arrived there tw o years later.
T he C o tto n s decided to move to D evon in 1838, acquiring the lease o f H ighland H ouse
(with 16 acres o f land) in Ivybridge not far from Plym outh. M ary A n n ’s father had recently
died and they perhaps now felt free to move to a county where W illiam had close family
interests. T he move to D evon to o k place in 1839 and it m ust have been a considerable
u n d ertaking to transfer the valuable C ollection and the o th er contents o f T he Priory so
far across the country before there were railw ays. It seems th at John and Edw ard followed
them to D evon: at least one o f Jo h n ’s children was b o rn in Ivybridge and b oth brothers
sailed to A ustralia from Plym outh. The C o tto n s continued their social and cultural pursuits
in their new surroundings and visited L ondon at least once a year. The last reported journey
164
W IL L IA M C O T T O N A N D HIS W IF E IN T H E L IB R A R Y A T T H E P R IO R Y , L E A T H E R H E A D
Artist unknown. Reproduced by kind permission of J. G. L. Jackson, a descendant of John Cotton, William’s brother,
from a photograph lent to the Society by the Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery
THE COTTON FAMILY & RELATIONSHIP WITH TOWNSON/ROGERS FAMILY
Key:
S.L.P. = 3 St Lawrence, Pountney Lane, City of London
C.C.C. = Chief Clerk of The Certificates Inwards, Customs House, London
William Townson
1682-1740
C.C.C. o f S.L.P. & Richmond
Inherited Collection started by his father, Robert Townson
Bachelor: Adopted
1755
William Cotton I
=
b. Boxworth, Cambs, 1731
d. London, 1791
o f Southwark & S.L.P.
& Richmond
Inherited Collection
Charlotte
1756-1816
m. Wm Hudson
o f Richmond
Charles
b. & d. 1757
1792
William C otton II = Catherine Savery
b. Rattery, 1769
o f S.L.P. & Clapham
d. Clapham, 1803
1759-1816
C.C.C.: F.S.A.
Inherited Collection
r
William Rogers
of St Anne’s, Soho
m. Isabella
—
Charlotte Rogers
1725-95
Mary
1760-61
Charles Rogers
1711-84
F.S.A., F.R.S., of S.L.P.: C.C.C., 1747
Main Founder of the Collection
Bachelor
Demetria
1761-1833
m. R bt Hudson
East India Com pany
S
Elizabeth
1763-1833
m. Richardson
Borrodaile, M.P.,
Newcastle-upon-Lyme
S
Rev. F. Borrodaile
Robert Hudson
1801-83
J.P., D.L., F.R.S., o f Clapham
1823
William C otton III
John
=
M ary Ann
Charles Rogers =_ Ellen
b. S.L.P., 1794
b. Clapham, 1801
b. Clapham, 1797 M atthewson
Collins
d. Plymouth, 1863
d. 1878
d. Australia, 1849
of Bodiam
M.A. Oxon, F.S.A.
Cooper, Bermondsey
F.Z.S., Bird artist
d. Ivybridge, 1861
of Clapham, Leatherhead
Sheep Farmer
and Ivybridge
1833
Charlotte
Dr William Hall
Inherited Collection
1837
Nath. Fred
b.
S.L.P.,
1795
Leatherhead
M
ary
and donated it to
b. Clapham, 1801
Edwards, R.N.
d. Exeter, 1857
Plymouth
d. 1884
no issue
had issue
2 sons
1 daughter
Susanna
Edwards
b. c. 1809
d. Austr., 1852
4 sons
6 daughters
Edward
= A
b. Clapham, 1803 French
d. Austr., 1860
Lady
Sheep Farm er
no issue
was in 1860 when they stayed w ith W illiam ’s cousin, R o b e rt H udson, at C lapham , visiting
art galleries and seeing H olm an H u n t’s ‘T he Finding o f the S aviour in the T em ple’ which
was first exhibited th a t year. M ary A nn died in 1861 and W illiam then m oved to Plym outh
where he died two years later.
The C ottons kept in close touch with their relations. W illiam ’s a u n t D em etria m arried
a naval C aptain, R ob ert H udson o f the E ast In d ia C om pany whose son, an o th er R obert,
went to O xford with E dw ard C o tto n and is described by H am ilton-E dw ards as J.P ., D .L.,
F.R.S. He reluctantly acted as John C o tto n ’s agent in the la tte r’s fruitless attem pt to exploit
the export o f A ustralian bird feath ers." A n o th er o f W illiam ’s aunts, Elizabeth, m arried
R ichardson Borrodaile, T ory M .P. for N ew castle-upon-L ym e (1826-31) w ho w as one o f
the executors nam ed in the will o f W illiam C o tto n ’s father. It was one o f th eir sons who
m arried William and M ary A nn. The o th er executor was W illiam Savery, W illiam C o tto n ’s
uncle, who lived in C roydon with his w idow ed sister, M rs N ew berry. The C o tto n s used
occasionally to visit them.
William Cotton’s Circle in Leatherhead
William C otton and his wife, M ary A nn, certainly seemed to have enjoyed life when,
newly married, they settled in their new home, The Priory, in Leatherhead. They had entered
into the social life o f the area even earlier: whilst lodging at M ickleham , aw aiting completion
o f The Priory, M ary A n n ’s sister an d W illiam ’s cousin, B orrodaile, cam e to stay w ith them
and the party visited the Epsom Spring M eeting. A fter m oving into The P riory they went
to the races at H am pton m aking up o r join in g a p arty o f family an d friends an d m em bers
of Society. They often travelled to L ondon staying with friends o r relations. H ere they went
to concerts or the opera where they heard the celebrities o f the day: Mile C arad o n , M me
M alibran and Mile Sontag, som etimes being invited to meet them behind the stage. They
also attended functions like the A rtists Benevolent F u n d dinner, with the Earl o f Liverpool
as principal guest, m eeting there m any w ell-known artists like Sir T hom as Lawrence,
President o f the R oyal Academ y, Sir W illiam A llan, John B urnett, the engraver an d the
fam ous painter and etcher, Sir D avid W ilkie.12
The C ottons got on well with th eir neighbours in L eatherhead. They seem to have been
included in the social activities o f the ow ners o f the large estates close to where they lived.
N earby was the V icarage where the Rev. Jam es D allaw ay, the distinguished a n tiq u ary and
author, had lived since becom ing V icar o f L eatherhead in 1804. He proved to be a kindred
spirit to W illiam C o tto n and the tw o form ed a close friendship (see 1992 Proceedings,
pp. 143-5). C otton was very sad when his friend died in 1834.
C otton quickly form ed a close friendship w ith Col. D rinkw ater B ethune when he took
over T h orncroft M an or from Jam es T row er in 1836.13 The C o lonel’s youngest son m arried
into the Staples family, the b rid e’s father being a boyhood friend o f W illiam C o tto n from
his Balham Hill days and since the Staples often stayed at The P riory it seems likely th at
the young couple m et there. The C o tto n an d D rinkw ater Bethune families co-operated
closely on the p roduction and publication o f a long poem The River M ole or the Em lyn
Stream by M. D. B., th a t is, M ary the d au g h ter o f th e Colonel. The illustrations are by
Miss M. A. Scobell (possibly a d aughter o f the Scobells o f P o ltair in C ornw all), W illiam
C o tto n ’s brother Jo h n and W illiam him self w ho also did the copious notes.
167
A t Elm Bank H o u se14 nearly opposite T he P riory lived W. S. C larke a D irector o f the
E ast India C om pany and o f T rinity H ouse. H is dau g h ter was m arried to Col. W illoughby
M oore, w ho, so C o tto n tells us, was kicked by a horse in L eatherhead, breaking his leg
and leaving him lam e, which prevented him from jum ping into a b o at when his transport
to the C rim ean W ar caught fire, so he perished. This sorry story was probably related at
one o f their meetings. C lark e’s younger d au g h ter m arried an o th er neighbour, Thom as
D ickens w ho lived at Vale L o d g e.15 He left her a large fortune and she later m arried J.
G uthrie, V icar o f C aine (visited by the C o tto n s when they were living in Devon).
Sheridan, and his Grand-daughters
C o tto n tells a delightful anecdote a b o u t D allaw ay and Sheridan, the well-known
playw right who rented (and later bought) the Polesden Lacey estate soon after his second
m arriage in 1795. D allaw ay w as invited to dine at Polesden and stay the night. He enjoyed
the dinner, b ut his night rest w as distu rb ed by the noise o f packing plates and dishes. In
the m orning he found the house deserted. It seems th a t Sheridan had b ro ught the dinner
and servants from his L ondon hom e and went back there during the night, leaving Dallaway
stranded. L e t’s hope he had a fine m orning for the three mile walk back to Leatherhead!
C o tto n him self m ade the acquaintance o f S heridan’s fam ous g ran d -d au g h ters.16 Their
father T hom as Sheridan, the only son o f the playw right’s first m arriage, held a governm ent
post in the C ape C olony where he died and their m other on return to England lived with
her six children in H am p to n C o u rt Palace by the grace o f W illiam IV. H er three daughters
H elen Selina, C aroline and Jane G eorgina, grew up to becom e fam ed for their beauty, wit
and literary achievem ents. The eldest, H elen Selina, m arried a naval C om m ander, Price
Blackw ood, and they lived for a time in a cottage at T ham es D itton. Some years hence,
when Blackw ood had becom e a C ap tain an d had inherited land in Ireland, they lived at
B ookham L odge.17 This w ould a p p ear to have been betw een 1835 (when Blackwood had
returned from a visit to In d ia and the C hina Seas) and 1839 when H elen Selina had gone
to Italy for health reasons.
C o tto n reports th a t in 1836 w hilst staying in R ichm ond he and his wife met the Misses
T erry o f E sher Lodge an d with them w ent to H am p to n races. C aroline and Jane G eorgina
were also there and on being in troduced to the C o tto n s probably told them o f their sister
living n ear them , for soon after this C otton reports th at the Blackwoods dined at The Priory.
C o tto n adds th a t S h erid an ’s gran d-d au g h ters were ‘wild and gay and got up to all sorts
o f tricks’ and hints th a t local gossip had it th a t M rs N o rto n (C aroline) and L ady Seymour
(Jane G eorgina) disguised them selves as gypsies and w andered ro u n d the lanes extracting
pence from people for telling their fortunes. Friends o f the C ottons, Col. and M rs Llewelyn,
were so accosted, and w ere suspicious o f the delicate h an d held o u t for the money. C otton
adds th at the story got into p rin t “ possibly in T im ’s Excursions R ound D orking”. It seems
quite possible th at this escapade to o k place when the younger sisters met their elder sister
at B ookham Lodge.
The Barclays of Bury Hill
In 1836, the C o tto n s m et th e Barclays o f Bury Hill near D orking, famed for its fine
g ard en s.18 W illiam reports finding the draw ing room there full o f large cases o f seeds and
plants. He was shown the gardens and conservatories. R obert Barclay was particularly proud
168
o f a M exican tree nam ed afte r him , th e M a u ra n d ia B arcla y an a, w hich w as a b o u t to flow er
for the first tim e in E ngland. L ater, R o b e rt visited T h e P rio ry a n d b ro u g h t w ith him a
superb rose which flourished in C o tto n ’s conservatory. T he C o tto n s visited R o b ert B arclay’s
son, C harles, at B etchw orth C astle a n d W illiam a tte n d e d a d in n e r in 1837 a t the E psom
g ra n d s ta n d 1’ on C h a rle s’ retire m en t as M .P . for W est S u rrey 20 a n d th e in tro d u c tio n o f the
new m em ber, Jam es Perceval. A dm iral Sir G ra h a m M o o re (w ho, C o tto n says, h ad escorted
the P ortuguese R oy al F am ily to B razil a n d w as la te r C o m m an d e r-in -C h ie f a t P lym outh)
‘rose to re tu rn th an k s fo r the N av y a n d sto o d fo r ten m in u tes w ith o u t u tterin g a w o rd ’.
W illiam w as sitting close to him , b u t those sittin g a t th e en d o f th e ta b le th o u g h t he was
speaking all the tim e a n d w hen he sat dow n ‘th ere w as a general b u rs t o f a p p la u se ’.
Other Friends and Acquaintances
W illiam C o tto n ’s Rem iniscences a n d his Correspondence refer to m an y o th e r people in
various w alks o f life w hom he an d his fam ily knew . T hese in cluded E d w ard C resy, the
architect o f T he P riory; the 6 th E arl o f E g m o n t, form erly Jam es Perceval, M .P ., w hom
C o tto n m et a t E psom as alread y related; th e E arl o f M orley , w hom C o tto n m et a t S altram
H ouse outside P lym outh; an d R ic h a rd S harp, M .P ., k n o w n as ‘C o n v e rsa tio n S h a rp ’, the
ow ner o f F redley co ttag e o p p o site Ju n ip e r H all w here th e C o tto n s stayed fo r th ree weeks
in 1823.
NOTES
1. M aurice E xw ood, ‘W illiam C o tto n a n d T he Priory, L e a th e rh e ad ’, Procs., L D L H S , 5 (5), 1992, pp. 140-5.
2. B iographical d etails are m ostly tak en from:
(a) W illiam C o tto n , Reminiscences o f M y Life, 1861. M s now in the B odleian L ibrary, O xford.
(b) G eorge M ackaness, The Correspondence o f John Cotton, 1953. Som e o f the in form ation given in its
in tro d u ctio n is incorrect.
(c) G . H am ilton-E dw ards, The Leisured Connoisseur, 1954.
(d) Florence A. Stanbury, The Story o f the Cottonian Collection, Plym outh C ity M useum & A rt G allery, 1992.
3. A three-bay house o f 3'A storeys. Illu strated in the Connoisseur a nd Reminiscences, w here a plan is included.
4. In 1831, C o tto n published A Graphical and H istorical S ketch o f Bodiam Castle.
5. The son o f R ichardson Borrodaile (M .P. for Newcastle-under-Lyme) and Elizabeth, sister o f W illiam C otto n II.
6. W hilst in C ornw all, C o tto n studied and lectured on the Stone Circles and Crom lechs, and published his studies
in 1827, his first effort a t publishing.
7. W hen C o tto n endow ed his L eath erh ead p ro p e rty to the Ivybridge church in 1852 tw o sep arate lots were
involved, according to the so licito r’s accounts (in fo rm atio n from C harles H a nkin, Ivybridge, 1992).
8. In 1850, C o tto n published A Graphic and H istorical Sketch o f the Antiquities o fT o tn e s w hich includes details
o f the Savery family.
9. In 1835, Jo h n C o tto n published The Resident Songbirds o f Great Britain w ith 17 coloured plates by himself.
10. T he family o f 13, including tw o servants, to o k fo u r m o n th s to reach M elbourne. Jo h n C o tto n ’s letters to
his b ro th er W illiam between 1823 and 1849, published in 1953, give a good insight into A ustralian pioneering
(see N ote 2b above).
11. See letters N o. 42, Jo h n to W illiam a n d N o. 1, W illiam to John, in Correspondence (N o te 2b above).
12. All m entioned in D. N . B.
13. Surprisingly, the Connoisseur does n o t m en tio n Jam es T ro w er, n o r C o tto n ’s o th e r neighbour, C ol. W illiam
Spicer o f T he M ansion.
14. Elm Bank House, on the co m er o f D ow ns Lane and the D orking R oad, was sold for developm ent in the 1920s.
169
15. Vale Lodge had been rebuilt c. 1780; the Dickens family lived there until 1840.
16. The ‘Three G races’ as the three grand-daughters o f Sheridan were sometimes know n were: Helen Selina
(1807-67), m arried when 18 to Price Blackwood, later to become Lord Dufferin. She was a poetess and
playwright. Caroline Elizabeth Sarah (1808-72) married G. C. N orton, brother o f Lord Grantley. Jane Georgina
(after 1808-84) m arried E. A. Seymour, later 12th D uke o f Somerset. Helen is recorded as saying to Disraeli,
who was persuaded by his son to visit the sisters, ‘G eorgy is the beauty, C arry ’s the wit and 1 ought to be
good but I am no t'. Biographies o f the sisters are given in the introduction to Songs, Poems and Verse by
Helen, Lady Dufferin by her son, the M arquess o f D ufferin and Ava, 1894.
17. C otton does not name the cottage, saying only that Helen lived in Fetcham at the time. H er son, later Marquess
o f Dufferin & Ava, refers to it as a pretty cottage nam ed Bookham Lodge in Stoke parish, and there seems
to have been some confusion in which parish it lay. See S. E. D. Fortescue, Peoples & Places, 1978.
18. R obert Barclay (1751-1830) o f the Scottish Q uaker family (D. N. B.) was joint owner o f the A nchor Brewery,
Southw ark, settling in Bury Hill in 1803 and there developed his hobby o f im porting and propagating exotic
plants.
19. Epsom ’s first grandstand was opened to the public in 1829, though unfinished. The G randstand Association
soon tried to increase revenue by letting it out; see David Hume, Epsom Racecourse, 1973.
20. Charles Barclay had earlier been M.P. for Southw ark (1815-18) and D undalk (1826-30); see B. D. Henning,
H istory o f Parliament: The Commons, 1660-1890, 1983.
Acknowledgements
The au th o r gratefully acknow ledges the help o f Florence A. S tanbury o f Plym outh,
C harles H ankin o f Ivybridge, J. C. S tuttard an d J. G. L. Jackson, a descendant o f John
C otton.
THE EPSOM AND LEATHERHEAD RAILWAY, 1856-59
By H. J. D A V IES
y H E local railw ay service began with a shareh o ld ers’ revolt.
A n independent com pany, the E psom and L eatherhead Railway C om pany, [E & L], had
been established in 1856 after several meetings, one a t least at The Swan H otel, Leatherhead,
by a mixed group o f local and o th er gentlem en, several o f w hom becam e its Board of
D irecto rs.1 The C om pany obtained au th o rity to build the 3'A mile line by its own Act o f
Parliam ent in July o f th a t year in the face o f determ ined opposition from the powerful
L ondon, B righton and South C o ast R ailw ay (the ‘B righton C o m p an y ’ as it was com m only
called).2 The latter C om pany h ad taken over the line from C roydon to Epsom and opened
it in 1847 to its E psom Tow n statio n (in U p p er High Street), principally to serve racegoers
but had com e no fu rth er south-w est.
T he building o f the line between E psom and L eatherhead proceeded very slowly indeed,
the first ‘so d ’ being cut in June 1857 in a field beside the K ingston R o ad tu rn p ik e.3 In th at
same m onth some o f the same Directors, but not all, formed a second independent company,
the W im bledon and D orking Railway C ompany, [W & D], with the same Chairm an, Thom as
Grissell o f N orbury Park. In spite o f opposition from the o ther m ajor com pany in the south,
the L ondon and S outh W estern R ailw ay C om pany (the ‘South W estern’), Parliam ent
sanctioned this too but only from W im bledon to E psom .4 By the late autum n o f 1858 the
E & L had built a single line from a term inus in K ingston R o ad , L eatherhead, to Epsom
170
with a halt at A shtead where trains were to stop by requ est.5 T he W & D was also well
ahead with a double line from W im bledon Jun ctio n (now R aynes P ark) although no
connection had yet been m ade at Epsom.
On 4th N ovem ber 1858 an arrangem ent was signed by the E & L and the Brighton
C om pany for the w orking o f th e line by th e latter C om pany w ith an o ption to purchase
it.6 On the 22nd D ecem ber 1858 the B oard o f T rade In sp ecto r visited the E & L line and
reported on its construction an d the arrangem ent with the B righton C om pany. H e was,
however, unable to recom m end the opening because the connection w ith the B righton
Com pany’s line at Epsom Town station was unsafe and because there was as yet no turntable
at L eatherhead on w hich the B righton C o m p an y ’s tender locom otives could be tu rn e d .7
The E & L and the B righton C om pany reluctantly complied with his requirem ents. A further
Inspector came dow n on 20th Jan u ary 1859 and rep o rted th a t th ere was no objection to
the line opening. He had been informed by the B righton’s traffic m anager that th a t Com pany
was to work the single line w ith a ‘s ta ff (w ooden batten) system .8
Twelve days later, on 1st F ebruary, the line opened, w orked n o t by the B righton but
by the South Western! W hat had happened.
Thom as Grissell learnt o f opposition from certain shareholders to the arrangem ent which
he and the Board had m ade with the B righton C om pany and called a Special G eneral
M eeting o f the E & L C om pany fo r Saturday 29th Jan u ary 1959 at its h ead q u arters at
28 G eorge Street SW1. W hen he asked the m eeting to endorse the B o a rd ’s decision an
am endm ent was m oved by Sir W alter F a rq u h a r o f Polesden Lacey, w ho was a shareholder
but not a D irector o f the E & L. He substituted a co un ter p roposal th a t the arrangem ent
should be m ade w ith the South W estern C om pany taking the view th at the shareholders
were n ot bound legally or m orally by the acts o f the Board. The am endm ent was p u t to
the vote and won by a show o f 14 hands to 8. A poll was demanded, the proxy votes included,
and the am endm ent carried by 322 votes to 221. The B oard had indicated th a t it w ould
resign if this was the result and m ost o f its m em bers left w ithin a w eek o r tw o. So the South
W estern C om pany began to w ork the line three days later on Tuesday 1st F eb ru ary 1859.9
W hy did the shareholders vote against their B oard o f D irectors?
W hen F arq u h ar m oved his am endm ent he w as confident th a t he could win in spite o f
G rissell’s advocacy o f the B oard’s actions. A lthough a shareholder, he had kept his distance
while Grissell, his N o rb u ry P ark neighbour, was building his tw o railways an d trying to
find an o p erato r.10 In N ovem ber 1858 he ap peared at a m eeting o f the E & L B oard, trying
to persuade it to get b etter term s in negotiations w ith the B righton C o m p an y .11 A fter this
Grissell and his B oard gradually lost co n tro l o f events while F a rq u h a r was secretly
negotiating with the South W estern B oard.12 In the end Grissell was forced to call the Special
M eeting o f the Shareholders on Jan u ary 29th before the line opened instead o f w aiting
for the A nnual M eeting in late F eb ru ary to endorse the B o ard ’s actions. F a rq u h a r had
done hrs hom ew ork well: he came to the m eeting n o t only w ith a m ajority o f voters present
but a bag full o f proxy votes. In addition, he h ad in his h an d a R esolution from the B oard
o f D irectors o f the South W estern, passed tw o days previously, on 27th Jan u ary , offering
potentially better term s for the E & L R ailw ay th an those from the B righton!13 A dd to
this his cogent argum ent th a t local people preferred a shorter jo u rn ey to W aterloo than
the longer one to a crow ded L ondon Bridge and he had to w in .14
171
This m ight be explanation enough b u t how can the behaviour o f the two larger Com panies
be explained? D id they w an t th e E & L o r not? T he an sw er is ‘N o ’ an d ‘Y es’. T he M ole
V alley D o rk in g G a p w as a strategic ro u te w hich w as never developed to the extent th a t
m ight have been expected. M any plans were m ade fo r railw ays to the South C oast, Brighton
a n d P o rts m o u th ,15 th ro u g h w h a t w as the only m ajo r gap in the N o rth D ow ns betw een
F a rn h a m a n d the D a re n t V alley.16 T h ere were tw o snags: th ere w ere n o large tow ns in the
W eald, so u th o f the G a p , o r a t the n o rth o f the G ap , a n d the m ileage was greater to b o th
B righton an d P o rtsm o u th . T he ro u te becam e th e b o rd erlin e betw een th e tw o system s, the
B righton an d the S o uth W estern, an d n eith er co u ld develop it w ith o u t fighting th e other.
In 1858 these tw o C o m p an ies h a d ex pended a g reat deal o f th eir tim e a n d energies fighting
for co n tro l o f the direct en try to P o rtsm o u th u n d e r th e facade o f one o f their in term inable
A g reem en ts.17 T he S o uth W estern w on th e D irect ro u te into P o rtsm o u th via G uild fo rd
early in Jan u a ry 1859 afte r a d ram atic struggle. It im m ediately fo rg o t a b o u t the cu rren t
A greem ent p u ttin g lim its on te rrito ria l ag g ran d isem en t w hich th e B righton was deem ed
to have already bro k en . T o av o id the d evelopm ent o f a rival ro u te to P o rtsm o u th it seized
the w orking o f the E & L R ailw ay from the w eakened B rig h ton C o m p an y . C onsciously
o r n o t, F a rq u h a r, his sh areh o ld ers an d local in h ab ita n ts, were paw ns in a larger game.
Six m onths later B righton C o m p an y trains also began to ru n from Epsom to Leatherhead
b u t th a t is a n o th e r story!
NOTES
1. H erap ath , Railway Journal, A1056, 1081, 1104 (1855); M inutes o f D irectors (“ B oard”) and G eneral Meetings
o f E & L R C o m p an y 1856-63: Item o f 23rd A ugust 1856, P R O R A IL 197/1.
2. 19 & 20 Vic c xcii; Evidence for Bill 1856 before H ouse o f C om m ons C om m ittee PR O R A IL 1066/915.
3. Surrey Standard, 6th June 1857 in Society records, LX612; E & L Board 189.
4. A ct 27.7.1857; Evidence before H ouse o f C o m m o n s Select C om m ittee, H ouse o f Lords R ecord L ibrary and
before H ouse o f Lords C om m ittee, P R O R A IL 1066/2948.
5. E & L R T errie r o f E states, PR O R A IL 414/525, p. 155.
6. LB SC R B o ard M inutes, 4 th N ovem ber 1858, p. 101, P R O R A IL 414/71.
7. B oard o f T ra d e R ep o rt 5054, 22nd D ecem ber 1858, PR O M T6 17/91.
8. B oard o f T rad e 141, 20th Jan u a ry 1859, P R O /M T 6 19/10.
9. E & L B oard 405; E & L M inutes o f Special M eeting on 29.1.1859. H erap ath , Railway Journal, M 236 1859
(N ote: V otes given as in E & L M inutes; H e ra p ath records 13 to 5. F o rm er is to be preferred).
10. H ouse o f L ords Jo u rn a l 88, pp. 262 a n d 307, H ouse o f Lords R ecord L ibrary. (A Lords A m endm ent struck
o u t F a rq u h a r’s nam e from the list o f subscribers to the E & L Bill at his request, 7th July 1856.)
11. E & L B oard 376.
12. LSW R B oard M inute 292, 20th Jan u a ry 1859, PR O R A IL 411/4.
13. LSW R B oard 306, 27th Jan u a ry 1859.
14. H erap ath M236, 1859. (T here was no V ictoria S tatio n at this date.)
15. D eposited Plans QS6/8ff. S .R .O ., K ingston.
16. The G u ild fo rd gap was n arro w and req u ired a tunnel.
17. R. A. W illiam s, LSW R , Vol. 1, 141ff, 1968; J. T. H ow ard T u rn er, LB SC R , Vol. 2, 79ff, 1978.
172
T H O R N C R O F T M A N O R , S E A T O F C O L . D R IN K W A T E R B E T H U N E
A contem porary engraving (Society Records)
© 1993
Published by the Leatherhead & District Local History Society
(Hon. Secretary: Miss J. Fuller, 21 Kingston House G ardens, Leatherhead, Surrey)
Printed by Dyer & Son, 32 N orth Street, Leatherhead, Surrey