The Manor Inn, Fore Street, Bishopsteignton
1928
Following the Heavitree Brewery refurbishment, Thomas (Tom) and Florence (Flo) Vallance from Kingsteignton were the first to take on the tenancy of the Manor Inn. They married in 1928 and had two daughters, Barbara (Pat) and Cynthia (Thora). Both girls started their education at Bishopsteignton Primary School, (now the Community Centre).
Photograph of Tom Vallance stood outside the Dewdrop Inn
Florence Vallance and first husband Fredrick Dennis
Florence had previously been married to Frederick George Dennis who was lost at sea in 1914. He was part of the Royal Navy Crew on the AE1. Australia’s first submarine being sailed from England to Australia. It went down off New Guinea with all hands lost. Flo was left with three children under the age of five. Charles, Gwen and Catherine (Kit).
Gwen married local man, William David (Bill) Back. They lived at 27 Fore Street opposite the Manor Inn. They had five sons. The author of this article is one of Flo’s grandsons.
William and Gwen Back with their eldest son David Back
Nell Trigger, Phylis Blogg, Charles and Mabel Dennis, Gwen Back (née Dennis) c 1948
Kit Ward and Phyllis and Terry Blogg from London who were WWII evacuees in the village
Katherine (Kit) married another local man. John William (Jack) Ward. He was the local butcher with a shop in Fore Street opposite the Manor Inn. Jack and Kit’s home was attached to the shop. Kit and Jack emigrated to Amercia about 1954. Charles married Mabel Short from Newton Abbot. They moved to London where Charles was in the Metropolitan Police. Charles and Mabel retired to “Valden” on Murley Crescent. They had one son, Roger.
Tom and Flo became a busy part of village life, as well as the men’s darts and Euchre teams they also started up a ladies’ darts team, Flo was a first-class player. Mrs Blogg an evacuee with her children, recalled when the American troops arrived in the village and at the Manor Inn, the “Yanks” were introduced to darts and scrumpy.
Bishopsteignton Bowling Club pre WWII including Tom Vallance of The Manor Inn and Fred Rollin ex Manor Inn in the middle row L to R beside to each other.
Both Tom and Flo were big supporters of the Bishopsteignton Football Club who used one of their outbuildings as changing rooms, complete with tin baths for a wash. Tom also enjoyed Bowling and soon became a regular at the Bishopsteignton Bowls Club. A previous Manor Inn licensee, Fred Rollin, was also a member of the same club.
1942 – 1950
In 1942 Tom and Florence left the Manor Inn to take over the Dewdrop Inn at Kingsteignton. Tom died in 1950 at Kingsteignton and Flo in 1962 at Bishopsteignton.
Also in 1942 Stanley (Stan) William Osborne became the licensee of The Manor Inn, with his wife Violet. Their three children, Margaret Tee, Angela and Sally all attended the local school. In 1950 the family left the Manor Inn and moved to 1 Wallis Grove.
1957 Bishopsteignton School Photograph including Sally Osborne
In 1950 Albert, Edward (Shammy) and Lilian (Lil) Shambrook from Cozy Cott, next door to the pub, moved with their children Stephen (Steve) and Audrey, to take over the Manor Inn. Shammy, a lorry driver, originated from North Devon and Lil, from the local ‘Hutchings’ family. Shammy was a player with Bishopsteignton Football and a life supporter. On taking over the Manor Inn he kept the changing rooms available for the teams, still with tin baths.
Mounted Photograph of Bishopsteignton Football XI 1945-6.
Shammy and Lil moved to Clanage Street in 1956 on the corner of West Street opposite the Commercial Inn. Steve had made a life in the Navy and Audrey had married Eric Rendel and moved with their two daughters, Denise and Elizabeth to West Town Meadow.
This article highlighted the story of the Manor Inn from 1928 to 1950
and will be continued in Part Four – from 1956 when George and Phyl Johnson became the new licensees.
This article was assembled by Dawn Rogers and the Bishopsteignton Heritage Hub team.