A summary of the occupiers of Murley Grange/The Lodge, Forder Lane, Bishopsteignton, taken from the official parish records
19th Century
1814 John Comyns sold 12 acre the site to Admiral Thornbrough for £540, for three lives – his own, his son’s and that of Miss Anne Hotham.
1814 The house was built by Admiral Edward Thornbrough and was originally named The Lodge.
1834 Admiral Sir Edward Thornbrough died on 3rd April. He had been knighted at Exeter a few years previously. He is buried in Bishopsteignton churchyard in railed tomb east of the church.
1836 The Tithe Map shows the house occupied by Lady Thornbrough.
1841 The Census shows the occupant is Francis Thornbrough, 75, female of independent means. She has one female companion and six servants.
1849 Admiral Edward Thornbrough son of Sir Edward inherited the property and sold it to Mrs Harlston, (Huddlestone) who is shown as the occupier in White’s Directory of 1850.
1857 Billing’s Directory shows the occupant is Mrs Mary Ester Huddlestone. This information is repeated in various directories of 1870, 1873 and 1890.
1891 The Burial Register records the burial of Mrs Huddlestone aged 86.
1891 Cleland states the Reverend Paul Bush inherited and sold the estate to Miss Erman.
1897 Kelly’s Directory says the occupant is Miss Erman.
20th Century
1902 Kelly’s Directory shows the occupant is Oscar Koebel and that the name has changed to Murley Lodge.
1904 23rd June Mr Koebel purchases the property and renames it Murley Grange
1914 Kelly’s Directory shows the occupant as Oscar Koebel as does this directory entry for 1919.
1919 The Burial Register records the burial of Elizabeth Koebel aged 72.
1921 The Burial Register records the burial of Oscar Koebel, aged 75, late of Murley. There is a memorial stone on the south wall of the church to the family.
1920 Cleland states that the Rt. Hon Christopher Addison MP Privy Councillor bought the property. He was a pioneer in anti-cholesterol theories.
1926 Kelly’s Directory states that Christopher Addison, a doctor was the occupant. A road in Newton Abbot is named after him.
1928 Cleland states the owner was Mr C.G.J de Vallon.
1933 Cleland states the owner was Robert Seymour Benson. Esq. JP.
1935 Kelly’s Directory shows the occupant us R Seymour Benson.
1939 Kelly’s Directory shows the occupant as Mrs Benson.
After the war Mr and Mrs Wilkey occupied the property and In 1960 the property became a convalescent home for the Building Trades Union/Amalgamated Electrical Union.
Then in 1968 it became a hotel with a social centre called the Merlin Club.
It was demolished in 1986 to make way for a housing development.
Do you have any other information on Murley Grange? If you would like to subscribe and leave a comment, please see the link below.
References and credits
Photographs courtesy of the collection of Greg the Postie.
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I discovered over Christmas that Mary Esther Huddleston, who owned and lived in Murley Grange from about 1849 until her death in 1891 was my great-great aunt. She was a direct descendent of Oliver Cromwell (as am I!) and held a number of Cromwell family pictures there in trust for my great grandfather the Rev Paul Bush, who inherited Murley Grange from her in 1891 and then sold it. I think she only bought Murley Grange after the death of her husband Thomas Huddleston, but the Rev Paul Bush’s family (11 children, one of whom was my grandfather) used to spend many weeks there. I have a few photos of Mrs Huddleston in the garden which might be of interest, and extracts from a diary kept by one of the children with accounts of some of the escapades they had on the river. Its a family link with the village of which I was totally unaware until a chance meeting with a cousin in Hampshire!
Nigel that sounds brilliant. If you can gather any photos or other info for us we can add to the existing article, or perhaps you would like to continue the research and add to it yourself! We love having new members of our research team.