Templecombe House over the years

Templecombe Memories (2017) by Christine Scott

From liaisons involving the master of the house and the family governess, to a shooting in the smoking room, the history of Templecombe House is as exciting as anything you might have watched in Downton Abbey. Templecombe House was a handsome residence with stables, lawns and a walled fruit garden it was surrounded by 11 acres of grounds. Jasper Peck, a barrister of Cornish Hall, Denbighshire, Wales bought it in 1836. It's believed it had been built not long before. He lived in the house until his death on the 28th February 1849. He had no wife or children and left his estate to his nephew. At the time of his uncle’s death Philip Richardson Peck was living in Bath. Philip, his wife Georgiana and their children, Philip William and Georgiana Maria arrived in a splendid carriage drawn by four horses. The villagers lined the streets to see this event and the church bells rang out. In 1856 Philip Richardson died. Georgiana Maria married Dr Robert Godolphin Long in 1867, for a few years they lived in Stalbridge before moving to Templecombe. Georgiana and Robert continued to live in the house until their son Philip and his wife Louisa moved into the property in 1871. They had seven children. It was certainly a very affluent household, employing a page, governess, nurse, housemaids, parlour maids and a cook.

The Western Gazette dated the 7th May 1880 gave a curious account of Enna Rasch, a German governess who was charged with deserting her five week old child, leaving it on a doorstep of 3 Belgrave Terrace, Weymouth. It stated that Mr P Peck of Templecombe denied having received any letters from the defendant. The Bench stopped the counsel from going into the matter of paternity. As there was no DNA back then, we shall never know who the father was. It was believed that the woman had done the very best for her child, who she loved very much. She had lost her job and was unable to support herself and the baby. Having no family in this country it was impossible to ask them for help. One fact that was not mentioned was that Enna had previously been living in London, using the name of ‘Mrs Richardson’ and telling people that her husband was abroad. The court gave the woman a punishment of one day’s imprisonment. Philip died at the age forty-eight on the 4th June 1898 at Avonhurst, Bathampton, Somerset. It isn’t clear what year the Pecks left Templecombe House and if they still owned it. One son Maj. General Henry Richardson Peck owned lands and also Lily Lane Farm. The next gentleman to move into the house was Sidney Nutcombe Quicke who was living there in 1894. He married Eveline Maude Froude who was a Devon girl in 1896. The wedding took place in the bride’s parish of Dulverton. Sidney was a keen horseman and also Chairman of the Wincanton Races Committee. On the 28th April 1898 the residents of Templecombe and the whole neighbourhood were painfully surprised when they heard that the young Squire of Templecombe House had been shot in his smoking- room the previous day. It appeared that he’d intended to go down

to Chard on the 8.30 train the same evening, to join his wife, who was visiting friends. He’d sent his butler out with some letters to post and it seems he was in the process of packing some books and papers to take with him to Chard. When the butler returned, not hearing his master moving about or preparing to go to the station, he entered the smoking-room. He was horrified to see Mr Quicke lying on the floor bleeding from a shot wound in the neck. A gun was lying by his side. The unfortunate gentleman was quite dead. It was supposed he was packing the gun with the other articles, and that in some way it accidentally discharged itself. At the coroner’s court is was stated the one of the barrels must have been loaded without the deceased’s knowledge. He was only 28 and had only been married for a year. However, a document had been found by P.C. Read in a drawer. It was addressed to Mrs S N Quicke and inscribed. ‘To be delivered to her after my funeral. If she dies before me, it is to be burnt, not opened.’ The coroner gave the jury the opportunity to adjourn the enquiry for the purpose of knowing the contents. The only effect of an adjournment might have indicated that instead of death being accidental it was a suicide. On the day of Sidney’s funeral, a cortege proceeded from the house to the church, which was filled with parishioners and residents of the neighbourhood. The coffin bearers were all servants from the house. The Rev. Charles Quicke, his Uncle officiated at the graveside. The lesson was read by the rector, Rev. J.C Fox. There was a profusion of beautiful floral wreaths and crosses. Sidney’s grave which is near the church was lined with moss, lilies of the valley and primroses. He was obviously loved and well respected.

Eveline remarried in 1913. She was then known as Betty Crundall Punnett. When she was in her forties she reached the Ladies Singles Tennis Quarter Finals in 1914 and was beaten by Elizabeth Ryan (USA) 0/6, 3/6. Her last game at Wimbledon was in 1921 when she was knocked out in the first round 3/6, 2/6. The next residents to move into the house were John Hargreaves and his wife Evelyn. John was born in 1864 in Reading, Berkshire. Educated at Eton College, he subsequently served in the 15th Hussars. His marriage took place on the 24th July 1889 in Paddington, London. John’s gifts to Eveline were a diamond and pearl brooch with the initials “J.E.” and a bouquet of white roses. They had three girls, Evelyn Mary born 1891, Ella Florence 1892 and Vera 1900. According to the 1911 census when the Hargreaves were in residence there were 31 rooms in Templecombe House. The large household had a governess, cook, two ladies maids, kitchen maid, three housemaids and two footmen. John died on the 21st April, 1926 in his will he left £42,603. 3. 6d. Evelyn died in a Yeovil Nursing home, aged 58 on the 7th September 1927. She left the sum of £3,181. 11s. 2d. The couple are both buried in St. Mary’s Churchyard. There doesn’t appear to be a record of when the family sold the house. In 1931 the house was acquired by a Mr Rutter and Mr Pither. It was let to Mrs Alice Gertrude Robinson, who opened it as a hotel. It later came to light that the lease was in her name as her husband Arthur Percival Robinson had previously been declared bankrupt. The couple were summoned to court on several occasions between 1933 and 1935 in relation to their monetary affairs. In December

1933, Arthur was accused of obtaining half a ton of coal valued at £1 16s from Blackmore Vale Coal Company by false pretenses with intent to defraud. He pleaded not guilty and indeed was discharged on this occasion. In 1934, Arthur was summoned to court again for allegedly using a car which was not taxed. P.C Stucket, who had seen him driving the car on several occasions, went to the hotel seven times in three days, but was unable to see Mr Robinson. He reported that he eventually managed to gain entry to the garage and saw there was no license on the car. The tax owing amounted to £7 8s 6d. The Bench imposed a fine of £12 8s 6d. They gave Arthur a week to pay, with two month’s imprisonment in default. A Receiver was appointed in November 1934 to recover a debt that had not been paid to Messrs. Bradford and Sons, Yeovil. This amounted to £32. 13s. Alice had sent cheques which were returned as they were unsatisfactory. The following month at Wincanton County Court. Beatrice Ethel Burden claimed £4. 5s. 8d unpaid wages from Templecombe House Hotel. Alice was found guilty of failing to pay National Health and Unemployment contributions for another employee Freda Collins. It will come as no surprise that in July 1935 Alice appeared before the Yeovil Bankruptcy Court. Her debts were nearer a thousand pounds than the £716 given in her statement of affairs which showed a deficiency of £706 19s. 6d. Alice was asked who conceived the idea of opening Templecombe House Hotel. She stated that her husband had been ill, and she wanted something to do and she came down to see the place. Her husband had a private allowance, but she never knew what it amounted to. She’d no previous experience of running a hotel but still entered into a 21 year lease.

The first two years' rent of £200 per annum, to increase to £400 for the following five years, £450 for the next three years and £500 for the remainder of the term. When the lease was signed, Arthur was the guarantor. It was never disclosed that he was an undischarged bankrupt. The court concurred that neither her nor her husband had a single penny in the world. While in Court Alice was questioned about Mr Durdon who had been engaged by her husband as secretary. The man had apparently been persuaded to pay Arthur the sum of £250 for the privilege of being their private secretary. She denied knowing anything about that arrangement. It also transpired there were no books for Mr Durdon to keep. There were only two receipt books which Alice kept. We can only surmise that Arthur was hoping to put the hotel back on its feet with this small sum? In her defense Alice said that from April 1934 to December 1934 the takings had been £1,294 15s. 2d. Alice remarked that that was a good year. She was questioned about her drawings as only £477 was paid into the bank. What had become of the remainder? Alice replied that it might have been paid in cash for goods, wages and the like. The court also queried cheques paid to a Mrs Drew who kept the other hotel in the village. This was for a considerable amount of Port wine, in fact two bottles a day. The Registrar said that the couple had lived in the house for two and half years, rent free at the expense of their creditors. He concluded that they had repeated in Somerset exactly what Arthur had done previously in Herefordshire. The lengthy examination included questions about the alleged removal of articles of silver and other goods to their new accommodation in Bournemouth. The Registrar, on ending the hearing, commented that it was the most disgraceful case he had had the misfortune to listen to.

During the years 1941 to 1945 the Bristol Blind School evacuated their pupils to board in the house. The pupils’ homes were as far afield as Cornwall, Hampshire, Devon, Dorset, Gloucester, Somerset and Wiltshire. Their ages ranged from five to sixteen years. On one occasion the pupils were taken to Horsington House to perform in a concert. This was to entertain the American troops who were stationed there. The children were dressed up like rabbits, they hopped around and did some sort of dance. One child remarked that the room was hot, very different from the old house. The troops smelt of mint probably chewing gum? Afterwards the children were given large slabs of chocolate and bags of biscuits. After the war, the house passed into various hands. In the early 1950s Harry and Hubert Budgett used it as a grocery warehouse and let out many of the rooms as flats. It continued to be a distribution depot by Warren and Mason, Scotland Ltd who were tea importers. At one time, Cow and Gate were having work done on their factory in Wincanton so they rented the house as a hostel for the workmen. This lovely house became derelict in the 1980’s and was eventually demolished. In 1985 Valarette Ltd built houses on the site of the old house. It is now known as The Hamlet.