Because I was traveling to Torquay for the International Agatha Christie Festival, reading up on the city’s history seemed appropriate. I never expected to find a reference to Illinois where I have lived most of my life!
“Tor” refers to a rocky peak and has its roots in both Old English and Latin. The word “tower” shares the same roots. “Quay” is one variation of the word for a landing place along the water. Cays that cruise ships visit and the Florida Keys are other variations. Torquay does have both rocky peaks and a landing place along the water, so it is aptly named.
Nestled on the southwest coast of England with the hills of Dartmoor protecting it from northerly winds, Torquay boasts a mild microclimate, rarely dipping into the thirties over the winter or climbing much past seventy degrees in the summer. There are even palm trees, although they are definitely not native to the area.
Like many cities in England, Torquay’s history goes way back. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book that William the Conqueror commissioned in 1080-ish. By 1196, Torre Abbey was founded in the area and prospered until Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries.
During the Napoleonic wars, the Royal Navy took advantage of Torquay’s sea access as a station for the Channel Fleet. Naval officers moved their families into town, creating a fashionable new community.
Soon after, upper-class invalids seeking fresh sea air and warmer winters started arriving, boosting Torquay’s reputation as a health resort. With more well-heeled people coming to Torquay, more amenities followed, such as a better harbor for the yachting crowd and grand mansions.
One of those mansions, called Hawthornden, was the home of Venerable Archdeacon Anthony Huxtable and his wife, Maria. I’m not sure what kind of money an archdeacon makes to afford a mansion in Torquay, but it seems that Maria had more than enough to keep them both.
Hawthornden is still perched on the hillside, but it is now known as Riviera Mansion. You can spend your holiday there because they rent out the rooms. According to their website, Maria was worth at least £15M because of a legal settlement.
The story is that, through her advisors, Maria invested £5M in a railway being built in Illinois, of all places! I don’t understand all of the legalese, but it seems the firm advising her had some issues and the transaction wasn’t conducted properly, so the Illinois railway refused to pay Maria her dividends. She took them to court and won, receiving all she was owed as well as her court costs.
Unfortunately, poor Maria suffered a dramatic demise just a few years later. Already paralyzed, she needed to use an elevator to get around her home at Hawthornden, and on May 7, 1874, one of the ropes broke.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading up on Torquay’s history, but I never suspected there would be an Illinois connection! Just one of the many rabbit holes I’ve fallen into while researching!
Photo by Francis Bedford