History

Topsham has a rich and varied history. First documented as a Roman settlement, it was granted a Charter as a town on 22nd August 1300 by Edward I, developing into a major British port and shipbuilding centre that in its heyday rivalled London. There are Dutch houses from this maritime past, and fine examples of Georgian and Edwardian architecture. In the year 2000 we celebrated our 700th year, when the Queen visited and went to a pub for the first time!

Topsham postcards
A gallery of Mick Cooper's collection of postcards of old Topsham. This is a frames-based site. Use the back button of your browser to return to the Topsham website.
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General links

• Topsham Museum Devon Museums official site
  
• GENUKI, Topsham Historical resources for Topsham and its genealogy.
• Diary of Phyllis Bethel - wartime diary published in blog form: "From Wiesbaden Germany 1929 to Topsham, Devon, Great Britain 1953".
• Exeter Memories This site has a deal of interesting material (for instance, history of Topsham's pubs and notable buildings - put Topsham into its internal search).
• Topsham community page Brief history at the Devon Libraries Local Studies Service site.
• Old Maps click the Maps link and enter "topsham" (without quotes) in the search box. This leads to a zoomable 1890 map.
• Topsham 1841 Census From GENUKI, churchwarden's census of "a Portion of the Labouring Population".
• Topsham Cinemas The long-defunct Cosy and Tivoli (from Clive Polden's West Country Cinemas gazetteer).
• Topsham, Devon, through time Topsham at the Vision of Britain historical gazetteer.
• Topsham School hosts a short history of the First School and the Parkfield Road site (both now redeveloped as residential) plus extracts from School logbooks
• Topsham Quay At the SWMHS site, David Wheeler's recollections of Topsham around 1970 in its last days as a working cargo port.
• Topsham railways Extremely nice history and photos at Alex Seal's Alextrack website.
• Tryphena Sparks who after a romance with Thomas Hardy, married a Topsham publican and lived here until her death.
• The Devil's Footprints (1) Summary account of this peculiar event in 1855.
• The Devil's Footprints (2) Charles Hoy Fort's compilation of contemporary references.
• The Bridge Inn's Royal Visit HM Queen Elizabeth II.

James Woodrow Matthews

In answer to a number of enquiries about the builder and donor of Topsham's Matthews Hall, here's a brief biography.

James Woodrow Matthews, J.P., started his career in Topsham as a clerk in the office of one of the old sailing ship insuring clubs in the building [Grove House, then residence and business premises of John Holman] in which, having bought the property, he spent the last few years of his life. He was for many years with Messrs. W Lamplough & Co., Insurance Brokers, and was manager for them until, in 1901, he founded Matthews, Wrightson & Co. in conjunction with Mr Harry Wrightson and his brother Mr R.G. Wrightson. The firm became a private limited company in 1911, when Mr Matthews was appointed as chairman, and he held that position until his retirement in 1924. He was an annual subscriber to Lloyd's from 1901 to 1916, when he became an underwriting member. He underwrote marine in the syndicate of Mr Eustace R. Pulbrook [Sir Eustace Pulbrook, 1881-1953, Chairman of Lloyds] and non-marine, motor and employers' liability under the agency of Messrs. Matthews, Wrightson & Co. Ltd. He was one of the founders of the Corporation of Insurance Brokers, and was later its treasurer and a member of the council, finally being elected a vice-president. He was a prominent Freemason, a member of its Grand Lodge. He died at Grove House on July 30 1934 aged 83.
- from Times obituary, July 31, 1934 (thanks to Michael G Matthews for the enquiry that led to filling in the details).

RIP Steam Packet as pub

It's common knowledge by now, but for the record: the official final opening days for the Steam Packet - before (as far as is known) its closure as a public house when the landlord Barry Stock retires - are Friday and Saturday this week (Nov 7th and 8th).

This is pretty historic; though the Bridge Inn is considerably older as a building, the Steam Packet is the second oldest pub in Topsham, and the oldest one purpose-built. It began its days as the Red Lion, and was renamed in 1850 after the steam packet Zephyr that called at Topsham as part of its weekly run between Torquay and London. Its owner in the late 1890s was Charles Gale (who also ran the London and South Western, now Drakes) whose wife, Tryphena Sparks, was a cousin of Thomas Hardy.

Basics thanks to Exeter Memories: see The Steam Packet - Topsham Quay for further historical background. (Image: scanned from Trewman's Exeter Flying Post, June 4th 1846).

Gallery, November 2008 (click images to enlarge)



Route 2



Addendum: since the writing of the above, the Steam Packet has been bought by the owners of the Globe Hotel. Renamed Route 2 after the local branch of the national cycle network, it reopened in June 2009 as a licensed cafe bar, open 8am-8pm.