Transcript

of

George Elliot Hearder [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc., 1889, Vol XXI, p. 70.

by

Rev. W. Harpley, M.A.

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was presented at the Association’s July 1889 Tavistock meeting. Mr Hearder was a member of a prominent Torquay family. His brother William ran ‘Hearder's Hotel’ – later the ‘Queens’- in the 1830s. From 1863 George Elliot Hearder was employed first as Clerk to the Town Commissioners, and later as Clerk to the Local Board of Health. He also acted as Magistrate's Clerk from 1838. On his retirement in September 1867, the Board voted him a gratuity of two hundred guineas (£210) in recognition of his public service. Kelly’s Post Office Directory for Devonshire, (1856) lists Mr Hearder in its Tradesman Section as clerk to the magistrates & local board of health, Town Hall. Two others of the Hearder name are also listed; Hearder Sarah Coyte, (Mrs), Hearder’s family hotel, Victoria parade, and Hearder, William, chemist & manufacturer of mineral waters, 1 Victoria parade. In 1828, Torquay had just one hotel. When another opened nearby, the Vicar of Torre objected on the grounds that two such places in the town would be "detrimental to its moral health". This idea was soon discarded due to the arrival of British and Foreign royalty who chose to stay at hotels in preference to renting villas. By the 1840s, Webb's Royal Hotel and Hearder's Family Hotel were established as select and highly-respectable establishments to which people came to enjoy hotel life as well as the delights of the seaside. The local newspaper of the time - the Torquay and Tor Directory and Advertiser - published each Friday a listing of who was staying at each hotel - nobility favoured Webb's while the church looked kindly on Hearder's!  The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers. (There is a fine portrait of George Hearder at  Art UK.)

George Elliot Hearder was one of the earliest members of the Association, having joined it in 1862, the year in which its first Annual Meeting was held. For several years he was one of the auditors of accounts. He was elected a member of the Torquay Natural History Society in 1845, but withdrew in 1848 ; he was re-elected in 1878, and continued a member until his death.

He died at his residence, Chelston Cottage, Cockington, Torquay, 23rd August, 1888, aged 75 years.