Edward Cockrem and the Durnford Sisters

Introduction

(For a Flip-Book version - scroll down)

I was born and brought up in Torquay and am interested in its History. I came across Edward Cockrem´s name in connection with two guide books to Torquay and a handful of maps which he commissioned while carrying out research in the 1990s; but at that time, I was able to find out very little about the man himself. However, a recent find of a print at an auction house in Pforzheim, Germany (I live in Stuttgart, only 25 Km away) resparked my interest in him. Consequently, I came across an interesting story of Torquay in the 1840s and also had to rewrite my entries in Tourist Maps of Devon.[1]

 

The print that I purchased shows two ladies in similar attire walking past Edward Cockrem´s book shop and Directory Office on the Strand, Torquay. My first thought was, “What a strange picture!” My second was to find out more about both the women portrayed and more about Edward Cockrem.

This article is split into four separate chapters:

Chapter I. Edward Cockrem: his life and publishing output

Chapter II. The Alphington Ponies: the Durnford Sisters

Chapter III. The Strand Torquay: the main thoroughfare in the mid-1800s

Chapter IV. Croydon, Elliott and Ardley: and the Durnford Sisters

In addition, I have compiled a list of works published by Edward Cockrem and the prints published by the Croydon family:

Appendix I. Cockrem´s published works 1829 – 1873

Appendix II. Croydon´s prints, 1817 - 1860

 

You can skip to another chapter by clicking the appropriate heading above.

 

Chapter I. Edward Cockrem: his life and publishing output

 

According to the very impressive website “Exeter Working Papers in Book History”[2] and its various links, Edward Cockrem was only active in Torquay as a printer and publisher between 1830 and 1856.  Entering Cockrem on the South West Heritage Trust web catalogue gains 21 hits, with none for Edward[3]; trying the Local Studies Catalogue produces four hits for Cockrem´s Torquay Guide (see below) and one print; persevering you might access the Devon imprints pages and find 17 works (with a further 4 later editions)[4].  

Browsing the newspaper archives also turns up surprisingly little about the man. In common with many printers of the time he had a variety of different strings to his bow and advertised himself as bookseller, stationer, music seller as well as offering reading rooms from his premises at No. 10, the Strand, Torquay, and even providing premises for travelling dentists to see patients.[5] Torquay from the mid-1800s was full of small booksellers and fancy goods shops selling all manner of items to locals and tourists alike and the two most successful were probably Edward Cockrem and his neighbour Edward Croydon. But Cockrem remained the more important figure for many years, providing Torquay with a publisher of minority interest books and issuing an independent newspaper/directory to residents and tourists alike from as early as 1829 until his death in 1872.

Edward was the son of John Cockrem, yeoman of Washbourne, and brother of John Cockrem, also a yeoman, of Brixton who married Susanna Lindon of Yealmpton in 1842[6]. We know that Edward had been apprenticed to John Hannaford of Totnes (fl. 1823-1848) before opening a business in Torquay.[7] There is some evidence to indicate that Cockrem might have been with Henry Cole about the time the latter retired or died. There is one advert for the company of Cole and Cockrem from the Exeter Flying Post in 1829. Henry Cole was active from 1823-1830 as printer and bookseller at the Old Quay (registered in a directory in 1823) but had moved to Lawrence Place by 1830.[8] It could be that Cockrem moved to Torquay and began working with/for Cole. There is evidence that he was already a Torquay resident in 1828, publishing on his own account in 1829, and that he married in 1830.

Fig. 1: Torquay in Blewitt´s Panorama, 1832.[9]

Early Publications 

The first works generally listed under Edward Cockrem´s name are associated with a local author: Octavian Blewitt wrote a short booklet The Panorama of Torquay in 1830 and although he did not give his name to it, it was Printed and Published for the Author, by Edward Cockrem. In the same year, Blewitt had a book of poetry published: The Sirens, A Holiday Poem was written when Blewitt was 17 and read out to the school. This was Printed for Private Circulation by Cockrem.[10] Both appeared in 1830, the year any partnership with Cole seems to have ceased. 

Octavian Blewitt was born in London but went to school in Plymouth. His small booklet of 84 pages (plus a short addenda) must have sparked interest – a pirated edition was published by another Torquay publisher the same year[11] – and in 1832 a Second Edition appeared, now under his name and published by Simpkin and Marshall in London and by Cockrem in Torquay. Blewitt subsequently travelled extensively and later in his life he wrote guides on Central Italy, the East and Southern Italy for John Murray. He was elected Secretary to the Royal Literary Fund in 1839, a post he kept until his death. The reason he chose a little-known Torquay printer for his first publications probably has something to do with their comparative youth. 

Edward Cockrem may have started up even earlier than commonly supposed. At least two sources state that Cockrem was in Torquay in 1828 and Sonnets by the author of Specimens of Sonnets from the Most Celebrated Italian Poets was published in Torquay, printed for private circulation by Edward Cockrem in 1829[12]; and The anchor of the soul: "Jesus, the author and finisher of faith" by Charles Troward was to be had gratis at L B (Leonard Benton) Seeley & Sons, London; Cockrem, printer, Torquay, Devon, and of the author, Paington, Devon (also 1829). Furthermore, William Pengelly, speaking to the Devonshire Association in 1881 suggested that, if not the first printer in Torquay, Cockrem was one of the earliest, or the first to become successful. It was certain, however, that Mr. Cockrem had established a printing office at Torquay before 1834, and probably as early as 1828.[13] Up until this time most printing for the rapidly expanding town had been undertaken by Bowden of Paignton. 

At first glance, Cockrem´s output seems to be rather limited. The 17 works listed under The Devon Book Trade: imprints Torquay are published between 1830 and 1873. Only one guide book is in the Devon Archive list together with one print (by Rock & Co.). Somers Cocks[14] also has few illustrations attributed to Cockrem in his Devon Topographical Prints and only lists three works. When Octavian Blewitt revised his Panorama of Torquay, it included a Frontispiece, pre-title illustration, a small map and one further wood engraving (Fig. 1) all bearing Cockrem´s imprint. Two further books with prints bear Cockrem´s name; A Guide to Torquay published together with W Elliott (1841); and Scenery of Torquay and Babbicombe by Dibdin and Vivian, also in 1841 but published by Cockrem, Elliott and Barrett in Torquay (and R Ackermann in London, see Fig. 2.). In addition, early issues of The Guide to Torquay and Neighbourhood included views by Rock & Co., and one or two further views have been seen.[15]

Fig. 2: View of Torquay from Dibdin & Vivian.[16]

However, further research has uncovered a wealth of smaller, local publications. Although Cockrem is reported to have established an office together with William Elliott in 1834[17] this may have been an idea of cooperation which did not materialise. William Pengelly in 1881 in a presentation to the Devonshire Association is reported as saying: It was often thought that the earliest professional printers in Torquay were Messrs. Cockrem, and Elliott, who established an office there about 1834. … But Mr. Elliott had informed him that he never was in partnership with Mr. Cockrem either as a printer or in any other business; that he began business at Torquay as bookseller, stationer, and librarian, in 1837 and not as a printer before 1839.[18]

Be that as it may, all works published by Cockrem before 1841 were under his own imprint. From the beginning Edward Cockrem seems to have been busy printing and publishing small booklets for, more or less, private or limited circulation. The on-line catalogue (JISC) lists some 100 entries for Cockrem (including multiple entries) and combining this with other sources we are aware of at least twenty-three publications before 1841.[19] These include Blewitt´s Panorama (probably the most successful work during this period) and the vast majority having an ecclesiastical bias: Occasional thoughts by the Rev. James Jonge (two editions); Church and state: two letters by Salma; or Christian hymns, Printed for the Christian Church at Tor being good examples.

However, the most fascinating of books was published by Cockrem for its author, Mary Wyatt, during this period [1834-1840]: her Algae Danmonienses, or Dried Specimens of Marine Plants, principally collected in Devonshire (Fig. 3.). A copy sold at Christie´s in 1994 comprised 5 volumes including a supplement. An amazing 544 specimens representing 236 species of seaweed, were either mounted on paper sheets pasted to the page or attached to pages by means of paper strips. Mary Wyatt had worked in the household of Amelia Griffiths, who was perhaps the world´s leading authority on seaweeds in her day. Encouraged by the famous botanist William Harvey, a friend and correspondent of Griffiths, Wyatt continued to collect her seaweeds and shells and ultimately opened a shop in Torquay where she sold shells, madrepores and pressed plants.[20]

Fig. 3: Page of seaweed from Mary Wyatt´s book.[21]

I include Christie´s description as posted on the internet (1994) as it seems petty to interfere with it:

Only one copy appears in British auction records for this century (…). …. Mary Wyatt was a "dealer in shells" in Torquay, and the sole supplier of the work, which originally cost £1 for each volume. Each of the first four volumes contains approximately 50 different species, and the supplement, which includes examples from the coast of Cornwall, as well as from Devonshire, contains a further 36 species. The printed labels give each specimen's name and number, the classification from Hooker's British Flora and from other works on British algae, as well as a brief description of the habitat and locality where the seaweed is found, and an indication of its rarity. Several of those included at the end of volume IV are tentatively described as new species; many more are described as "rare", "very rare" or "extremely rare" and it is perhaps reasonable to suppose that, with the increase of pollution in the area, some of these species are now extinct.

Newspaper Publisher and Edward Vivian

The Torquay and Tor Directory was set up in 1839 or 1840 (Fig. 4.) with Cockrem as printer, publisher and (part) proprietor.[22] According to the obituary in the Western Times: The first number was issued in 1839, and was a small four-page phamplet (sic) printed monthly.[23] According to White[24] this could claim to be Torquay´s oldest newspaper. It first appeared as four pages (crown octavo) containing a list of visitors and residents. The early days were difficult due to the regulations at the time: in those days advertisements were taxed to the extent of half a crown each, and on each copy of a newspaper printed there was a fourpenny stamp.[25] In November 1845 the fortnightly paper was expanded to eight pages (No. 157 now 28 cm high)[26] but at the beginning of 1846 (Jan. 16^th, No. 162) the page size was increased to 32.5 cm (and stamp duty now added). The list of guests and residents (in downtown Torquay only) typically occupied two pages with an alphabetical list added in July the same year. The newspaper became weekly with the issue of the first Supplement on August 7^th 1846 (No. 176).  By 1853 at the latest a Plan of the Town was being offered “Being a Companion to the Torquay Directory”.[27] There was also a limited amount of news, qualifying it as a newspaper: although a lot of the “news” was articles on the local climate, Kent´s Cavern finds and numerous “letters” from erudite readers (e.g., Publius and Anti-Humbug) who then succeeded in having long-winded arguments.

Subsequent enlargements saw it become the largest newspaper in the county by the time of Cockrem´s death (1872), when it was transferred to a company. White adds: In politics, both imperial and local, the Directory is neutral, but the utmost latitude is permitted to correspondents. Meanwhile, the Torquay Chronicle was established by William Elliott at No. 1 Vaughan Parade in 1849. In 1856 Kelly had two entries for newspapers: William Elliott issued the Torquay Chronicle & General Directory (Tuesday), 2 Lawrence Place; and Edward Cockrem the Torquay Directory & South Devon Journal, (Wednesday), 10 Strand.

It is worth mentioning a person who was, without doubt, an influential character behind the newspaper at the time.[28] Edward Vivian was born April 2nd, 1808, at Bushey, in Hertfordshire and soon after his father´s death he went to Oxford, and obtained a B.A. and an M.A. Vivian and others purchased the cutter Paul Pry and they sailed the coasts of North and South Devon. Vivian visited Torquay at a time when it was just emerging from a fishing village into a watering-place. Captivated, he later moved to Torquay and resided at Hampton House, St. Marychurch, the residence of his brother-in-law, Mr. C. K. Sievewright.

In 1832, Captain W. Vivian (his brother), and William Kitson established the Torquay Bank, and Vivian joined it soon after. In 1842, Vivian built his later home, Woodfield, and began to establish a collection of sub-tropical plants (the Torbay Horticultural Society was formed and largely promoted by Vivian). He was one of the founders of the Torquay Natural History Society and held the office of Treasurer of the Society for many years. He was an active supporter of the exploration of Kents Cavern and presented numerous papers and reports. Vivian became connected with the Torquay Directory in 1846, and remained its editor until the 1890s, i.e., long after Cockrem´s death.

One of the few illustrated books published by Cockrem was Thomas C Dibdin and Edward Vivian´s Scenery of Torquay and Babbicombe. The illustrations were partly by Edward Vivian. He was a talented artist and many of his prints were published by R Ackerman of London. It is reported that he exhibited at many art exhibitions held in Torquay, despite being colour blind! He was also a gifted photographer. He was a driving force behind the foundation of the School of Art in Torquay.

Vivian was a prolific writer and the list of his papers and articles included in his obituary is long, and represents a broad range of interests. It is very probably that he was behind many of the articles written for the Torquay Directory besides those on climate which bore his name. Furthermore, he could have been the pen behind a large number of readers´ letters.  He died at his residence, at Woodfield, on March 30th, 1893, age 85.

Fig. 4: The Torquay and Tor Directory for October 7^th 1842.[29]

Illustrated Works

The year 1841 saw the publication of two illustrated works, both issued in collaboration with others. Cockrem and Elliott may have registered a business in 1834 but it was not until now that a Guide to Torquay appeared under their imprint: this included nine small but attractive circular vignette illustrations (Fig. 5) 360° Panorama. This may have been more a joint venture as the plates could have been a financial risk for both.

However, the most impressive of the two works must have been Thomas C Dibdin and Edward Vivian´s Scenery of Torquay and Babbicombe. This contained a set of five lithographs by W Gauci after T C Dibdin and E Vivian and was published by Cockrem, Elliott and Barrett in Torquay with a well-known publisher of views in London, R Ackermann. Each print was hand-coloured and measured nearly 20 x 30 cm. Barrett was most certainly a relative of Cockrem; Walter Barrett aged 19 is listed in the 1871 census, living with Mary at the Strand premises and working as assistant bookseller.

Fig. 5: Title page to A Guide to Torquay with typical illustration.

It must have been at about this time that the unusual print appeared showing two ladies, known throughout the town as the Durnford Sisters, or as the Alphington Ponies. This large print, 27 x 32 cm (without titles), shows the two sisters passing a shop: that of Edward Cockrem. In 1908 the Rev. Sabine Baring Gould would provide details of these fascinating women (see The Alphington Ponies).

The Devon Book Trades blogspot lists only a small number of single prints besides those listed in the illustrated works already discussed: these are a view of the Strand by C Clampet and an East View of Torquay by J Pitts, c1830; and c1842, a view of Bishopstowe, the summer residence of the Bishop of Exeter, by and after G Rowe.[30] Cockrem would additionally have distributed views by Rock & Co., Kershaw, J & F Harwood, J & S etc., including his own imprint on print or book cover.

One interesting print of his is to be found in Drives in and about Torquay, a Victorian scrapbook.[31] In 1863 H. M. A. – Harriette Matilda Armytage, the daughter of Sir George Armytage – convalesced in Torquay and compiled a scrapbook in which she pasted views she had cut out of other works and recorded her various excursions. This scrapbook not only includes two of Cockrem´s maps but also a view of The River Teign, from Brecknock Hill. This is a Rock & Co., London, vignette (No. 2696, 10th March 1855) but with additional imprint: Published by E. Cockrem, Newton Abbot & Torquay. There is no further record of Newton Abbot being included in a Cockrem imprint.

In August 1850 the first Public Libraries Act gave powers to local councils of populations of over 10,000 to set up libraries, museums and art galleries to be financed by the product of a halfpenny rate (1855 raised to one penny). At that time there were only two Circulating Libraries and Reading Rooms in Torquay, Edward Cockrem at 10, The Strand and Robert Wreford at 8, Braddons Row. However, these were available only to the well-to-do. Additionally, members of the Torquay Natural History Society had the use of the Society’s reference library.[32]

Later years

Edward Cockram (sic) is listed as living in Paignton in Robson´s Directory of 1839 - where his wife ran a boarding school[33] but Edward must have remained the owner of the bookseller and stationer business in central Torquay. At some time after 1864 Edward and his wife were living at Oxford Villas in (St.) Efride´s Road, Tor. This appears to be also the school which his wife was running. Mr and Mrs Cockrem, together with Mr E D Cockrem (Edward junior) and Miss H Shepherd were resident there in 1869 (Miss Shepherd had left in 1870).

 From 1843 to 1856 we again find a wide variety of texts being printed and/or published as well as an advert for an apprentice and Cockrem being an agent for the SPCK. The most significant publication at this time seems to be Sir Culling Eardley´s Some Papers Relative to the state of St Mary Church, near Torquay, which was printed three times in 1850 (see Chapter IV: Croydon, Elliott and Ardley). Sir Culling and Lady Eardley were Torquay visitors occupying Hillsborough House on Braddon´s Hill (1846). The New Torquay Guide by Democritus Tertius (a.k.a. Edmund Carrington) appeared in 1843 but was not successful; and Flowers of the South, a horticultural work by an old collector (Vivian?) would have been a short print run. A frequent contributor to the newspaper was “Vigil”: this was the pseudonym of Henry Cranmer March Phillipps. Many of his “Letters” to the Torquay Directory were subsequently published as separate booklets. In 1873, at the age of 80, Phillipps “threw himself into the sea to rescue a drowning child, and was, at the risk of his life, instrumental in saving hers”.[34] He was a sitting magistrate for Torquay (Wellswood) for many years.

One unusual, and uncharacteristic, printing assignment was to print a poster / flyer for William Cooke´s Royal Circus. In the late spring of 1848 William Cooke brought his famous troupe of horses to south Devon and events were planned for the last week in May with Dawlish being the location on Saturday 27^th May, 1848.[35] There were to be stops at Exeter (Tuesday, 30^th May), and then a one stop stay in each of Exmouth, Salterton, Sidmouth, Colyton, then Lyme Regis (June 5) and Bridport (June 6). A poster printed by Edward Cockrem advertises the full programme for the Dawlish show which included a large number of the Cooke family and their horses (see illustration in Appendix I).

The Western Flying Post or Sherborne and Yeovil Mercury (issue 23 July 1850) carried the announcement of Cockrem´s father´s death: July, 15, At Washborne, near Totnes, Devon, Mr John Cockrem, yeoman, father of Mr Edward Cockrem, bookseller, Torquay.[36] John Cockrem must have been an important person in the district: Devon Archives has a number of apprentice documents relating to him (eight from 1818-1839).

Cockrem was not against cooperating with other local publishers, including his main rivals Croydon and Elliott. The bulk of his output would seem to be religious works of one sort or another, and many of these were published, or sold, by others too. So, for example (all taken from 1850-51), An appeal to my fellow townsmen in Torquay by Culling E. Eardley was sold by Elliott, Cockrem, Croyden, and Wreyford; Some papers relative to the state of the parish of St. Mary Church, near Torquay, also by Eardley, was printed by Edward Cockrem and sold by Cockrem, Elliott and Wreford in Torquay (and in St Marychurch by Mr Tozer, Butcher); and Holy Communion at a Visitation: by the Rev. James Ford was published by several up and down the country and in Torquay by both Cockrem and Croydon.  

In a case heard at the Petty Sessions Court in February 1851, Cockrem was being pressured to tell the court who had paid for a bill to be inserted into his newspaper alleging the sitting Member of Parliament, George Cary, would not be sitting again at the next election. He seems to have avoided any consequences.[37]

Probably Cockrem´s biggest success was the publication of Cockrem´s Tourist Guide to Torquay and its Neighbourhood circa 1856 (date of BL copy). A fairly comprehensive and handy guide it was possibly printed up to six times. Various institutions date their copies to 1864, 1865, 1876 and 1878, and when Cockrem´s business was taken over his successor, Westley, also reprinted and published the work (c.1882) in two different formats. This guide book was sometimes illustrated and at least three early copies have vignette engravings by Rock & Co. The guide was published only two years after Edward Croydon published his own Torquay Guide and cannot be a coincidence.

From this time until his death in 1872 the typical publication was again a work by a local author printed in a small edition. Thomas Christy Wakefield´s A brief Memoir (29p., 1861); Heart Worship – a sermon preached at St Mary Church (Rev. C F Smith, 16p., 1865); a publication for the Tor Communicant´s Union (56p., 1869); a poem on Berry Pomeroy by Luke M Combes (85p., 1872) all being representative examples. The final work, Jottings at the Dartmoor autumn manoeuvres by H T Mackenzie (16p, 1873) was probably being compiled at the time of his death and was published soon after.

Besides the newspaper with its regular directory, which listed visitors and the addresses at which they could be reached, the kind of work which could have brought regular revenues was Twentyfour views of Torquay. A booklet of 24 leaves it was possibly issued circa 1870 with views by the publishers Kershaw and Son of London or J S & Co. (Fig. 6). These two companies must have combined to sell blocks of views and local publishers could put (or have printed) a cover with their name and address. The identical set of views has been seen sold by J Harris of Torquay. Certainly, most other printer-publishers and booksellers frequently sold booklets of views for tourists. Similar sets of Rock & Co. views were printed and sold by C Way or by M C Oldrey of 1 Strand who were both selling such a copy about the same time.[38]

Fig. 6: Waldon Hill, Torquay, showing the Strand. Kershaw & Son. (RareOldPrints)[39]

Another steady source of income may have been the various maps that he sold. Cockrem is known to have commissioned at least 5 different maps of Torquay and the surrounding area. His first map was included in the second edition of Blewitt (1832), and a very unusual circular panorama “map” in the guide published jointly with Elliott followed (1841). However, it appears he also had a map to accompany the Torquay Directory which was updated at least three times. The artist and/or printers were almost all local until 1870 when he had two maps commissioned by Stanford´s Geographical Establishment in London.[40]

Edward Cockrem died on 4 September 1872 in Torquay leaving effects valued at ‘under £9000’. After his death the family maintained the printing and book business for a while, listing it as ‘Cockrem and Co’, but the book side had soon after been taken over by Arthur Westley. The Torquay Directory was taken over and run from at least 1875 by William Winget. He had joined Edward Cockrem after returning to Torquay about 1863: when Edward Vivian formed a company to succeed Cockrem, Winget was made manager of the Torquay Directory, Newspaper and General Printing Co. Ltd.[41] 

At the time of his death, his wife was in ill health and he left two sons and four daughters. Two of his daughters, Mary and Jane, both registered as booksellers, were resident at 10, Strand with James Pascoe (a classical tutor residing as lodger) and Jane Langworthy (servant) as early as 1851. In 1866, Mary Cockrem was the only Devon woman to sign the national Women’s Suffrage Petition to Parliament, presented to the House of Commons by John Stuart Mill, MP on 17 July 1866.[42] In 1871 Mary Cockrem was at 10, Strand together with Walter Barrett[43] and Maria Barnes (assistant) and Jane Poshbury (servant) but had moved to Montpellier Terrace by 1875. At this time the school had moved to Thornton, in Cleveland Road, and was being run by Mr and Mrs George Cockrem (as Boarding School for Young Ladies).

After two years of failing health Edward Cockrem died suddenly after an acute illness. The reports in the papers after his death give some indication as to the sort of person Edward Cockrem had been. Two excerpts from the very sensitive obituary published in the Western Times of Friday, September 13^th are worth quoting:

Suffice it to say, that he was a man of great probity of character ; of sound practical business habits ; and of generous disposition ; kind employer, and earnest and devout Christian—qualities which have not only assisted to build up the high reputation he has attained, but which have earned for him the respect and esteem of all classes in Torquay. He persistently shunned those local offices to which, it presumed, some little distinction is attached. …  It was with reluctance that he was induced to accept the office of a churchwarden at Torre Church, a post which he filled at the time of his death.

The remains of the late Mr. Cockrem were interred on Tuesday in Torre burying ground, The funeral was attended by a very large number of respected inhabitants including several clergymen. Most of the shops in the town were closed, and on board the vessels in the harbour, and at the signal staff the pier flags were hoisted half mast high.

 

Flip-Book test pages

Easy to use "FlipBook" version. Testing only.

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[1] See Batten, Kit; Tourist Maps of Devon; on-line at https://tourist-maps-of-devon.blogspot.com/. Entries on Cockrem and Westley have been updated (August 2022).

[2] This excellent site, the work of Ian Maxted, has been used extensively in all my writings. Access the Home page at: https://bookhistory.blogspot.com/. Unfortunately, Devon Heritage have somewhat neglected it.

[3] Most of these are for John Cockrem.

https://devon-cat.swheritage.org.uk/search/all:all/0_50/all/score_desc/cockrem.

[4] At https://bookhistory.blogspot.com/2015/02/devon-imprintstorquay.html

[5] Mr L Mosely, for example, at Mr Cockrem´s – Has the honor to announce to patients, and those who may wish to consult him, … every Wednesday. From Torquay and Tor Directory, November 1845.

[6] Apparently by consent of the Archbishop of Canterbury as the See of Exeter was vacant at the time.

[7] Maxted.

[8] Maxted:  Registered press 4/7/1833 (DRO Q/S 68). EFP 18/7/1833 1b. See for example,  https://bookhistory.blogspot.com/2014/07/devon-book-trades-torquay. In 1833 we find Mrs Peggy Cole as printer with a circulating library (but also Agent for piano sales).

[9] Detail from G P Hearder´s wood engraving for Blewitt´s Panorama. It was reissued in J T White´s History of Torquay in 1850.

[10] Sold by Simon Beattie, and included in his catalogue 2010/09. See http://simonbeattie.co.uk/.

[11] This was published by R Luscombe of Newton Abbot, who set up a business in Torquay, but the withdrawal of this pirate edition may have prevented him becoming Torquay´s first publisher. See Pengelly in Torquay Times, 1881.

[12] For a list of all Cockrem publications and institutions which hold them see the Appendix.

[13] See Torquay Times, and South Devon Advertiser - Friday 29 July 1881.
[18] See Torquay Times, and South Devon Advertiser - Friday 29 July 1881.
[20] For an account of both women go to https://philipstrange.wordpress.com/. The story is well told as The Queen of Seaweeds – The Story of Amelia Grifffiths, An Early 19TH Century Pioneer of Marine Botany.

[14] Somers Cocks; Devon Topographical Prints, 1660-1870; Devon Library Services; 1977.

[15] Somers Cocks; 1977. See entries S.121 for Blewitt; S152 for Cockrem & Elliott; and S153 for Dibdin and Vivian.

[16] Sold at Bonhams, the auctioneers, in 2016. See https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23199/lot/243/

[17] Maxted:  Registered press 4/7/1833 (DRO Q/S 68). EFP 18/7/1833 1b.

[19] For a list of all works I have discovered to date (August 2022) see the list at Cockrem´s Published Works.

[21] This illustration from Zucker Art Books: https://zuckerartbooks.com/exhibition/41/exhibition_works/1742 and text from Christie´s on-line catalogue at https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-3056475?ldp_breadcrumb=back&intObjectID=3056475&from=salessummary&lid=1.

[22] Although Cockrem was the “face” of the company, the enterprise was continued by Vivian when he died, who was also named as part proprietor.

[23] Most sources (and advertisements by the paper) quote 1840. However, if Nov 7 1845 saw issue 157, issue 1 could have appeared as early as November 1839 at fortnightly intervals, earlier if the first issues were, in fact, monthly. One source quotes 1^st November with no reference to check.

[24] J T White; History of Torquay; privately published; printed at the Directory Office; Torquay; 1878.

[25] The Western Times, Friday 13^th September with obituary for Edward Cockrem.

[26] The alteration in the form of the Directory, and the announcement thereof, which happened simultaneously this day fortnight, without any previous sound or note of preparation, have, the Proprietor has every reason to believe, afforded unalloyed satisfaction to its friends and supporters. Torquay and Tor Directory No. 158.

[27] See Batten, Kit; 2022; Tourist Maps of Devon; especially entry Cockrem 4.

[28] This description is taken from https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/Tormoham/Vivian1893.

[29] For a complete copy of this directory go to

http://www.terry-leaman.co.uk extension /Tiscali/COCKREM.HTM. Terry Leaman´s site is extremely informative for all interested in Torquay.

[30] Somers Cocks: c1830, numbered 3181 (incorrectly labelled Stand and 3182, both approx. 180 x 260 mm; c1842, 3101 Bishopstowe 200 x 291 mm. 

[31] See https://etched-on-devons-memory.blogspot.com/2021/05/drives-in-and-about-torquay-volume-1.html

[32] A History of Torbay Library Services by Lorna Smith (2007); https://www.torbay.gov.uk/media/1836/historylibraryservice.pdf.

[33] The 1851 census shows 19 residents with a son, also Edward, the only boy pupil at the school.

[34] Westley and Co.´s Tourists´Guide to Torquay (c. 1878), page 15.

[35] See Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, Saturday 27^th May 1848. Although Dawlish is not mentioned it would have fitted the timetable.

[36] At https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103728731/death-of-george-major-junior-11-july/

[37] Exeter Flying Post, 27^th February 1851.

[38] A number of such books or booklets of views have been uploaded (2022), see https://devon-view-books.blogspot.com/.

[39] Illustration by kind permission of Mike Jones, RareOldPrints.com. This very impressive site has a large number of Devon prints in good resolution.

[40] See Batten, Kit; Tourist Maps of Devon; on-line at https://tourist-maps-of-devon.blogspot.com/. Entries on Cockrem and Westley have been updated (August 2022).

[41] See May´s British and Irish Press Guide (p.139) for the year 1875 and the obituary of William Winget in Torquay Times and South Devon Advertiser, 29^th February 1924.

[42] Mary Caroline – suffragette in https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/parliamentary-archives/1866SuffragePetitionNamesWebJune16.pdf.

[43] Possibly a relative of the Barrett who also published the Dibdin views in 1841.