George Hiscock Stentiford

You will have to look hard to find George Hiscock Stentiford in the 1881 Census. At this time he was 26 years old and 20 years had passed since he returned, with the rest of his family, from Newfoundland to Torquay.

In the 1871 Census, he is still living at home with his parents but the 10-year gap between the two Census returns is a mystery. There is documentary evidence that not only did he describe himself as a carpenter on occasions, he actually earned his living by this trade at various times throughout his life. But not so in 1881. By then, it seems, he had capitalised on two of his strongest assets - his smart appearance and dignified bearing - he had become a butler. To find his mis-spelt name, search for Newfoundland as a birthplace; you will find him in St. Marychurch,Torquay, among the household of Frederick Coulson named as "George Steintiford". Ignore one of the many transcription errors on the disk - he was not a butcher nor would there have been a place for one in a household of this status!

His next position seems to have been as butler to Richard Cory, a wealthy shipping magnate, who had a property just outside Wembury on the outskirts of Plymouth called Langdon Court.

In 1882 he met a young woman calling herself, at that time, Georgina Kelly. She was working not far away from Langdon Court as a cook at the North Huish home of Frederick Cornish Bowden, a prominent County figure and Magistrate. Frederick's wife, Esther, was a member of the Cornish family and at the time of his marriage, Frederick added her surname to his own.

North Huish

Frithelstock Church

The romantic ruins of Frithelstock Priory (right of the church) are now enclosed in a private garden

Georgina's true name was "Greek" but throughout her life, she frequently used her mother's married surname as an alternative. Her wedding took place in the village of Frithelstock near to where Richard and Elizabeth Kelly were living in the Autumn of 1882.

After they were married, George returned to work and live at Langdon Court, Richard Cory's home. A room was rented for Georgina in nearby Plymstock at Oak Cottage and she would have seen George only on the rare occasions when he had time off. The cottage is long gone as has the little cluster of oak trees in which it once stood.

Once known as Langdon Hall, now as Langdon Court, this house dates back to Tudor times. It was extended in the early 18th century and is now a hotel standing in its own grounds some five mile from Plymouth City Centre. There are photographs in the hotel of some of the titled and famous people who visited Richard Cory up to the time of his death in 1904. They include HRH the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), Kaiser Wilhelm and Lillie Langtry.

The Cory Family has a most interesting website which contains information about Richard Cory, his home and his descendents. This photograph is taken from their site and shows HRH Prince Alfred with other guests at Langdon Court during the period when George Stentiford was the family's butler.

www.mgoffin.fsnet.co.uk

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