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Summary

Almshouses

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1280082: COCKINGTON ALMSHOUSES
• Listed Building (II) 1280082: COCKINGTON ALMSHOUSES

Other References/Statuses

• Torbay HER: MTO8913

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ALMSHOUSE (XIX to XXI - 1810 AD? to 2050 AD (Between))

Full description

Torbay HER record (SMR record). SDV361984.

The 7 almshouses are of stone rubble with some brick dressings, stone rubble chimney shafts and slate roofs. Because of the slope the eastern three almshouses are stepped down at a lower level than the western four. Each has a one room plan with integral rear lean-to servive rooms and stacks in the rear walls between the main room and service outshut. The houses are of two-storeys. Each cottage has a similar single window frontage of plain nineteenth century of twentieth century replacement two-light casements with glazing bars and , to the left, the front door contains a plain plank door. Some of the timber lintels are still protected by hung slates [1]

Sir George Carey's early 17C almshouses of 1607 or 1609 were demolished in 1810 (see SMR SX86SE/33). A plaque on the seven 19C replacements almshouses records (erroneously) that they were 'built in 1840 by the Mallock family on the site of the older almshouses built circa 1620 by Sir George Cary'. The list description quotes both date and site identification uncritically. However Ellis quoting from Mallock estate documents has shown that the new almshouses were established at least by 1821 at which time their occupants were receiving 1/6 weekly and gifts in kind at Christmas. The Rev Roger Mallock having obtained from the Trustees for Sir George Carey's original foundation a sum equal to that required for their repair built 7 new houses in the village, the balance being at his expense. The beneficiaries "have gardens equally good with those which were attached to their former tenements new houses of stone, instead of old ones built of an inferior material." It was then agreed between the Trustees and Roger Mallock that " the ruins and site of the said old houses, and the ground whereon the same stood, should in future belong to and be the property of the said Roger Mallock and his heirs in lieu of and in exchange for the ground which had been built upon ..." [2]

An OS fieldworker visit on 18 November 1952 recorded a plaque at the entrance gate: "This charity was founded by Sir George Cary in the 6th year of King James I with a yearly income of £35 to maintain these 7 houses and to help the residents therein and who under the original charter must receive £22 in cash and kind each year". [3]

Other refs are in Lysons 1822 [4] and Dymond 1873 [5].

<1> Department of National Heritage, 1994, Revised List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, p.89; 885-1/16/348 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV362056.

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<2> Ellis, A.C., 1930, Historical Survey of Torquay, p.136 (Monograph). SDV362462.

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<3> Ordnance Survey, 1952, OS Archaeological Observations in Torquay, Site visit record (Personal Comment). SDV362060.

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<4> Lysons, D. & S., 1822, History and Antiquities of Devonshire, p.50 (Monograph). SDV362461.

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<5> Dymond, R., 1873, Transactions of the Devonshire Association, p.291 (Article in Serial). SDV362460.

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Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8000 - Site visit by OS Field worker - Nov 1952

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