John TALBOT (1830?-1925)

Plantation House, 11/13 Burlington Street, Ipswich

Personal Details

Marriage and Family Details

Other Details

The following is an extract from a local history blog I found on line. The full text and illustrations can be found at:-

http://blog.atavusresearch.com/2014/09/talbot-mineral-water.html

"In 1851, the Talbot family were living in Crown Street. John Talbot, born in Norwich, Norfolk, aged 50 was a Dyer, he was living there with his wife and six children the eldest of whom was his son aged 21 who was also named John and was also working as a Dyer. Father and son must have seen that there was an opportunity for in 1855 the first advertisement appeared in White's Directory. They were actually advertising their services in three sections; 1,Booksellers, Binders, Printers and Stationers; 2.Dyers and Scourers and 3.Ginger Beer and Soda Water Makers. It appears that John junior was selling books and stationery whilst John senior was running the drinks manufacturing together with the Dyers and Scourers business.

By the time of the census in 1861, John senior, his wife Mary and their youngest son William had moved just around the corner from Crown Street into 12 St George's Street. John still stated that he was working as a Silk Dyer and his son William was a Soda Water Maker. John junior had been up to Norwich and had married Harriet Elvey Barr from Ireland. He had come back to live in Crown Street with his new wife and his two sisters Pauline and Levina. He described his occupation in the census as a Book Seller and Soda Water Maker employing 6 men and 2 boys.

The drinks business was successful and the family ceased trading in Bookselling and Dyeing, just concentrating on drinks manufacturing. By 1881 and presumably after the death of John senior (I can find no further details of him after the 1861 census) John and Harriet were living comfortably and were able to hire a servant and John had doubled his workforce.

By 1885 the business had expanded and another outlet had opened in Saxmundham. John moved from the hustle and bustle of the town centre to the very beautiful Plantation House in Burlington Road. Moving here was a step up the social ladder for John Talbot and a clear indication of a successful businessman.

All the census returns after 1891 show that John was living on his own means which means that he was doing rather well indeed and was probably no longer directly running the business but had employed someone else to do it for him.

By 1922 Talbot's had opened up another branch in Colchester, there were now four branches serving two counties and perhaps beyond. Although the advertisements for Talbot & Co maintain that the company was established in 1840, this is very unlikely. John Talbot senior does not appear in White's Directory of 1844, also he states that his occupation in 1841 was a Dyer as it was in 1851. John junior was only 12 in 1841 so would not have been doing any business. So it appears that there may have been a little exaggeration when making the logo/trademark of the company.

Well into their eighties, Harriette passed away on 1 April 1925 and John followed just a few weeks later on 19 May. The couple never had any children and their estate worth over £25,000 (approximately £750,000 in today's money) went to probate. I have not found out what happened to their Estate. (*see below)

By 1933 Talbot Mineral Water were advertising as Talbot & Co Ltd, mineral water and cordial manufacturers; suppliers of A J Caley & Sons Ltd. Mineral waters; manufactory and office Unicorn Works, Foundation Street (TN 3212) and at Colchester and Saxmundham. They had moved their head office and works to Foundation Street which was also the site of a brewery and Inn and had ceased trading in Felixstowe and Stowmarket. A few years later they had expanded their services to include the wholesale selling of biscuits and tobacco. Talbot advertised their product on the back page of the souvenir programme for the Third Ipswich Ideal Homes and Trades Exhibition in February 1938 claiming that their mineral waters were celebrated and that they were suppliers to hotels, restaurants, licensed premises, sports clubs and that their specialities were used daily in the fashion parades!

I found Talbot & Co. in two further directories;1947 and 1956 and that is the last I found of the company. In Kelly's Ipswich Directory for 1958 Cantrell and Cochrane Ltd are the occupiers of Unicorn Works."

More Details

After tracking down the probate referred to in the blog above, I was able to obtain a copy of John Talbot (Jnr)'s will which was originally dated 17th September 1912. It turns out to be quite a complicated document, which I hope you can follow below...

John Talbot wrote his original will when he was about 82 years old and his wife, Harriet was about 75. They were a wealthy couple and been living comfortably in Plantation House, Burlington Road, Ipswich for over 30 years. They had no children, so John looked to other family members to leave his inheritance to.

He appointed his wife, Harriet Elvey Talbot. his nephew, Charles Talbot Hunt and an unrelated individual, George Powell Price to be the trustees of his estate. George may have been a friend or business aquaintance, but by the time John's Will was proved and registered in 1925, George was the Chief Clerk of the Ipswich District Probate Registry. George received a bequest of £50 for his time and trouble in acting as executor.

In this will John left all his plate, plated articles, linin, china and other household effects "not hereinafter otherwise disposed of" to his wife, and all furniture and pictures to his trustees on instruction that they should be used and enjoyed by his wife during her lifetime, and on her death to be used and enjoyed by his nephew Charles Talbot Hunt for his life, and on his death to be used and enjoyed by John's great nephew, Talbot Ronald Hunt. John also left his 5% Chinese Bonds (of unknown value) to his sister in law Agnes Mary Porter.To his sisters, Ellen Cook, Susannah Hammond, Pamela Taylor and Lavinia Steel, he left £100 each.

His nieces, Alice Robertson, Gertrude Hunt, Clara Brighton and Elvey Hunt each received £50 as did his nephews, Charles Talbot Hunt, Alfred J Hunt, Theophilus Calver, Arthur Calver and James Calver.Interestingly, John also left £250 to the parish of St Matthews with instructions to invest this sum and use the income there-from to purchase coal to be distributed annually at Christmas to "such poor persons in the parish that shall be considered deserving of the legacy".

John refers to his two freehold houses at 11 and 13 Burlington Road and instructs that they should be retained for the use of his wife during her lifetime and thereafter demised to Charles Talbot Hunt for his lifetime and therafter to Talbot Reginald Hunt in perpetuity.

The remainer of all John's real (property) and personal assets are to be "called in" by the Trustees and converted to money which shall be invested. The income from such investments shall be paid to Harriett for the remainder of her life. Upon Harrietts death, One third of the capital is to be placed in trust for Charles Talbot Hunt and the remaining two thirds is to remain invested and the income paid to Charles Talbot Hunt for the remainder of his life, and after his death all capital and income shall pass to Talbot Reginald Hunt.

The Will was witnessed by D O Wollaston (solicitor) and E J Watson (Clerk)

1st Codicil (dated 25th March 1922)
This codicil becomes necessary due to the "recent death" of John's nephew Charles Talbot Hunt. As a result, the one third share of the residual capital which Charles would have inherited following the death of Harriett, is now to be apportioned equally between John's nieces Alice Robinson, Jessie Hunt, Elvey Hunt and Gertrude Hunt. John also revokes the instruction to pass the remaining two third share of the residual income to Charles Talbot Hunt, (and after his death, income and capital to Talbot Reginald Hunt). Instead he grants a one third share of the residual income and capital to Talbot Reginald in perpetuity after Harrietts death, and the remaining third share to "the three younger children of my late deceased nephew Charles Talbot Hunt". In addition, Theophilus Calver, James Calver and Clara Brighton's legacies are increased from £50 to £100.

John's freehold dwelling house at 16 St Georges Street, Ipswich is demised to a John Routh. Nephew), Walter Hammond, and niece Jessie Hunt, received £50 each, whilst another niece, Mrs Clarry (still to be identified), and nephew, Thomas Cook (of my family line), receive £30 each. Mary Baggott, John's maid servant receives £20 (providing she is still in his employment at the time of his death). Contributions are also made to the Ipswich and East Suffolk Hospital and the St Matthew churchwardens.

The bequest to George Powell Price is increased to £250 and finally, John instructs that "before the sale of the portion of my property now in the occupation of the company known by the name of Talbot and Co Mineral Water Manufacturers, to offer the same to the said company at the price of £3,000, such offer to hold good for the space of two calander months after making such offer".

The Codicil was witnessed by A M Porter and J R Pendal

2nd Codicil (dated 13th April 1925)
This codicil was added following the death of Harriett on the 1st April and less than a month before John's own death. With the death of Harriet and nephew Talbot, John's will has to be effectively rewritten.

In this codicil John leaves all his plate, plated articles, linin, china and other household together with all furniture and pictures to his nieces, Elvey Hunt and Gertrude Hunt. With regard to Johns houses at 11 and 13 Burlington Road, which should have eventually passed to Talbot Reginald Hunt, John revokes his origional intentions as he considers that Talbot is "well provided for under the will of his late father" and instead directs that the houses should be sold and the monies added to his residual estate which will be treated as above.

This Codicil was witnessed by Jessie Humpress and Hilda Steward both of Burlington Road Home, (which indicates that as at the 13th April 1925, 95 year old John was living in a care home?)

The entire document is completed with a note to the effect that probate was granted at Ipswich on the 22nd July 1925 to George Powell Price the sole surviving executor.

It is also intriging to note that apart from leaving some (relatively) nominal bequests to his sisters and some of their children, it seems it was always intended that the bulk of his estate was ultimately to be left to left to members of his wife's family, in particular Charles and Talbot Hunt.

More about Plantation House

11 Plantation House (or Villa as referred to in the conservation document) does not itself appear to be listed, but does lie in the conservation area, The following is an extract from Ipswich Borough Council's " BURLINGTON ROAD CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL AND MANAGEMENT PLAN" (c 1994).

"South of Dalton Road the gradient falls more steeply to Handford Road. Nos. 11-13 `Plantation Villa' were designed by the architect Robert Thomas Orr in 1872 for John Talbot, the mineral water manufacturer (and sympathiser with Alexander's temperance views). The architectural features of these delightful Suffolk white brick houses have survived almost intact. They are designed around central pedimented gables flanked by urns and have portrait keystone busts over the front doors depicting Shakespeare and Dickens."