Mallock, The Misses Charlotte, Harriet & Catherine, Thornhill Brake, Castle Lane, Cockington Village, Torquay
The Mallock sisters, Charlotte (1839-1907), Harriet (1842-1921) and Catherine (1853-1941),[1] were the daughters of Charles and Maria Mallock of Cockington Court. Charles Mallock was described on the 1861 census as a landed proprietor and magistrate, farming 600 acres and employing a bailiff, a shepherd, 4 boys and 22 agricultural labourers. A governess was employed to teach the girls.
After Charles Mallock’s death in 1873 Cockington Court became the property of their brother Richard, and the young women and their mother moved out to another house on the estate, Thornhill Brake.
Maria Mallock, their mother, died in 1893 and in that same year a Miss Mallock from Torquay signed a petition calling for women to be given the franchise.[2] This was probably Charlotte, who regarded herself as head of the household and was so listed on the 1901 census.
The whole family were staunch Conservative Supporters. Harriet Mallock was Dame President of the Torquay Habitation of the Primrose League in 1906-7[3] and Catherine was the Secretary to the Cockington Habitation of the Primrose League.[4]
Charlotte had also been a supporter and her death in November 1907 was noted with regret at the annual meeting of the Torquay Habitation of the Primrose League the following January.[5] Her obituary referred to ‘her devoted philanthropic work’ among ‘the poor of Cockington and Chelston’, and the Torquay Charity Organisation Society also noted her death with regret.[6]
A ‘Miss Mallock’ without further identification Is referred to as being involved as a Governor of Torbay Hospital[7]
In the 1911 census Catherine and Harriet, aged 69 and 57, respectively are listed at Thornhill Brake, Cockington, a 14-room house, with four resident servants. When they completed the census, they listed themselves as joint heads of household.
In 1913 Harriet and Catherine and their nephew Captain Charles Mallock, who had inherited Cockington Court, hosted a meeting where Mr J.G. Leveson Hallewell addressed the topic of ‘Should women have the vote?’.[8]
Harriet died in 1921, leaving over £7000, with probate to Catherine. Catherine herself died on 5 August 1941. She left almost £12000. Both of them were living at Thornhill Brake at the time of their death.
Entry created by Julia Neville, November 2019.
[1] Personal and family information from www.ancestry.co.uk
[2] Margarita Rendel, ‘The Campaign in Devon for Women’s Suffrage, 1866-1908’, Transactions of the Devonshire Association, 2008, vol. 40, pp.111-151, 130.
[3] Devon and Exeter Gazette (DEG), 20 Jul 1906, p.7; Torquay Times (TT), 19 Apr 1907, p.5
[4] TT, 12 Apr 1907, p.3.
[5] TT, 17 Jan 1908, p.5.
[6] TT, * Nov 1907, p.5; 28 Feb 1908, p.2.
[7] e.g. TT, 1 Mar 1907, p.5.
[8] DEG, 7 Mar 1913, p.15.