Stafford Barton

Stafford Barton is an old manor house near Dolton in the county of Devon in England. According to Haigh (2009), "it was the home to the Caillaway family (who gradually became Stofford and then Stafford) for over 700 years starting about 1150."

A house of some form has existed on the property probably since the 11th century. Still-existing walls can be dated to the 16th century.[1] Many additions and renovations have taken place in the intervening years. In the nineteenth century, the property was a very substantial one, with 400 acres of associated farmland and a large staff.[1]

Eliza Stafford, the last member of the Stafford family to occupy the home, died in 1887. With financial difficulties the home passed out of the hands of the Stafford family (1889), and it has belonged to variety of individuals since then.[1]

It was sold in 1912 to Charles F. C. Luxmoore, an Amazonian explorer,[2] who added a substantial, crenellated West Wing;[1] he also brought back tropical plants which he grew in the mild Devon climate.[3] Luxmoore installed a plaster ceiling and other decorative items taken from other historic homes.[4] He also kept a prestigious historical harpsichord made by the 18th century Italian builder Vincentio Sodi.[5]

Starting in 1969 and for a number of years thereafter, Stafford Barton was owned and occupied by the German-American harpsichord builder Wolfgang Zuckermann,[6] who had just sold his harpsichord business and emigrated from the United States. He continued to build harpsichords on the site, though hardly on his former quasi-industrial scale. Zuckermann recorded his impressions of England and of rural life in Devon in an article in the Village Voice (Zuckermann 1971).

According to Anonymous (2013), "in 2007 [Stafford Barton] became the property of the Doran family, and has since undergone complete extensive restoration work on its grounds and within the house itself, transforming Stafford Barton into an impressive family home but retaining its original beauty." Haigh (2009), updating his web page in 2015, reported that the work had been successfully completed.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Haigh (2009)
  2. ↑ http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/rd/6e079c57-3b22-4460-8aa4-fd7f75418be9
  3. ↑ Zuckermann (1971:12)
  4. ↑ Cherry and Pevsner (2002:338)
  5. ↑ Luxmoore's widow sold the instrument in 1934. It is now part of the collections of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter and has recently been restored. See .
  6. ↑ For references and details see Wolfgang Zuckermann. The property seems to have been somewhat run down at the time; Zuckermann (1971) reported he was able to buy it for "no more than the average one-family house in suburban New Jersey." An image of the Old Hall from Haigh (2009), dating from ca. 1960, shows a suspended tile ceiling, perhaps installed to cover up damage; and Smith (n.d.) describes "half-shattered" greenhouses he saw on a visit in Spring 1970.

External links

References

By far the most detailed source on Stafford Barton, with images and many facts not included here, is:

Other references consulted:

Coordinates: 50°53′07″N 4°00′50″W / 50.8853°N 4.0140°W / 50.8853; -4.0140

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