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Rear Admiral Robert Digby was born on December 20, 1732, the third son of Hon Edward Digby and his wife Charlotte Fox. He was of the noble house of Digby, an Irish peerage dating form 1620, which became a peerage of the United Kingdom in 1765. …Of the six boys in the family, Edward and Henry became 6th and 7th Lords Digby respectively, (Edward sudden death in 1757 left Henry the title and estates), William, whose last church appointment was Dean of Durham, Stephen who went into the army before pursuing a career at the court of George III and the youngest boy, Charles, who became a Somerset parson. For a short time after his brother Edward’s death in 1757 Robert took over his seat as MP for Wells. |
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In August 1784 Robert brought Eleanor to his house in Minterne, near Sherborne, which he purchased in 1768 and where he lived in retirement after the American War was over. In his diaries Robert refers to her as “my little brown wife”, perhaps indicating that she, like him, preferred an outdoor life and was not ashamed to acquire an unfashionable suntan. Robert’s own diaries reveal that he was never happier than when he was working outside, helping with the farming, improving his gardens, making roads or indulging “my favourite occupation” of building cascades to dam the stream in the valley. The lakes of which he created can still be seen in the lovely gardens at Minterne…. He purchased the lease of the Minterne estate from Winchester College in 1768. |
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Minterne was originally the Manor of the Benedictine abbey of Cerne, and after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539; it was given to Winchester College. The first Sir Winston Churchill rented it from Winchester and left it to his younger son, General Charles Churchill, much to the fury of the Duke of Malborough. Robert purchased it on a ‘walk-in walk-out basis, which meant that all the Churchill furniture, pictures and tapestries came with it. |
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Robert had a practical interest in bridge building. One of the two bridges which he built himself can be seen in the garden at Minterne. Named “Eleanor’s Bridge” after his wife, it was begun in 1790 and is a single arch spanning the stream that flows down the valley below the house. The buildings on his estate reflect Robert’s naval career. The great wall of the kitchen is curved and was once complemented by another on the opposite side so that in plan it resembled the outline of a ship. He built barns and flower beds to the same design.
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Eleanor acquired two step-sons on her marriage. Robert Sherbourne and Robert Murray were the offspring of Admiral Robert and an unknown lady. The Admiral, wanting to install the lady as his housekeeper, was advised by his Aunt Mrs. Cornwallis; “I hear that you have a significant Housekeeper, which will not do. You may keep your mistress in one establishment and have a Housekeeper in your home, but if you combine the two you are forcing the poor girl to be dishonest, for she must allow for the evil day you will cast her off and therefore must cheat you with false bills.” When Eleanor came to Minterne, the oldest son, Robert Sherbourne, was grown and married. He and his wife were accepted as part of the family. Robert Sherbourne was a competent artist and there are some fine pictures by him at Minterne. Young Robert Murray followed his father into the Navy and became a captain. He appears in the records at Sheborne Castle as a “sea eleve” (pupil). He was probably born in December 1767 when “the lively Captain Bob returned from Bath for very considerable reasons”, as his brother Stephen reported with amusement.
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Robert lived in retirement at Minterne and held no further naval appointments. He did however retain his links with the New World. …Of the six brothers, Robert was to live the longest dying on February 25, 1815 aged eighty-three. His Minterne estate passed to William’s son Henry who was pursuing a successful career in the Navy and who was to become an Admiral like his uncle. Eleanor outlived her husband by several years and continued the diaries. Lord Digby’s son Edward, who became Earl Digby on his father’s death in 1793, died in 1856 without heirs and the barony passed to Admiral Henry’s son Edward who became the ninth Lord Digby. His great-grandson the twelfth Lord Digby is Lord Lieutenant of Dorset and the present owner of Minterne. |
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Sources:
1. Geography and History of the County of Digby – by Isaiah W. Wilson
2. The Dorset Year Book – by Ann smith
3. Admiral Robert Digby’s Naval Order Book 1781-1783; 1783-1786
(Copies of #’s 2 and 3 were donated to the Admiral Digby Museum by Lady Digby during her visit on Monday, July 10, 2006) |
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