Transcript

of

Frederic Hand Firth [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc., vol. XXXVI, (1904), p. 36.

by

J. Brooking-Rowe (Ed.)

Prepared by Michael Steer

The obituary was read at the Association’s July 1904 Teignmouth meeting. The Western Times, 1 January 1904. P.6 col.6, records that Frederick Hand Firth of Place, Ashburton, died on 18th October 1903, leaving estate valued at £27,016 0s 11d gross. Probate was granted to his sons Frederick William and Henry Mallaby Firth, and the Rev. Walter Firth of Westfield Vicarage, Sussex. The obituary, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Frederic Hand Firth. Frederic Hand Firth was the son of Thomas Firth, of Hartford Lodge, Great Budworth, Colchester, and Ann, daughter of Thomas Hand, of Middlewich, Chester, and was born at Witton, 8th August, 1824. He settled in Devonshire about thirty-five years ago, having purchased Cator Court, in Widecombe parish, and soon identified himself with the public life of the neighbourhood. He was a Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Devon, and was prominent in administering justice and in assisting philanthropic and charitable institutions, and was much respected, not only in his own immediate neighbourhood, but by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He became a member of the Association in 1875, and from time to time contributed papers and assisted in the work of some of the committees. For many years he took an active interest in the Society, and seldom missed attendance at the annual meetings. He died at his residence, Place House, near Ashburton, on the 18th October, 1903, in his eightieth year, and was buried at Widecombe-in-the-Moor on the 22nd October, 1903.