Mr. Isaac Merritt Singer and steam trains

by Freya Laughton on September 25, 2011

Last weekend I cashed in my 25th birthday present from my friend Simon and we went camping in Devon for two nights. We stayed at Churchill Farm, a lovely little campsite in Buckfastleigh, near Totnes, and were very glad of all the extra blankets and woolly hats.

Luckily I’d heard about Oldway Mansion before my Devon trip, and I was able to squeeze in a visit on Friday afternoon. Torbay Council now owns the building and much of it is open to the public from Monday to Friday. The mansion is surrounded by well-maintained gardens, tennis courts, and a small lake among trees. The place was buzzing, retired couples enjoyed afternoon tea, children ran and scooted about the grounds and we sat on the steps with ice creams watching the tennis courts.

Oldway Mansion

Parts of the building are used by the council for offices, the grander rooms are hired out for weddings and parties, there is a little canteen, and a room I was particularly interested in is in memory of Isaac Merritt Singer.

Singer sewing machine room in Oldway Mansion

Inside Oldway Mansion

I have since been reading a little about Mr. Singer. He was born in Pittstown New York on October 27th 1811. He obtained his first patent in 1839 for a machine to drill rock, selling it for $2,000 to the I&M Canal Building Company. A colourful life of an actor, inventor, womaniser and successful businessman led him to have several wives, over 20 children and more than one mansion! He moved to London in 1862 and commissioned Oldway Mansion as his private residence in 1871. He died aged 63 four years later and is buried in Torquay Cemetery.
There are some very beautiful Singer sewing machines in Oldway, including a prototype. Many of the machines have been donated to the collection, most are treadle, but I did notice one early electric machine among them. Sewing machines were definitely works of art in my opinion; would any of the manufacturers consider gilding a machine these days? Why not?

Singer sewing machine in Oldway Mansion

After a rather chilly night under canvas we set out to Totnes on a steam train. The heavy black of the engine, polished brass and a painted yellow lion for British Railways on the side tied in beautifully with the old Singers. The engine gently chuffed through the soft Devonshire countryside and made train-travel fun again.

Steam train from Buckfastleigh to TotnesSteam train 1 and 2

Totnes is full of independent shops, including the handmade shoe shop Conker; I couldn’t resist a few off cuts of their gorgeous coloured leather, they will become new sketchbooks in the near future.

Sewing machines, great food, steam trains, window-shopping and liquid chocolate at La Forchette Brasserie: what more could you want for a birthday present?