Edward Croydon 3

Handbook for Torquay 

The Handbook For Torquay and its Neighbourhood was originally published in 1854 with dated title page. There may have been two variations – with or without map – as many libraries do not mention a map. The book was probably published by Croydon for the visitors to Torquay, but he used Hamilton & Adams for London distribution as he had done for other works and the London printers Bradbury and Evans of Whitefriars. The work was slightly revised 15 years later and reissued. All copies of this “second edition”so far seen have no date on the title page but they do have an advert for Stewart‘s Handbook of the Torquay Flora on the back endpaper: this was published by Croydon in 1860 with Hamilton, Adams and Co., as co-publisher.[1]

The original text was probably written between 1852 and 1853: the first edition mentions a visit by Queen Victoria to Tor Bay in July of the last year, but this is amended in the later text to in July 1852; in a reference to a stream near Chudleigh Rock there is reference to this last Spring (1852); and a reference to temperatures states this present summer (1852). The later edition has been seen in three different versions: one version is text only; a second is with text and map; and the third volume has text, map and six vignette illustrations and a folding view of Torquay from the Pier.[2] 

Size: 500 x 315 mm.    SCALE OF MILES (2 = 90 mm).                   

TORQUAY AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD, PUBLISHED AT CROYDON'S ROYAL LIBRARY AND READING ROOMS; TORQUAY. Taken from the Ordnance Survey. (Ee).

The whole of the coast from Teignmouth as far south as Fishcombe Point at the south end of Tor Bay is shown, together with the western areas as far as Newton Abbot. Railway to Torre only (Station and Tor Moham named but not station name as such).

Revised September 2022

1. 1854    The Handbook For Torquay and its Neighbourhood, with the natural history of the district  

                Torquay: E Croydon. London: Hamilton & Adams. 1854.    KB, Bod, LoC, California (Sutro).

                 The Handbook For Torquay and its Neighbourhood, with the natural history of the district 

                Torquay: E Croydon. London: Hamilton & Adams. (1860). KB, Bod, Lei.[3]

For more information on Croydon, see my article on Torquay booksellers. Click here.

Croydon 1 - Watering Places - click here.

Croydon 2 - The Teignmouth Guide (later also The Torquay Guide) - click here.


[1] This “second” edition has 287 pages of text and includes the map described above. The 1854 edition had vii + 293 pp.

[2] These seem to be unrecorded by Somers Cocks. All lithographs bear the words Pub(lished) by E Croydon together with some reference to The Library or Royal Library.

[3]  Copies are recorded at Bideford and Totnes but not seen. Tavistock Library also has an 1825 Croydon guide to Tavistock on its catalogue.



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