Beatrix Feodore Cresswell


According to Tony Gale on the Crediton Area History and Museum Society website Beatrix Feodore Cresswell (1862-1940) produced dozens of publications on a range of subjects between 1889 and the mid-1920s. Her earliest work to appears to be “The Royal Progress of King Pepito”, published by the SPCK in 1889 with illustrations by the well-established Kate Greenaway. At the turn of the century she produced two books for the Homeland Series: Dartmoor and its Surroundings, cf Cary-Cresswell) and Teignmouth; its Histoy and Surroundings (with two maps described below). It was early in the twentieth century that Cresswell got into her stride as a local historian. In 1908 she published, “Architectural Antiquities of Exeter and the Neighbourhood”. Two volumes appeared in 1910; “A Survey of Devon Churches” and “Chained Books and Libraries in Devon Parish Churches”. Much of her historical research appeared in the Transactions of the Devonshire Association; she transcribed a large number of late mediaeval church texts.

The second local work for the Homeland Series to be published before 1901, Teignmouth: Its History & Its Surroundings, was written in 1900 (the Preface is dated) and published the following year. This volume was No. 15 in the Homeland Handbook series and was copiously illustrated by Gordon Home. This book contained two maps: the first was a small sketch plan of Teignmouth on page 27; the second was a large folding map of the area based on the Ordnance Survey map and inserted into a special pocket at the back of the book. This work also has the name of F B Owen on the title page as publisher. He had premises at the Royal Library in Teignmouth and may have simply been the local sales agent.

Cresswell 1 (Teignmouth town)

Size 90 x 145 mm. No scale.

SKETCH PLAN OF TEIGNMOUTH. (CeOS) with no signature or imprint except a very faint C.H.Sc in the corner (Ee). Border right and left is made up of two simple Greek columns.

Description: The area covered is from The Ness and Shaldon in the west and eastwards to include The Grove and the Catholic College. The plan extends northwards just enough to include all of the bridge. Compass (Ae) orientated with North-South just a few degrees off the horizontal.

Cresswell 2

Size 275 x 350 mm. SCALE 1 INCH TO THE MILE.

Teignmouth: with its Surroundings. (CeOS) with scale (in words) immediately below. Notes: PRINTED BY THE HOMELAND ASSOCIATION / 24, BRIDE LANE, FLEET STREET, LONDON, / FOR INSERTION IN / TEIGNMOUTH: ITS PAST HISTORY AND PRESENT INTERESTS (on four lines AeOS) and Taken from the Government Ordnance Survey by special permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. (EeOS).
Description. The area covered is from just below Torbryan (Be) and Kingskerswell north as far as Trusham (Ba) and Kenton (Ea) and eastwards to the mouth of the Exe.

Both maps found in:

1. 1901 Teignmouth: its History & its Surroundings … by Beatrix F Cresswell
Teignmouth: F B Owen. London: The Homeland Association Ltd. 1901.   BL[1], DevA[2], NDL, TQ, MCL, KB[3].



[1] Paperback BL 10360.p.15/1.
[2] Two copies: one paperback but rebound and map has adverts on reverse; second copy is hardback with plain back folding into pocket at back of book.
[3] Hardback with attractive tooling.



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