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'''Fir Hill Manor''' is a [[manor house]] near [[Colan, Cornwall|Colan]], mid-[[Cornwall]], [[England]], dating from the 1850s. In 1994, it was the subject of a [[BBC]] Bristol documentary, which tells the story of former [[Newquay]] policeman Derek Fowkes as he searches for absentee landlord, [[John Paget Figg-Hoblyn]].<ref name="BFI">{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/519699|title= The Curse of Fir Hill Manor|publisher=British Film Institute|accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> John Paget Figg-Hoblyn was the actual rightful heir to the estate after the death of his father, Francis, who died in 1965. The inheritance was not settled for over 40 years.<ref name=Graph>{{Cite News|url=http://kenyadailyeye.jibostudios.com/2013/03/the-5million-cornwall-estate-left-in-ruins-after-its-rightful-male-heir-would-not-claim-it-for-40-years/|title=The £5million Cornwall estate left in ruins after its rightful male heir would not claim it for 40 years|date=14 March 2013|publisher=|accessdate=17 March 2013|publisher=Kenya Daily Eye}}</ref><ref name="BBC 2007">{{cite news|title=Mystery over heir to £5m fortune|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6394539.stm|accessdate=31 March 2013|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 February 2007}}</ref> The estate had shrunk to {{Convert|1000|acre}} estate during that period.<ref name=Duell2013>{{cite news|last=Duell|first=Mark|title=How a £5m, {{Convert|3000|acre}} fell into ruin after its American heir left property abandoned for 40 years |
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{{short description|Manor house in Cornwall, England}} |
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|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2293296/The-5million-Cornwall-estate-left-ruins-rightful-male-heir-claim-40-years.html|newspaper=Mail Online|date=14 March 2013|author2=Louise Boyle}}</ref> |
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{{EngvarB|date=February 2018}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}} |
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{{Infobox building |
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'''Fir Hill Manor''' is a [[manor house]] near [[Colan, Cornwall|Colan]], mid-[[Cornwall]], England, dating from the [[1850s]]. In 1994, it was the subject of a [[BBC]] Bristol documentary, which tells the story of former [[Newquay]] policeman Derek Fowkes as he searches for absentee landlord, [[John Paget Figg-Hoblyn]].<ref name="BFI">{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/519699|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406182215/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/519699|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 April 2012|title= The Curse of Fir Hill Manor|publisher=British Film Institute|accessdate=17 March 2013}}</ref> John Paget Figg-Hoblyn claimed to be the rightful heir to the estate after the death of his father, Francis, who died in 1965. The inheritance was not settled for over 40 years.<ref name=Graph>{{Cite news|url=http://kenyadailyeye.jibostudios.com/2013/03/the-5million-cornwall-estate-left-in-ruins-after-its-rightful-male-heir-would-not-claim-it-for-40-years/|title=The £5million Cornwall estate left in ruins after its rightful male heir would not claim it for 40 years|date=14 March 2013|accessdate=17 March 2013|publisher=Kenya Daily Eye|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411050714/http://kenyadailyeye.jibostudios.com/2013/03/the-5million-cornwall-estate-left-in-ruins-after-its-rightful-male-heir-would-not-claim-it-for-40-years/|archive-date=11 April 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="BBC 2007">{{cite news|title=Mystery over heir to £5m fortune|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6394539.stm|accessdate=31 March 2013|work=BBC News|date=25 February 2007}}</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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===Early years=== |
===Early years=== |
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[[File:William Paget Hoblyn and three children - Ernest, Wilhelmin and Rosalind in 1860s..jpg|thumb|right|William Paget Hoblyn and three of his children in the 1860s]] |
[[File:William Paget Hoblyn and three children - Ernest, Wilhelmin and Rosalind in 1860s..jpg|thumb|right|William Paget Hoblyn and three of his children in the 1860s]] |
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Fir Hill Manor is situated within the Fir Hill Woods, near [[Colan, Cornwall|Colan]] (not far from [[Newquay]]). The Hoblyns of Fir Hill and [[Drennick]] were descended from Robert Hoblyn – whose son married Judith Burgess, the heir and representative of Elizabeth Milliton – and Sir [[John Langdon Bonython]].<ref name="Cornwall1907">{{cite book|author=Royal Institution of Cornwall|title=Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall|url= |
Fir Hill Manor is situated within the Fir Hill Woods, near [[Colan, Cornwall|Colan]] (not far from [[Newquay]]). The Hoblyns of Fir Hill and [[Drennick]] were descended from Robert Hoblyn – whose son married Judith Burgess, the heir and representative of Elizabeth Milliton – and Sir [[John Langdon Bonython]].<ref name="Cornwall1907">{{cite book|author=Royal Institution of Cornwall|title=Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JHFIAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA240|accessdate=2 April 2013|edition=Public domain|year=1907|publisher=Workers of Cornwall Limited|pages=240–}}</ref> The dwelling's first owner, William Paget Hoblyn, lived there in 1856 with his wife, one son and four daughters.{{cn|date=November 2020}} William wanted his daughters to share in the inheritance of the estate. His son Ernest eventually died young. Only one sister, Rosalind, had children. She married a naval officer, Thomas Richard Figg, in 1884. They moved to Canada, and their children became Figg-Hoblyn.{{cn|date=November 2020}} The remaining sisters stayed at the Fir Hill but without help could not manage the upkeep of the estate, so moved off the Estate to St Columb Porth. Rosalind's eldest son, Francis Figg-Hoblyn, wanted to restore Fir Hill Manor, but was not happy with its upkeep and eventually did not settle in England but remained the beneficiary of the landed estate including the manor house. On his death, his son John Paget Figg -Hoblyn became the beneficiary of the Hoblyn Entailed Trust (1879).{{cn|date=November 2020}} |
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===Inheritance mystery=== |
===Inheritance mystery=== |
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Francis Figg-Hoblyn, owner of the Fir Hill Manor estate, died in 1965. Upon his death he willed the property to his son, [[John Paget Figg-Hoblyn]] |
Francis Figg-Hoblyn, owner of the Fir Hill Manor estate, died in 1965. Upon his death he willed the property to his son, [[John Paget Figg-Hoblyn]]. However, John Paget Figg-Hoblyn had returned to the United States without making it clear he had accepted the inheritance.{{cn|date=November 2020}} |
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In 1994, Fir Hill Manor was the subject of a [[BBC]] Bristol documentary, ''The Curse of Fir Hill Manor'', which told the story of former Newquay policeman Derek Fowkes as he searched for John Paget Figg-Hoblyn.<ref name="BFI" /> John Paget's cousin, John Westropp Figg-Hoblyn, a septuagenarian ex-farmer from Missouri, USA, and his wife Geraldine, had an idea that John Paget was living in a trailer park in the USA.<ref name="BBC 2007" John Paget Figg-Hoblyn was something of a naturalist and lived outdoors much of his life.[4] /><ref name=Tele>{{Cite News|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1543450/Heir-refuses-to-claim-5m-estate.html|title=Heir refuses to claim £5m estate|date=22 February 2007|accessdate=17 March 2013|publisher=The Telegraph}}</ref> He taught botany and was an employee of the [[San Jose State University]], [[California]].<ref name=Graph/> Though this information was available, the exact address of their residence was still not known.<ref name="BBC 2007" /><ref name=Tele/> |
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In 1994, Fir Hill Manor was the subject of a [[BBC]] Bristol documentary, ''The Curse of Fir Hill Manor'', which told the story of former Newquay policeman Derek Fowkes as he searched for John Paget Figg-Hoblyn.<ref name="BFI" /> John Paget's cousin, John Westropp Figg-Hoblyn, a septuagenarian ex-farmer from Missouri, USA, and his wife Geraldine, had an idea that John Paget was living in a trailer park in the USA.<ref name="BBC 2007" /><ref name=Tele>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1543450/Heir-refuses-to-claim-5m-estate.html|title=Heir refuses to claim £5m estate|date=22 February 2007|accessdate=17 March 2013|work=The Telegraph}}</ref> At that time, the exact address of their residence was still not known.<ref name="BBC 2007" /><ref name=Tele/> |
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The manor was valued at £5 million, as of 2007, and had a regular rental income of £88,000 a year from the five farms and six houses of the estate. The High Court was administering the estate through its Official Solicitor. The Manor was not in good shape even when Francis died in 1965. It was not in good shape when he inherited it from his aunts in the 1940's.[4] But over the years, due to continued neglect, its status has further deteriorated.<ref name="BBC 2007" /><ref name=Tele/> Even before 2013, when the Court of Protection in London finally settled the fate of the estate, the property was valued at £5 million (its actual worth, had it not been in a ruined state and burdened with death duties and other settlements, could be ten times more).<ref name=Graph/><ref name="BBC 2007" /> |
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The manor was valued at £5 million, as of 2007, and had a regular rental income of £88,000 a year from the five farms and six houses of the estate. The High Court was administering the estate through its Official Solicitor.{{cn|date=November 2020}} But over the years, due to continued neglect, its status has further deteriorated.<ref name="BBC 2007" /><ref name=Tele/> In 2007 and 2013 the property was valued at £5 million<ref name="BBC 2007" /> though it was believed without the long drawn out legal process it could have been worth much more.<ref name=Graph/> |
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In March 2013 the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' reported that the 100-year-old original will (which entitled only the male heir to inherit) had been redrawn in accordance with a judgement passed by the [[Court of Protection]] in [[London]], to enable the sisters of John Paget Figg-Hoblyn, Margaret and Anne, to receive an amount of £2 million each from the sale proceeds of the estate and the manor house. The closest surviving male heir, John Westropp Figg-Hoblyn, was to get only £200,000.<ref name=Graph>{{Cite News|url=http://kenyadailyeye.jibostudios.com/2013/03/the-5million-cornwall-estate-left-in-ruins-after-its-rightful-male-heir-would-not-claim-it-for-40-years/|title=The £5million Cornwall estate left in ruins after its rightful male heir would not claim it for 40 years|date=14 March 2013|publisher=|accessdate=17 March 2013|publisher=Kenya Daily Eye}}</ref> |
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Though John Westropp Figg-Hoblyn wanted to live in the manor and develop the estate, another distant cousin, Charles Hoblyn, bought {{Convert|60|acre}} of the estate, including the dilapidated Fir Hill Manor. Some of the remaining land has been sold to tenants, and the rest is still up for sale.<ref name=Graph /> |
Finally, in 2011, the property which belonged to John Paget Figg-Hoblyn, and his father, Francis Figg-Hoblyn, was passed on to their next of kin.{{cn|date=November 2020}} Though John Westropp Figg-Hoblyn wanted to live in the manor and develop the estate, another distant cousin, Charles Hoblyn, bought {{Convert|60|acre}} of the estate, including the dilapidated Fir Hill Manor. Some of the remaining land has been sold to tenants, and the rest is still up for sale.<ref name=Graph /> The Figg-Hoblyn family is retaining one historical cottage on the estate. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Portal|Cornwall}} |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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{{coord |
{{coord|50.417|N|4.997|W|display=title}} |
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[[Category:Manor houses in England]] |
[[Category:Manor houses in England]] |
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[[Category:19th |
[[Category:Houses completed in the 19th century]] |
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[[Category:Country houses in Cornwall]] |
[[Category:Country houses in Cornwall]] |
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[[Category:Hoblyn family]] |
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Latest revision as of 09:42, 30 August 2023
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2020) |
| Fir Hill Manor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | manor house |
| Country | England |
Fir Hill Manor is a manor house near Colan, mid-Cornwall, England, dating from the 1850s. In 1994, it was the subject of a BBC Bristol documentary, which tells the story of former Newquay policeman Derek Fowkes as he searches for absentee landlord, John Paget Figg-Hoblyn.[1] John Paget Figg-Hoblyn claimed to be the rightful heir to the estate after the death of his father, Francis, who died in 1965. The inheritance was not settled for over 40 years.[2][3]
History
[edit]Early years
[edit]
Fir Hill Manor is situated within the Fir Hill Woods, near Colan (not far from Newquay). The Hoblyns of Fir Hill and Drennick were descended from Robert Hoblyn – whose son married Judith Burgess, the heir and representative of Elizabeth Milliton – and Sir John Langdon Bonython.[4] The dwelling's first owner, William Paget Hoblyn, lived there in 1856 with his wife, one son and four daughters.[citation needed] William wanted his daughters to share in the inheritance of the estate. His son Ernest eventually died young. Only one sister, Rosalind, had children. She married a naval officer, Thomas Richard Figg, in 1884. They moved to Canada, and their children became Figg-Hoblyn.[citation needed] The remaining sisters stayed at the Fir Hill but without help could not manage the upkeep of the estate, so moved off the Estate to St Columb Porth. Rosalind's eldest son, Francis Figg-Hoblyn, wanted to restore Fir Hill Manor, but was not happy with its upkeep and eventually did not settle in England but remained the beneficiary of the landed estate including the manor house. On his death, his son John Paget Figg -Hoblyn became the beneficiary of the Hoblyn Entailed Trust (1879).[citation needed]
Inheritance mystery
[edit]Francis Figg-Hoblyn, owner of the Fir Hill Manor estate, died in 1965. Upon his death he willed the property to his son, John Paget Figg-Hoblyn. However, John Paget Figg-Hoblyn had returned to the United States without making it clear he had accepted the inheritance.[citation needed]
In 1994, Fir Hill Manor was the subject of a BBC Bristol documentary, The Curse of Fir Hill Manor, which told the story of former Newquay policeman Derek Fowkes as he searched for John Paget Figg-Hoblyn.[1] John Paget's cousin, John Westropp Figg-Hoblyn, a septuagenarian ex-farmer from Missouri, USA, and his wife Geraldine, had an idea that John Paget was living in a trailer park in the USA.[3][5] At that time, the exact address of their residence was still not known.[3][5]
The manor was valued at £5 million, as of 2007, and had a regular rental income of £88,000 a year from the five farms and six houses of the estate. The High Court was administering the estate through its Official Solicitor.[citation needed] But over the years, due to continued neglect, its status has further deteriorated.[3][5] In 2007 and 2013 the property was valued at £5 million[3] though it was believed without the long drawn out legal process it could have been worth much more.[2]
Finally, in 2011, the property which belonged to John Paget Figg-Hoblyn, and his father, Francis Figg-Hoblyn, was passed on to their next of kin.[citation needed] Though John Westropp Figg-Hoblyn wanted to live in the manor and develop the estate, another distant cousin, Charles Hoblyn, bought 60 acres (24 ha) of the estate, including the dilapidated Fir Hill Manor. Some of the remaining land has been sold to tenants, and the rest is still up for sale.[2] The Figg-Hoblyn family is retaining one historical cottage on the estate.
References
[edit]
- ^ a b "The Curse of Fir Hill Manor". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- ^ a b c "The £5million Cornwall estate left in ruins after its rightful male heir would not claim it for 40 years". Kenya Daily Eye. 14 March 2013. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Mystery over heir to £5m fortune". BBC News. 25 February 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ^ Royal Institution of Cornwall (1907). Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall (Public domain ed.). Workers of Cornwall Limited. pp. 240–. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ a b c "Heir refuses to claim £5m estate". The Telegraph. 22 February 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2013.