This is a story that is like something straight out of Hollywood, with the wealth, glamour, and scandal that you might expect, and all of it arriving in a whirlwind of astounding events in a small newly emerging seaside town that had aspirations to be something much bigger. A story that lasted a mere forty six years.
This is a photo portrait of The Oldway Mansion in Paignton as it looked in late 2023, and the story of how it came to be here.
This story is so out of the ordinary that I am going to do something I don't normally do, and start with a short history of events with a timeline, and some maps, as it took me a while to piece it all together myself and make sense of it.
It all starts with Isaac Merritt Singer, an extraordinary man born in 1811 in New York state USA. He himself had a very unusual life which saw him acquire 5 wives and 28 children during his lifetime. He left home at the age of 12 and pursued various jobs and careers including acting and a five year period in a theatre troupe. At heart though he was an inventor and always looking for problems to fix. He had his first patent by 1839 for a rock drill and his second by 1849 for a wood carving machine.
During his pursuit of the manufacture of said machine, he by pure chance, came across an existing sewing machine which had issues, as we say today. He was asked to have a look at it and the result, cutting a very long story short was the Singer Sewing Machine.
He set up production and in very short order by 1856 he was making 2564 machines a year. By 1860, this was 13,000 machines a year. His first models were industrial type machines, quickly followed by the smaller home machines we all know so well. The first home machines cost $100 which limited their reach, but after many changes to parts and manufacturing processes he got this price down to $10. By 1876, Singer was claiming cumulative sales of two million sewing machines and had put the two millionth machine on display in Philadelphia.
The small machines transformed the world, as women could now afford to run small businesses from home and the world's poor could set up a business in one room too. Growing up in India in the 1960's, all of our clothes were made to order by itinerant tailors who came to our door and who almost certainly went back to their meagre dwellings after receiving a commission, to their trusty Singer. Here is my older brother and me in our matching tailor made shirts in about 1966.
Isaac decided to expand to Europe and by 1882 he had the largest sewing machine factory in the world, built in Clydebank, Scotland which started off making 8000 machines a week.
In his personal life he was getting through wives at an alarming rate and also mass producing children, and he ended up marrying a French American model and heiress, Isabella Eugenie Boyer, and moving to Paris to live. While in Paris in 1867, they had a son who they called Paris. This was Isaac's 22nd child. This is where our story begins. The start of The Franco Prussian War in 1870 saw the family flee to England where they chose Paignton to settle. Torbay had already become a playground for European Royals as early as the 1860's, thus earning its nickname the English Riviera. I mention this in my history of Winner Street.
I have decided to start with a short series of old maps to try to give some context to the story of the development of Oldway Mansion. In the upper left hand corner of this earliest map you can see Oldway Villa. This was the original house on the Fernham Estate which was bought by Isaac Singer in 1871. Singer, by this point was one of the wealthiest men in the world, the family lived in the villa while the mansion was built.
I will also just briefly mention over to the right hand side, the beach fronting Redcliff Tower, as this features in the story too. I will mention Redcliff later. My separate post on Redcliffe Towers, former home of Paris Singer.
It didn't take him long to build his own palace and his changes were complete by 1873. Sadly Isaac didn't live very long after this to enjoy the fruits of his labour.
North Devon Journal - Thursday 29 July 1875
PAIGNTON. Death of Mr. Singer.—About three years ago last spring Mr. Isaac Merritt Singer, inventor of the sewing machine bearing his name, came to Paignton to reside, having purchased Oldway House and Grounds. About a year after this he commenced the building of a very large mansion, with extensive stabling, conservatories, etc., on the grounds named, with the intention of residing in the mansion. The stables and some of the conservatories have for some time been completed and occupied, but the works at the mansion have not terminated, so the owner continued to reside at Oldway Villa.
Recently Mr. Singer has been labouring under serious illness, although it was not considered that the disease would conclude fatally......Notwithstanding all their skill (a team of doctors) the unfortunate gentleman gradually sank, and died on Friday right about ten o'clock. He was sixty-three years of age, and was a native of New York, but left there about nine years since, and resided in Paris for about four years, leaving that city for England. Since his residence at Paignton he has done a great deal of good for the place, as, in addition to the sums of money necessarily expended in the maintenance of his large establishment, and in the erection of his extensive buildings, he has expended a great deal of money in private charity. He consequently became much respected by all classes especially by the poorer people—and his loss is very much regretted. The melancholy event has cast a deep gloom over the whole neighbourhood. He leaves a widow and large family.
The original villa was replaced by a mansion in brick and terracotta. You can see the difference in this later map which clearly shows the garden layout, the circular stable and coach house block and the H shaped "wigwam" as it became called and over to the east by 1903 what had become the Hotel Redcliffe.
Western Times - Friday 30 July 1875
FUNERAL THE LATE MR. SINGER. Some thousands attended the burial of this much respected gentleman in the Cemetery Tuesday. The funeral procession consisted of a hearse drawn by twelve horses, four mourning coaches, and seven other carriages, and left Oldway shortly after 11.
The rest contained the principal servants. Behind this walked 50 workmen four abreast the rest being brought up by about a hundred private carriages from the town and neighbourhood. On passing the Torquay Station there was a large accession of carriages, and when the first carriage passed into the Strand the other extremity of the procession was at the further end of Torbay-road (1.6 miles). Through the whole distance the road was crowded, and the shops in Torquay closed, and flags were lowered to half mast on board the vessels. On arriving at the Cemetery the body was taken into the church, preceded by the Rev. Preby Hall, who read the service very impressively. The coffin was borne to the ground preceded by a large cross consisting of maidenhair and other ferns, Japanese lilies, and exotics.
The corpse, attired according to the American fashion, in black cloth coat and trousers, white satin vest, gloves and shoes, was placed in three coffins - the first a stout cedar shell, lined throughout with white satin, having a mattress and pillow of the same material, the whole, including the edge of the-coffin and side sheets being trimmed with a ruching of rich Maltese lace and white satin; the second coffin of usual thickness; and the third of heavy English oak grained and panelled. The furniture for this consisted of ten massive silvered handles and angle plates, head and foot ornaments with engraved initials on shield, surrounded with chased and burnished emblematic design of holly and berries, and the dull silvered breast plate bore the following inscription - "Isaac Merritt Singer Died 23rd July, 1875 aged 63" The corpse was interred in a large brick vault and was borne upon the shoulders of eight bearers. Nearly all the shops in Paignton were closed, and the church bell tolled whilst the procession was leaving the mansion.
Look at the area between Oldway and Redcliffe and notice the other buildings and how they have increased from those in the first map. Paignton is growing rapidly to surround Oldway, which was a country house mostly surrounded by fields and forest when Isaac bought it.
After Isaacs death, his son Paris moved from his existing home at Redcliffe to the mansion.
Glasgow Evening Citizen - Saturday 11 August 1888
The Wigwam at Paignton is odd in style as well as name. It was built by Mr Singer, whose sewing machines made him a millionaire, and is now inhabited by his son, Mr Paris Singer. This young gentleman is about to celebrate his coming of age. The Singers are Americans, but they can do a thing in good mediaeval English when required. There will be feasting and drinking and mummers. The latter includes a performance of "Faust" in which Mr Paris Singer meant to take the Mephistopheles. Marie Van Zandt will be paid £400 to come from Paris and play Marguerite. Two other visitors from Paris will be Mr Singer's sister, the Duchess Decazes and her husband.
Bear in mind that this is the news in Scotland and that £400 for a single performance by an opera singer in 1888 is the equivalent of £33,000 today.
Here is a good plan of the layout, but what is missing are the glasshouses and conservatories which occupied the open area between all the buildings.
This artists impression gives some idea of what it looked like. The conservatories and palm houses, so popular back then, feature in some of the stories, as we'll see.
Torquay Times, and South Devon Advertiser - Friday 09 November 1888
FESTIVITIES AT PAIGNTON
COMING OF AGE OF MR PARIS SINGER
With munificent and generous hospitality and a lavish expenditure for the entertainment of his numerous guests which recalls the good old days of a past generation, there was commenced on Tuesday last at the Wigwam, Paignton, a round of festivities in celebration of the coming of age of Mr Paris Singer, which with performances of opera and comedy in the bijou theatre of the mansion, fancy dress balls, a tradesman's ball, display of fireworks, and other rejoicings, will extend throughout the present month.....
..... For the exquisitely drawn character of Marguerite Mdlle. Van Zandt, prima donna of the Grand Opera Paris, had been specially engaged.....Mdlle. Van Zandt's impersonation of Marguerite, was charmingly graceful and impressive. Specially marked with tender and poetic feeling. It was an eloquent embodiment of the sympathetic and truthful nature of the hapless maiden.......Though very young, she is undoubtedly a great artiste, for her brilliant vocalisation was as artistic as refined........
At the close of the performance, Mr and Mrs Paris Singer entertained their guests at supper, and as the numerous party passed from the Mansion down the grand staircase through the conservatory, with its stately palms and rich hued ferns, to the arena, the heavy curtains at the entrance to which were drawn aside, disclosing the interior profusely decorated with flags, the tables richly laid for a hundred guests, and seated at a raised table at the post of honour, Mephistopheles (Mr Paris Singer) just as he had appeared a few moments before in the opera.......
... and it led one's fancy into the regions of that legendary lore of which Faust is itself so striking an example, and called up memories, too , of that beautiful poem of Longfellow's "Hiawatha" wherein he makes his hero "Build a wigwam in the forest, By the shining big sea water" and set us wondering what the poet would have thought if he could have seen the modern wigwam in England.
In this later map, the building is marked as a Civic and Recreational Centre, and less as a "wigwam in a forest by the shining big sea water", as it was subsequently bought by Paignton Council and used as offices until very recently.
In this final map of the early Seventies you get a better idea of the urbanisation of the area that came much later. Oldway now resembles the small oasis of parkland surrounded by housing, that we see today.
So here we are at what is left of Oldway today and this is the arena or stable block, which served many purposes, not least as the most notorious and famous party venue in Torbay. It has, along with Isaac's original mansion been built in the distinctive French Renaissance Style. The following photos show what remains of Isaac's original plan. The plan was modified much later by his son Paris on large parts of the mansion, as we will see.
The coming of age festivities were crowned by a mass fancy dress ball at the arena, with Paris Singer in the "Court Dress of Louis XV" while Mrs Singer chose the "Court Dress of Henri II". The Prince and Princess of Scey chose "Greek Costume" while the Marquise de Monteynard came dressed as a "gypsy" and the Marquis came as a "Peer of France". Washington Singer came as a "Courtier of the time of Louis IV" while his wife came as "Portia". There were assorted gondoliers, dancing girls and Spanish ladies, while other characters were "Orchard" and "Spring", "Music" and "Snowstorm". "Yum yum" appeared, as did "Summer Evening", a "Persian Prince" "Monte Carlo", "Winter Garden" and "One of the Forty Thieves".
"On Monday evening W S Gilbert's pleasing comedy, "On Guard" was presented in the pretty little theatre, so ingeniously and completely fashioned within the walls of the mansion.
Mr Walch was manly and natural as Denis Grant an adventurer, Mr H Pershouse was satisfactorily impulsive as the young lover of twenty-one and Mr C Eastley did all that was to be done with the small part of Druce, a soldier's servant. The scenery was very effective, a scene on the deck of a yacht being as pretty and realistic a set as any first-class metropolitan theatre could put on stage." Torquay Times 1888
The Singer gossip had soon spread worldwide putting Paignton on the map.
Times of India - Saturday 06 November 1875
Isaac Singer died a week or two ago worth £80,000 a year. He had just completed a magnificent palace at Paignton and lived something after the style of William Beckford.There are the most extraordinary stories afloat as to his eccentricities. One remarkable and striking object in the immense entrance hall of the palace was a colossal nude statue of himself in Carrara marble which rather confused modest visitors of the gentler sex. On more than one occasion he had to be remonstrated with by the police both in England and on the Continent for attiring his postillions in kilts, a costume which on horseback is neither picturesque nor decent...........
........His great wealth made him somewhat autocratic. He fancied that he could force an entrance into society by a coup de main, and consequently invited all the aristocracy of one of the most aristocratic counties in England to an immense ball. But he received nothing but curt refusals to his invitation. However, in revenge he asked all the tradesmen of the place, and gave them an entertainment which few princes have ever had the opportunity of enjoying...........
..........You may form some idea of his wealth from the fact that when his daughter was married last summer, her marriage portion was a million dollars, exclusive of half a million dollars' worth of jewellery and a trousseau which it is said cost £10,000..........
.........Of his eccentricity you may judge by the directions he left for his funeral. The coffin was to be borne on an open car, something like the Duke of Wellington's, and this was to be drawn by twelve of his own magnificent horses, three abreast. He has left nineteen children, among whom his enormous fortune is equally divided. And so ends this romance of the sewing machine..........
By the time Isaac had died his second wife was still claiming that she was married to him and therefore was his rightful widow. So the inevitable happened when vast sums of money are at stake.
Liverpool Mercury - Wednesday 10 November 1875
THE LATE MR. SINGER'S WILL. The New York papers contain reports of a preliminary hearing, which had taken place in regard to the contested will of the late Mr. Isaac Singer, who, it will be remembered, recently died in Paignton. The testator was the inventor of the labour-saving sewing machine which bears his name, and yielded him revenue as to enable him to leave estate valued at $13,000,000 (2024 $311,000,000).
The testator was married to his first wife, Catherine Singer about the year 1830. By her he had two children, who still survive, and for whom he has to some extent provided. In 1840 he procured a divorce from Catherine on the ground of adultery. He then, it seems, re-married and lived with his second wife and (as she claims) present widow, Mary Ann Singer, also known as Mary Ann Foster. By her the testator had ten children, eight of whom are still living, and to whom the latter bequeaths about $2,000,000. No provision, however, is made in the will for their mother, who, it is understood, was also divorced from the testator.
Western Morning News - Friday 30 June 1876
A cable telegram, which was received at Paignton yesterday, announces that the Court has confirmed in all respects the Surrogate's decision in favour of Mrs. Singer of Paignton, and her family, who will consequently inherit the estate.
Having finally approved the outside design of the house, the foundation stone was laid in May 1873. The house, or "Wigwam", was to have over 100 rooms. Work though was to progress slowly, not through any fault of the workforce, but the constant changing of plans by Singer and his wife meant that rooms completed were often changed on his or her orders.
The architect was quoted as saying: "This constant interference drives me to distraction". Another quote, this time recorded in the official Minutes of Paignton Town Council by its chairman said: "Because of high rates of pay he (Singer) was paying to his workmen, the Council was forced to increase the wages of labourers because none would work at the old rate". Gradually, as each part of the building was completed, the family began moving in.
When not interfering with the progress of the work, Singer took to touring the district in one of his carriages. These were hand built by a local company. On one of these outings he came across a fete taking place in the garden of a house in Grosvenor Road. On asking the organiser what it was in aid of, she told him it was for the poor of the parish. He then told her he would double the amount raised, and she should send the bill to his house. ismacs.net
After Isaac's funeral, his wife stayed on in Paignton for three years before returning to France. Still only a young widow of 35, she was asked by the sculptor, Frederick Bartoldi, to sit for him as a model for a statue he had been commissioned for. This was to be a gift by the French Government to America. It was to be known as The Statue of Liberty.
There are several theories about the model who inspired the face of the statue, ranging from Bartholdi's own mother, to a French woman named Isabella Eugénie Boyer, who at the age of 22 married Isaac Singer, a multimillionaire who was the inventor of the sewing machine that bears his surname.
The wedding took place in 1863, when Isabella was 22 years old, and was 30 years younger than Singer, who died at age 66, leaving his wife an inheritance of $14 million dollars, which these days would be equivalent to about $400 million dollars. Marca.com
Although orphaned at the age of seven, Paris Singer inherited much of his father’s character along with a weekly income of $15,000 from interest alone. This is the staggering sum today of half a million dollars. When Paris Singer came of age he bought his brother's interest in the mansion and started work on his plan to turn it into the New Versailles. The next two photos show the contrast in styles indicating what had been before and what was to come. First we have Isaac's idea of a palace in brick and ornamental terracotta and tile.
But this was soon overpainted by Paris's idea of a palace in a more Classical style. Brick was covered by white stucco and statuary.
Architects were sent to the Palace of Versailles, and from their designs to the completion of alterations took nine years. Everything from its outward appearance to the inside was meticulously copied from Versailles. This included marble floors and staircase to finely-carved doors and the crowning glory, its painted ceiling.
The painter, Carl Rosner, who had worked on murals in Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, took six years to complete the ceiling.
Over the grand staircase hung a painting titled The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David. Two versions were made, with the first being hung at Versailles in France, the second version hung here at Oldway Mansion and can be seen in the picture above.
It was commissioned in 1808. The first version was commissioned by Napoleon himself in 1804 and remained the property of David until 1819 when it became the property of the Royal Museums, whereupon on the orders of King Louis-Philippe it was hung at Versailles. The Oldway version was not finished until 1822. Paris Singer later acquired it as part of his Versaillification of Oldway and it was sold back to the French Government in 1946. The original version was moved to The Louvre from Versailles and the Oldway version now hangs in its place at Versailles. I think Paris would be quite pleased to know that his Versailles dream ended up as the real thing in the real place.
The rebuild was started by Paris in 1904, he had sold Redcliffe Tower his former base by 1902. The Redcliffe became a hotel in 1903. I will be doing a later post about the Redcliffe which has its own interesting history.
Express and Echo - Tuesday 22 February 1887
SOUTH DEVON FOXHOUNDS. At the invitation of Mr. Washington Singer, the South Devon Foxhounds met on Saturday morning at the Wigwam, Paignton. Glorious weather favoured the meet, which was one of the largest ever known in the neighbourhood, there being in the park in front of the house at least 160 ladies and gentlemen on horseback, 60 carriages, and from 800 to 1000 spectators on foot. Collings, the huntsman arrived about half-past ten with his eleven couple of hounds, which were looking in splendid condition. Breakfast was laid in the conservatory, refreshments were passed round to those on the lawn and at eleven o'clock the party left for Clennon Hill. A fox, a fine fellow—was quickly found, and driven to Yalberton Tor, where he got into covert. The covert was quickly drawn, however, and Reynard quitted his hiding place and made for Stoke Gabriel. There he crossed the Dart, in full view of the spectators, and Collings and his pack then made across country for Berry Woods.
In 1906, Paris Singer began an affair with the dancer Isadora Duncan which was to last for six years. He added an extension to the Mansion for a ballroom where she danced for his friends. Their son died tragically when the car he was in plunged into the river Seine. The affair ultimately led to his divorce. (Vanessa Redgrave starred in the film "Isadora" which was shot on location at Oldway).
Londonderry Sentinel - Saturday 31 October 1914
WOUNDED AT MR. PARIS SINGER HOUSE.
Oldway House, Paignton, the Devonshire residence of Mr. Paris Singer, has been converted into a private hospital, where some hundreds of wounded from the battles of Mons and the Aisne are comfortably installed. The house is entirely decorated by workmen and artists from France, and the sea, though hidden by trees, is but five minutes walk from the gates........
......Thick, dark lavender dressing gowns and pyjamas, made by American women, have provided for the convalescents, who sit or limp around the terrace in the sun. There are fifteen wards, and one of them, the "Munsey’’—formerly the old banqueting hall—contains sixty-seven beds. In another ward, the "Paget,” converted from the ballroom, is hung David's famous painting “Napoleon et Josephine."...........
........Gramophones, papers, and books are provided and those able to sit up play jig-saw puzzles or cards. There are bed-rests and desks for the disabled, and smoking is allowed at all times, to the great relief of those who cannot sleep. On arriving at Oldway some of the patients had their clothes caked with blood and mud, and their water-sodden boots and socks had to be cut and peeled away. There have been many operations, nearly all for removing shrapnel bullet and lyddite shell. One lyddite victim, a private in the 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers, had three gramophone needles embedded in his thigh. This is his first wound though he has served twenty years and went through the South African campaign.
(Lyddite shell was made of a mixture of picric acid, a powerful high explosive, and castor oil, which was added to make the explosive more stable and less sensitive to shock. Designed to explode on impact, the shell created a devastating blast that could destroy enemy fortifications and personnel.)
..........The operating theatre on the top floor is equipped with the latest surgical and sterilising appliances, and every operation has had successful results........
Today the grounds of the estate are a public park and anyone can wander at will, but it was not always the case. However, the South Devon attitude by some towards tourists obviously goes back further than we thought.
Totnes Weekly Times - Saturday 07 October 1893
The Singers, of sewing-machine fame, are (says the Sun) forming a clan or a colony at Paignton. Mr Paris Singer is reported to have purchased Redcliffe Towers, which some people are pleased to compare with the Castle of St. Angelo at Rome......The original Singer, some twenty-five years since, built a large mansion at Paignton. He had a great dislike to the enterprising tourist. One of this curious fraternity having invaded the privacy of the grounds, interviewed the proprietor under the belief that be was the gardener. Could the house be seen ? was the first query. "Which way did you come up ?” was the interrogatory reply. The tourist furnished ample information. "Then I guess that’s your nearest way out,” was the laconic order of the enraged owner.
Gentlewoman - Saturday 01 September 1923
ANOTHER PASTORAL SUCCESS.
LADY CHURSTON 'S garden party in aid of Paignton Hospital, which was held in the grounds of Oldway House, kindly lent by Mr. Paris Singer, was a delightful and very successful affair. Lady Churston, who takes a great interest in children, had herself trained some little girls from the village and arranged a fairy ballet which they acted on the beautiful lawn in front of the house.
Liverpool Evening Express - Tuesday 12 November 1901
A Successful Man.
Mr. Singer, who has recently made his mark in the social world of London, is rich, clever, and successful. A member of the well-known firm of sewing-machine makers, he seems to have a natural taste for mechanics. A clever motor driver, he also understands the practical part of auto-mobilism, is an accomplished electrician, and a chemist of no mean order. His country place is Oldway, near Paignton, and he has often done the journey from London down to Devonshire in his English-built Napier motor car. Mr. Paris Singer has had the honour of driving Queen Alexandra in one of his horseless carriages. He is fond of music, a good musician, and one of the chief supporters of Covent-garden opera. His wife is a handsome woman, who shares her husband’s musical tastes, and is often to be seen in her box at the opera. Among her many jewels she possesses one notable ornament. It takes the form of a diamond serpent with ruby eyes, pliable and able to be twisted round the neck or arm, or worn as a bodice ornament at pleasure.
Paris Singer lived at Oldway until 1914 when the Mansion was given over for the duration of war for use as a hospital. All equipment and nurses' wages were also paid for by him. After the war, increasingly-heavy taxes made him move to America and the Mansion was leased as a gentlemen's club. At the outbreak of war in 1939, the RAF took over the building for training purposes. This included using the swimming pool in the Rotunda as a simulation exercise for pilots who crashed at sea.
After the war, the Mansion and its 20 acres of gardens, were sold to Paignton Town Council by the Trustees of the Singer Estate for the sum of 45,000.
In 1968, Paignton joined with Torquay and Brixham to become the Borough of Torbay. Since then the Mansion, apart from the ground and first floors, had been used as an administration centre for various departments. Oldway Mansion has been closed since Torbay Council stopped using the buildings in 2013, although the grounds have remained open to the public. The building was added to Historic England's 'Heritage at Risk' Register in 2023.
When I took these photos the only part of the building still accessible to the public was the tea room, run to raise money for *The Friends of Oldway. This also closed a few weeks later as the interior was deemed to be unsafe.
The Singer Family Mausoleum, at Torquay Cemetery.
In Part 2 we'll see in more detail what happened to the building after the Singers moved out, and where its future now lies.
Correction 8/9/24. The Oldway Gardens Volunteer Group was set up in September 2019 to look after the gardens of the estate when the council withdrew funding. It became a registered charity in November 2021 and is self financing with monies raised from Plant Sales and Tea Hut sales and trails, and kind donations from the public.
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