1830 Death of Thomas Forty
Following her husbands death Rachael Forty remained licencee of the Castle Tavern for a short time. The property was taken over by Joseph Ford in 1832. Her son George Topham continued running the Talbot Inn.
Rachael Forty died in October 1833 aged 75 and was buried at St Mary Magdaline Richmond.
Her son Thomas Forty moved to Hastings in Sussex and managed the Albion Hotel in Marine Parade.
1831 Developement of Twickenham Park
George Topham began investing in properties being developed in the area. One of these was the building of three villas in what is now known as Park Road East Twickenham.
Another extract from Barret’s “Thames at Twickenham” painting.
Topham worked in conjunction with the London architect Leonard Wild Lloyd who at the time was designing properties around Twickenham Park following construction of the new mansion for Joseph Todd.
L W Lloyd’s 3 properties in Park Road became later known as Park Lodge, Bute Lodge and The Old House.
The rate book extract below dates from 1832 and lists the three villas.
Morgan is presumed to be the tenant in one of the Properties.
1835 George Topham Royal Hotel Richmond
The next project was to acquire a riverside property to supplement the Talbot Inn. A property named River Bank House previously owned by
Alderman J J Smith was selected. Topham and L W Lloyd then drafted plans to convert the property into what became the Royal Hotel.
Samuel Leigh’s 1829 Panorama of the Thames shows above the section between the White Cross and Richmond Bridge. The properties between these points are described in the 1824 guide below.
George Topham’s son George died aged 25 in 1836.
1836 bankruptcy George Topham
Topham’s business expansion was short lived. Following the successful opening of The Royal Hotel he appears to have sold his interests in Park Road to L W Lloyd and became a bankrupt as licencee of The Talbot Inn.
The map above dates from 1842 and shows the relative positio of the hotels north of Richmond Bridge. The map below shows the same area in 1894
1840 L W Lloyd Royal Hotel Richmond
Within one year L W Lloyd had himself been declared bankrupt.
1841 Death of George Topham<
Following his bankruptcy the Topham family moved to 32 Robert Street Chelsea where they shared a house. Robert Street is now Sydney Street.
George Topham died aged 52 in October 1841. He was buried at St Lukes Church Chelsea.
1842 Elizabeth Topham
After his death George Topham’s wife Elizabeth moved to Herne Bay and opened a boarding house. By 1851 she had moved to relatives near Croydon where she died.
1844 Thomas Forty Royal Hotel Richmond
The Royal Hotel passed into the hands of Thomas Forty, the son of Rachael Topham who had returned from Hastings.
The parade of shops named Royal Parade designed by architect L W Lloyd.
Two photos of the Talbot Inn from Richmond bridge above and the junction with Hill Street. The Talbot was demolished when the Odeon Cinema was built.
