Believed to be an early picture of the Mulberry Tree in the garden of Grove House
Grove, Burton Bradstock
Hand written note found in the papers of C A Bennett, owner of Grove from about 1935 to 1952.
“Martha Roberts - born 1755 died 1823. She was the only child of ------Hoskins or Hoskyns and had
relations at South Perrott, Somersetshire.
When Richard Roberts married her, she was the widow of Samuel Best of Burtons Farm, whose name
is commemorated by a tablet in the north transept of Burton Church.
Richard Roberts, son of Francis Roberts of Bredy by his marriage with Grace Leavers, seems to have
been the first owner of Grove freehold property and the flour mill. In 1800 he built the Burton flax mills
where sail cloth and ropes were manufactured. Mill now (1936) pulled down but date 1800 and initials RR
still on stone wall in Mill Lane.
It is believed that Martha owned the Grove property and built the house before she married Richard Roberts.
They had five children but in spite of that, in their latter years, they did not agree very well and he went to live
at a house in the village called the “Great House”, while his wife lived at Grove. Every morning she sent to
enquire how he was and they always saluted each other on Sunday morning after church.
Their eldest son, Richard Francis, joined the Navy and was taken to sea by Captain Hardy and during his
first years was in the battle of Trafalgar, being rated a Midshipman afterwards, and he left the sea immediately
afterwards and lived at Great House.
Their next son, Francis, stayed longer in the Navy and at the end of his career settled down at Grove on half pay,
having married Amelia Davis, daughter of Lieut. Davis RN at Portsea. She lived there after her husband’s death
and died aged 86 in 1882.”