Ralph Ernest Platt
RALPH ERNEST PLATT
Youngest Son of James & Elizabeth Platt
Born 1877
In 1906 he was a Captain living at Roman Villas, Cirencester
He married Harriet W Platt (from Middle Park, Paignton Devon?)
They had one son born 21/03/1906 in Cirencester, and two grandchildren, Violet & Miriam.
Ralph was a Lieutenant Colonel with The Royal Ordinance Corps and went to Egypt in December 1916
On 13th February 1922 he applied for & was granted his medals which he received on 14th March 1922
He died on The 20th December 1960 aged 83 years. He was then living at The Clint, Chudleigh, Devon. His effects were £23,108 18s 11d
His will was resealed to New South Wales, Australia on 29th Nov 1961.
Comments about this page
Editors and Amanda, I’m so pleased that Filleigh House has residents that care about its past. Please pass on my email to Amanda so that she can connect.
I’m sitting in our house in Ottawa, Canada, at my grandmother Harriet (Leverich) Platt’s Queen Anne desk from Filleigh beside the old grandfather clock with the same tick tock that filled Filleigh and then Waddon many decades ago – amazing!
I’ve just discovered this fascinating stream of comments that I see my son Merlin and niece Heather have commented on. I feel I know Filleigh, as my father, PLWP, described it fondly at length to us when he was bedridden – the pool, the greenhouse, the gardens, his bedroom, his nanny (the kind Mrs. Baxter, who I met in the 1970’s and made cookies for us at her cottage in Chudleigh), the Chauffeur (Bob Bray of Bovey Tracey). The gardens were (re)designed by Uncle Jim (James Wilmot Ogden), who was a noted horticulturalist connected with Kew Gardens, and spent years cataloging wild flowers on Greek Islands. I think in our storage I have I have copies of The Filleigh News (which morphed into The Waddon News), a mimeographed newsletter of happenings Ralph would produce periodically and send out to far-flung family. I also have quite a few photos of the family, china, silverware etc., perhaps some of the “Filleigh treasures” that Harriet put on display (she was very active in fundraising). Some bits of info: Harriet bought the house because she had money; Charles P. Leverich was President of the Bank of New York. My father probably encouraged the building of the swimming pool as he was Captain of the Swimming Team at The Schools, Shrewsbury, in the late 1920’s, and recalled biking with siblings Rosemary, Jim, Tony and Gloria to the coast for picnics and swimming.
I’d love to take you up on the kind offer that you extended to my son Merlin who is at University in Zurich to visit the house sometime (he is no-doubt absorbed in studies!), as I am overdue for a trip to England.
Best Regards, Gordon Platt, Ottawa
Ed: A fascinating addition to the story of Filleigh House. I will pass on your details to Amanda with pleasure. John B
Dear Editor,
Thank you for sending on my contact details. Would you also now send them to Heather Hudson who posted in 2018. I hope she can help me correct my errors and perhaps she even has a photo of Ralph and his wife that she would be happy to share with me.
Best regards
Amanda Godfrey
Ed: With pleasure! John B
To the Editor.
Following my post about Filleigh House (where I am still living) I see that some very interesting replies have been posted. Please would you be able to pass on my email address to Merlin James Leverich Platt to whom I would like to extend an invitation to visit, as he expressed a desire to do so. And also to Chris Dickson as I would would like to confirm the names of the owners after the Platt’s (as was his request) and to ask if I may have copies of the 1930s photos he mentions of Filleigh House.
Many thanks and regards, Amanda Godfrey.
Ed: With great pleasure. Consider it done! John B
Hello John! My cousin has five photographs in a family album taken at Filleigh House in, I should say, the 1930s. It is of “Christopher and his Papa and Mama”, the latter most fetching! We have no idea who they are. Could they be the family who bought the house from the Platts?
Ed: I have no idea, but those that have been following this link may be able to provide an answer? John B
Very nice to see information on my great grandfather Ralph when I was simply googling his name. Peter L. W. Platt was my grandfather (My cousin Heather made a comment also it seems!). I don’t know the exact dates of when my grandfather lived here, but I think it was when he was at school as a child. He was in between England and the States for most of his childhood until he came and moved to Montreal to study Engineering at McGill University. I would love to come visit this place one day. My father Gordon Leverich Platt has more information on Ralph and Harriet. We are living in Canada now. I’m just learning about the Fielding connection, great stuff!
Ed: We appreciate the additional information you have supplied. It’s good to have input from family connections, long may they continue! John B
My name is Heather Hudson. Ralph Ernest Platt was my great-grandfather. Some of the information on this page is incorrect, but much of it I believe to be correct, and fills gaps in my knowledge. My grandfather, Peter Leverich Waddington Platt spoke of this house, and the ‘potswater’ swimming. I appreciate this photo so much. Currently living in Canada, and will further add information when I have time. Thank you.
Ed: Heather, many thanks for your contribution. As we always seek the truth, we feel sure that you would wish to share with us, when you are able, any errors that you feel may need correction.
We note that you live in Canada; isn’t it wonderful how many people around the world are able to share and show interest in our website! John B
Ed note: Amanda Godfrey provided the following information about Ralph Earnest Platt and his wife. It is reproduced here and the photo of the Platt’s residence is added to the page. John B
Hi John! I live in an old house called Filleigh House in Chudleigh, Devon and have been researching its former owners. If you know anything in addition to the below, please do let me have the info as I’m compiling a one-pager on each of the former owners and anything I can add to articulate their characters and colourful lives will be of such interest.
On 29th June 1925, Harriet Wilmot Platt purchased the property. She sold it again on 25th March 1936. This is evidenced in a conveyance dated 1958 where the previous 5 or 6 owners are listed along with the conveyance dates. (Curious that SHE bought the property not Ralph. Tax dodge?!)
Harriet Wilmot Platt was born in New York and her father was a stockbroker there. He was affluent as he employed 4 servants at the time of her birth. I have viewed their marriage records at our local Records Office and it shows she married Ralph Ernest Platt on 30th October 1907 in St Margaret, Westminster. She was 27 and he was 30. Their addresses at this time were recorded as Westminster Palace Hotel and St Ermins Hotel, St James’ Park respectively. And their fathers professions respectively were banker and engineer. I’ve no idea why they were both living in hotels at this time!
They’d had two children by the time they appear on the 1911 census in The Yaldens, Tongham, Surrey. Rosemary Elizabeth was born in 1909 in Pretoria, South Africa. James Wilmot Ogden was born in 1910 in Westminster. Why they were in South Africa I cannot discover. The family spent a lot of time on the Atlantic! They made a return trip to New York every year from 1909 (when their daughter was born) to 1913, then again from 1916 to 1930. I assume these breaks were for the World Wars. They resumed yearly/every other year from 1943 until at least 1957 by which time it seems their son James was making the trip on his own.
During their time at Filleigh House, they built an outdoor pool – in 1927, water for which was supplied but the pot water leat which used to be here. At the time of building, it was purported to be the longest pool built at a private residence. They must have been very keen on their swimming!
This is a big house and all previous residents had staff to maintain it. As the 1931 census isn’t released I can’t look at that to see how many they had. However, in the 8th June 1928 edition of the Western Morning News the following advert appeared “Required an experienced head housemaid over 30, good references, personal interview essential, modern conveniences, own room. Apply Mrs Platt Filleigh House Chudleigh.”
On 26th August 1932 an advert appeared in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette regarding the Chudleigh WI exhibition of family treasures at Filleigh House. “Mrs Platt and her colleagues feel it will be worth the admission of 1s”. The following month the Western Morning News advertised “Young kitchen maid recommended: leaving through reduction of staff – B Wicks, Filleigh House Chudleigh.” I suspect B Wicks is the housekeeper.
On 5th May 1933 a letter was published in the Western Morning News sent in by R.A.S. Platt of Filleigh House, Chudleigh reporting the sight of a hoopoe (a bird) in his garden at Filleigh House. He was making comments on it’s rarity these days and hoped it would survive as a species.
On 7th September 1934 the WI had a fete at Filleigh House, lent by Col and Mrs R E Platt. There were to be stalls arranged in the grounds “and swimming was permitted in the extensive swimming pool.”
In the 1934 Who’s Who of Devon, Ralph Platt, born 1876, was recorded as living at Filleigh, Chudleigh, Devon.
According to the 1939 Register, Ralph and Harriet had moved to Waddon House which is about 2 miles from the village. Currently it’s a 5 bed house but must have been that order of magnitude then as they had living with them a cook, a house parlourmaid and a childrens nurse.
When he died in 1960 it was at The Clint, Chudleigh. This building still exists in the village but has been converted into at least 4 flats.
Finally, I’ve attached an aerial photo taken of the house in 1967. It was definitely this size when the Platts were living there, no additions since and I doubt the green shutters were here then! You can see the swimming pool they put in at the bottom of the picture. It wasn’t quite rectangular as the left hand side had an oddly widened out part. The building in the trees on the right is the mews and coach house and (though not today) at the time of the Platts was part of their estate. The building on the very right had side of the photo was a barn with a Victorian greenhouse attached (greenhouse is just out of the shot) and again this was all part of their land, which extended up to the road at the top of the pic. I can’t be exact but they certainly had around 30 acres of land with the property. Best Regards Amanda Godfrey
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