Mortons House Hotel

The Dacombe (sometimes spelt Dackombe or Dackham) family built Mortons House in 1590. They had acquired this estate by marriage in about 1500 when Thomas Dacombe had married Elizabeth Clavell who was the daughter and heir of Richard ClavellDackombe family website. [https://www.terrys.org.uk/dacinfo/dwill11.htm Online reference] of Corfe Castle.Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, p. 38. [https://books.google.com/books?id=a-NEWUUyxVcC&dq=dackham+%22corfe+castle%22&pg=PA38 Online reference] Thomas's grandson William Dacombe, a wealthy landowner and gentleman, built the house. Shortly after this it was inherited by his son Edward Dacombe, who was a Member of ParliamentHistory of Parliament website. [http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1604-1629/member/dackombe-edward-1579-1635 Online reference] and Mayor of Corfe Castle. He passed it to his son Bruen Dacombe, who in turn left it to his son Edward Dacombe.British History Online website. [https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol2/pp52-100 Online reference] When Edward died in 1683 the house was left to his son Henry Dacombe who sold it to John Morton of [[Henbury, Dorset|Henbury]].

The Dacombe (sometimes spelt Dackombe or Dackham) family built Mortons House in 1590. They had acquired this estate by marriage in about 1500 when Thomas Dacombe had married Elizabeth Clavell who was the daughter and heir of Richard ClavellDackombe family website. [https://www.terrys.org.uk/dacinfo/dwill11.htm Online reference] of Corfe Castle.Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, p. 38. [https://books.google.com/books?id=a-NEWUUyxVcC&dq=dackham+%22corfe+castle%22&pg=PA38 Online reference] Thomas's grandson William Dacombe, a wealthy landowner and gentleman, built the house. Shortly after this it was inherited by his son Edward Dacombe, who was a Member of ParliamentHistory of Parliament website. [http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1604-1629/member/dackombe-edward-1579-1635 Online reference] and Mayor of Corfe Castle. He passed it to his son Bruen Dacombe, who in turn left it to his son Edward Dacombe.British History Online website. [https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/dorset/vol2/pp52-100 Online reference] When Edward died in 1683 the house was left to his son Henry Dacombe who sold it to John Morton of [[Henbury, Dorset|Henbury]].

John had bought the Corfe Castle property in about 1712 and it became known as Mortons House. John died in 1750; as he had no direct heirs John left his property to his nephew Reverend John Colson.Dorset Historical Centre Archives. [https://dc.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=D-BOC%2f889%2fBox2%2fC10&pos=7 Online reference] Documents held by the Dorset History Centre Archives record that the Reverend John Colson sold this house (referred to as “the mansion house”) to [[John Bond (1717–1784)]] who was a Member of ParliamentHistory of Parliament website. [http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1715-1754/member/bond-john-1717-84 Online reference] in 1751.Dorset Historical Centre Archives. [https://dc.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=D-BOC%2f889%2fBox13%2fH3&pos=12 Online reference]

John had bought the Corfe Castle property in about 1712 and it became known as Mortons House. John died in 1750; as he had no direct heirs John left his property to his nephew Reverend John Colson.Dorset Historical Centre Archives. [https://dc.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=D-BOC%2f889%2fBox2%2fC10&pos=7 Online reference] Documents held by the [[Dorset History Centre]] Archives record that the Reverend John Colson sold this house (referred to as “the mansion house”) to [[John Bond (1717–1784)]] who was a Member of ParliamentHistory of Parliament website. [http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1715-1754/member/bond-john-1717-84 Online reference] in 1751.Dorset Historical Centre Archives. [https://dc.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=D-BOC%2f889%2fBox13%2fH3&pos=12 Online reference]

The Bond family retained possession of Morton’s House for the next two centuries. They sometimes lived in it but mostly they rented it to wealthy tenants. One of the first was the Dampier family.Land Tax Returns, 1780-1832 for Dorset. They were tenants for many years until the last daughter Mary died in 1820.

The Bond family retained possession of Morton’s House for the next two centuries. They sometimes lived in it but mostly they rented it to wealthy tenants. One of the first was the Dampier family.Land Tax Returns, 1780-1832 for Dorset. They were tenants for many years until the last daughter Mary died in 1820.

[[Ruth Cavendish Bentinck]], his wife, became a famous suffragette and political activist.Women's History Network. [https://womenshistorynetwork.org/ruth-cavendish-bentinck-by-dr-gillian-murphy/ Online reference] In 1911 she wrote a letter from Morton's House which is still noteworthy in which she railed against changes to fair wage legislation. She thought these changes would damage the next generation as working men were struggling to feed their families, she said, and widows were expected to be grateful for a pittance to raise their fatherless children: "The West Country labourer is supposed to live on the beauty of his scenery and his picturesque (and too often insanitary) house".Ruth Cavendish Bentinck article. [https://janedismore.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/2018-dorset-life-article.pdf Online reference]

[[Ruth Cavendish Bentinck]], his wife, became a famous suffragette and political activist.Women's History Network. [https://womenshistorynetwork.org/ruth-cavendish-bentinck-by-dr-gillian-murphy/ Online reference] In 1911 she wrote a letter from Morton's House which is still noteworthy in which she railed against changes to fair wage legislation. She thought these changes would damage the next generation as working men were struggling to feed their families, she said, and widows were expected to be grateful for a pittance to raise their fatherless children: "The West Country labourer is supposed to live on the beauty of his scenery and his picturesque (and too often insanitary) house".Ruth Cavendish Bentinck article. [https://janedismore.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/2018-dorset-life-article.pdf Online reference]

She had a wide variety of close friends from [[George Bernard Shaw]] and [[Keir Hardie]], to the Duke of Argyll and Edward VII's mistress, [[Alice Keppel]].Of Dukes, Soviets and Suffragists: the unexpected life of Ruth Cavendish-Bentinck. [https://janedismore.com/2017/12/14/of-dukes-soviets-and-suffragists-the-unexpected-life-of-ruth-cavendish-bentinck/ Online reference] She was also friends with the famous painter [[Philip de László]] and his wife [[Lucy de László|Lucy Guinness]] and in the 1920s this couple visited them at Mortons House. De Loszlo owned one of the first motion cameras and a short home movie of their visit to the house can be seen at this reference.Philip and Lucy de Laszlo ath Mortons House. Short Film. [https://www.bridgemanimages.de/de/asset/493516/summary?context=%7B%22route%22%3A%22assets_search%22%2C%22routeParameters%22%3A%7B%22_format%22%3A%22html%22%2C%22_locale%22%3A%22de%22%7D%2C%22sourceUrl%22%3Anull%2C%22number%22%3A14%2C%22max%22%3A15%2C%22min%22%3A0%2C%22search_param%22%3A%7B%22filter_text%22%3A%22kw%3Acorfe%22%2C%22page%22%3A%220%22%2C%22explain_score%22%3A1%2C%22search_id%22%3A%22a3c6Y29yZmU%3D-1575932920%22%2C%22search_depth%22%3A1%7D%2C%22hash%22%3A%2204bf9ec547a8f6bb3f602a299c431838%22%7D Online reference]

She had a wide variety of close friends from [[George Bernard Shaw]] and [[Keir Hardie]], to the Duke of Argyll and [[Edward VII]]'s mistress, [[Alice Keppel]].Of Dukes, Soviets and Suffragists: the unexpected life of Ruth Cavendish-Bentinck. [https://janedismore.com/2017/12/14/of-dukes-soviets-and-suffragists-the-unexpected-life-of-ruth-cavendish-bentinck/ Online reference] She was also friends with the famous painter [[Philip de László]] and his wife [[Lucy de László|Lucy Guinness]] and in the 1920s this couple visited them at Mortons House. De Loszlo owned one of the first motion cameras and a short home movie of their visit to the house can be seen at this reference.Philip and Lucy de Laszlo ath Mortons House. Short Film. [https://www.bridgemanimages.de/de/asset/493516/summary?context=%7B%22route%22%3A%22assets_search%22%2C%22routeParameters%22%3A%7B%22_format%22%3A%22html%22%2C%22_locale%22%3A%22de%22%7D%2C%22sourceUrl%22%3Anull%2C%22number%22%3A14%2C%22max%22%3A15%2C%22min%22%3A0%2C%22search_param%22%3A%7B%22filter_text%22%3A%22kw%3Acorfe%22%2C%22page%22%3A%220%22%2C%22explain_score%22%3A1%2C%22search_id%22%3A%22a3c6Y29yZmU%3D-1575932920%22%2C%22search_depth%22%3A1%7D%2C%22hash%22%3A%2204bf9ec547a8f6bb3f602a299c431838%22%7D Online reference]

The Cavendish Bentincks lived at Mortons House until 1933 and then lived in [[London]]. Freddie died in 1948 at the age of 92 and Ruth died in 1956 at the age of 86. In 1983 Sir John Rupert Colville wrote a book on Ruth's interesting life called ''Strange Inheritance''.Colville, john Rupert, 1983 “Strange Inheritance”. [https://books.google.com/books?id=QMwZAAAAYAAJ&q=corfe Online reference]

The Cavendish Bentincks lived at Mortons House until 1933 and then lived in [[London]]. Freddie died in 1948 at the age of 92 and Ruth died in 1956 at the age of 86. In 1983 Sir John Rupert Colville wrote a book on Ruth's interesting life called ''Strange Inheritance''.Colville, john Rupert, 1983 “Strange Inheritance”. [https://books.google.com/books?id=QMwZAAAAYAAJ&q=corfe Online reference]