Henry Dorville
By kind permission of The British Museum
Former Alphington resident, who knew Lord Byron
By R.J. Cleevely
Henry Dorville abroad
Henry Dorville (1797-1874) was the illegitimate son of Devon's esteemed eighteenth century naturalist George Montagu. He was baptised at the same time as his older sister Anna Elizabeth Dorville (b. 1796) in Millbrook Parish Church, Redbridge nr Southampton on 24th January 1798. They were the offspring of the liaison between Montagu and Mrs Elizabeth Dorville the wife of John Dorville a London merchant. Eliza became Montagu's companion, collaborator and friend in science following their meeting in 1794 at a family wedding. Little is known of Henry Dorville's youth, it appears that at the age of 13 he became a midshipman on the Bellerophon but his poor constitution obliged him to relinquish a naval career. Subsequently he toured Europe, and between 1819-21 served as a Vice Consul in Venice under the Consul R.B. Hoppner assisting the numerous English residents and tourists visiting Italy. Lord Byron authorised Dorville to handle his household affairs whenever he was away and also entrusted his daughter Allegra into Dorville's care. Afterwards when acknowledging his kindness and civility Byron declared to Hoppner that Dorville is a good fellow!
Henry Dorville in Alphington
However, poor health compelled Dorville to give up this consular position, and continue to seek a more congenial climate. In 1833, Dorville finally returned to England „ there is no evidence as to How and Why he came to settle in Alphington for there are no known family, or other personal links. As a boy, for a brief period he would probably have lived with his parents in Kingsbridge his mother was still living there in the 1830s and Alphington was on a coach road from London to Devon. Another mystery is his marriage that October (probably in London) to the recently divorced Marianne Mildmay (nee Sherson) the wife of Edward St. John Mildmay, the youngest son of a baronet and an army officer. How, Where and When did these two individuals from quite different social backgrounds become acquainted? It would also be fascinating to discover the impressions and opinions of other Alphington residents about these two incomers during the many years they resided in the village. It was possibly Dorville's intention of devoting himself to gardening and the existence of several plant nurseries in the vicinity of Alphington that led to their decision to live there. The village would certainly have provided the quiet haven that he and his wife would have sought at that time. However, in 1856 the heart disease from which he eventually died, prompted a less energetic pursuit.
Henry Dorville and Moths
His friend the Rev. John Hellins the Chaplain at Exeter Prison, advised him to collect the Lepidoptera frequenting the garden. Consequently, unable to undertake strenuous field collecting, Dorville enticed these insects by growing attractive flowers and by spreading sugary substances on the trees in his small orchard. Over twenty years through regular nocturnal observations, trapping and collecting he amassed a valuable database of the occurrence of moths in the district. Many of the early Devon records of scarce and very local„occurring moths are labelled Mr. H. Dorville He was the first to recognise the existence of the Jersey Tiger in the U.K. and in 1862, when growing the aromatic wormwood ( Artemisia absinthum) he obtained and bred the very rare Wormwood Moth. His collection of British Lepidoptera was bequeathed to the Royal Albert Museum, Exeter where he had served as a volunteer curator.
According to his wishes Henry Dorville was buried in the family's grave at Ide