đď¸ On This Day in Wembury — 15 December 1926
Death of Richard W. Cory, Prominent Devon Landowner
On this day, Richard Wallis Cory, of Langdon Court, died aged 72. He was one of the largest landowners in the Wembury district and a figure deeply respected by his tenants.
The son of Richard Cory of Langdon Court, he was educated at Harrow and Oxford, excelling in Greek and winning prizes for scholarship. Though called to the Bar, he never practised, instead devoting his life to managing the Langdon Court estate. Reluctant to enter public life, he nevertheless served as High Sheriff of Devon (1910–11) and as a Justice of the Peace.
Cory’s tenants remembered him as a considerate landlord who treated them generously. A keen shot and fisherman, he was unusual among Devon squires in his strong dislike of hunting, refusing hounds on his land. He married Kate Yolland in 1882 and leaves behind his widow and one daughter; his only son, Lieutenant G. W. Cory of the Royal Garrison Artillery, had died in 1907.
His funeral was arranged at Wembury Church on the Saturday following his death.
đĄ Legacy: Cory Court in modern Wembury is named after him, a reminder of the family’s long-standing presence in the parish. There isn't a specific monument solely dedicated to "Cory" in Wembury Church; however, Richard Cory funded the significant 1886 restoration of St. Werburgh's Church through his wealth from Welsh coal in London. As a result of his patronage, he is commemorated in the church's stained glass, with the tower window acting as a dedication window and the dedicational panel in the east window of the chancel likely also memorializing the Cory family.
Cory’s death marked the closing of a chapter at Langdon Court. His private, steady management of the estate, coupled with acts such as donating land for churchyard extension earlier in 1926, illustrate how individual choices by local landowners shaped the landscape and parish life of Wembury.
đ Source: Western Morning News, 16 December 1926 (reporting death on 15 December)
