Ian Handford: The ballooning adventurer who transformed Torbay

Mortimer being now a naturalised British subject had learned to “fly a balloon” by 1899 while travelling the globe.

At Mourlemon he learned this before in Egypt becoming the first Englishman to fly in a balloon for an hour while representing England in his own balloon the “Planet” at Heliopolis.

Later on returning home in 1910 he suffered a bad fall from a flight and broke his thigh though fortunately this did not stop him marrying his second wife - Aline Madeleine (OBE) of Etinenne Pilvadine in Biarritz by 1913.

The accident flying as an aeronautic came after he was qualified as a “Certified Pilot” which had seen Mortimer being issued with UK flying Certificate No 8 while still recovering from the broken thigh.

Whether this eventually fired his interest in matters “medical within the hospital service” we can never know though what is known, from this time on Mortimer was a formidable benefactor to hospitals and indeed became an administrator at his converted in Steventon, which he had converted into the first Milton Hill Hospital Steventon. 

Meanwhile, the couple now started to enjoy their various homes around the country including her London Flat at Carlos Place Mayfair W.1, and Mortimer’s properties at Milton Hill and Inverness and Berkshire plus of course their main residence at Astra House Warren Road in Torquay.

As a qualified or “Certified Pilot” Mortimer had made several ascents by balloon until becoming one of Britain’s earliest aeronautics. His enthusiasm for exciting pursuits had not dimmed with the accident and he remained a significant benefactor, patron and eventually a Trustee of the new Torbay Hospital and President of the Cottage Hospital at Paignton.

Mortimer also donated money to the Parish Church at Paignton in 1914, the year HM Queen Mary visited Paignton and came to Oldway Mansion which had already been converted into another hospital for women injured in the war years.

(Photo courtesy of: Aussie~mobs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Oldway Mansion did have it’s own internal swimming pool which had been converted from Adam Mortimer’s horse exercising and riding school arena called the Pavilion - today we know it as the Rotunda and ancillary buildings.

Mortimer, already highly popular in the yachting fraternity, had raced his personal yacht Astra (named after his Torquay home) in most Western Regattas. He also continued to be an extrovert and attend many local clubs for years, while remaining a member of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, the Bath Club, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), The Royal Aero Club and lastly a member of the Gentleman’s Club in London at it’s Marlborough property. 

Meanwhile his brother Paris Singer, having already purchased all the shares in their “Oldway” home, was continuing his fathers conversion of the huge colonnaded mansion sporting a big archway at each end of the massive drive. The property linked to the old home (later called Little Oldway) and eventually would be one of the larger properties in Torbay.

Tower at Little Oldway (Photo courtesy of: Paul Hutchinson via Wikimedia Commons)

Meanwhile Mortimer was converting his Steventon property into a military war hospital. Once completed Aline became its first “Matron in Chief” until later taking on the more extensive role of “Acting Superintendent” of what was now a very enlarged hospital able to accommodate 220 beds for wounded non-commissioned men and N.C.O.'s.

Again all this rebuilding came via philanthropy to the War effort and it is interesting to learn that in spite of his brother Washington having invested half of the expenditure at Milton Hill, it was to be Mortimer that was Knighted by His Majesty the King in 1920 and thereafter always be known as simply Sir Mortimer.

His Lordship also became a local Justice of the Peace and then finally the High Sheriff of Berkshire during 1921.