Mickleham
Susan Burney
Susan was the favourite child of Dr Burney and was adored by Fanny who was a few years older. Early in 1781 Susan married an Irishman, Molesworth Phillips, lieutenant of the party of marines sent with Captain Cook on his last voyage in 1779.
Phillips saw the Captain and four of the marines slaughtered by natives on a beach in Hawaii. When he and the rest of the party were escaping in boats from the savages, Phillips saw one of his men in danger of being taken and, although he had been stabbed between the shoulders with a long iron spike, he leapt into the sea. He was struck by a stone on his head but managed to grab the marine by his hair and rescue him.
James Burney who was also on the voyage, was impressed by his courage, befriended him and introduced him into the Burney household. After being promoted to a lieutenant-colonel he married Susan.
The slaughter of Captain Cook's party
He never made much money so they were always rather impoverished awaiting an inheritance from a Phillips uncle in Ireland. They rented lodgings in Boulogne-sur-Mer but came back to England in the summer of 1785 to a cottage in Mickleham. They had a daughter and two sons, one of whom, Norbury, was born unexpectedly when Susan was at Norbury Hall.
Susan became dependent on the friendship of the Locks and was frequently at Norbury Hall talking, confiding in Mrs Lock, playing music on their harpsichord and reading the newspapers. So she was introduced to the Juniper Hall inhabitants shortly after their arrival.“On Sunday I walked up to Norbury and there unexpectedly I met all our Juniperians” she wrote in November 1792.
Susan, who spoke fluent French became close to the refugees particularly General d’Arblay and the Comte de Narbonne. Her marriage was crumbling, her husband left her on her own in Mickleham while he chased gambling schemes. When the Juniper Hall community disbanded at the end of May 1793, d’Arblay and Narbonne began dining each day with Susan. There have been suggestions that the reason Narbonne did not return to the Continent with Madame de Stael was because he had fallen in love with Susan. Indeed he stayed on for another year. Jealousy of Narbonne may explain some of Captain Phillip’s increasing hostility towards his wife.
Susan supported Fanny in her desire to marry Alexandre d’Arblay. She used all her powers of persuasion with their father who finally gave his consent to the marriage but would not attend the wedding. It was her brother James (who had a house in the village) who lead her up the aisle of Mickleham church at 7 am on Sunday 28th July 1793. Fanny walked up the lane from Susan’s cottage to the church with him. General d’Arblay and the Comte de Narbonne, both dressed in their military regalia, awaited her. The only other witnesses were Susan and Captain Phillips and Mr and Mrs Lock.
For Susan matters reached a climax when her husband decided they must go and live on the property he had inherited at Belcotton in Ireland. Susan left Mickleham for London on 15 June 1795 sending a farewell note to Fanny
“Ah my Fanny – I can but write one sad word – Farewell, & Heaven continue its dear blessings to you…”
The Burney sisters gathered at Charlotte’s home (number 9 Downing Street, London) on 11 September 1796 to advise Susan whether or not to go to Ireland. Very reluctantly she went. The Burneys were deeply distressed and Dr Burney wrote some lines “On the departure of my daughter Susan to Ireland” the first two lines being “My gentle Susan who, in early state, each pain or care could soothe or mitigate…” Susan became increasingly ill. She begged to “behold her father again” and eventually she made a slow journey from Belcotton to Dublin and then by ship to Parkgate near Chester where she was met by her brother Charles. She died there on 6th January 1800.
When Fanny learned of Susan’s death she added a note to the message she had just written to her father - the note said, referring to the message “These were the last written lines of the last period - unsuspected as such! - of my perfect Happiness on Earth”. Every year on 6th January Fanny spent the day in meditation and reading “Consolatory Extracts” which she had compiled.
Mickleham Church, before restoration, 1890 Photographic Survey and Record of Surrey no. 2890
Mickleham Village
The village lies on the eastern side of the river Mole valley near the foot of Box Hill along a north-south route, which once formed the main London Road between Leatherhead and Dorking. This was made a passable road in 1755. Up to that time it was not available for wheeled traffic in bad weather and traces of the old road indicate that it needed courage to drive along it at all.
The Mole river frequently overflowed over the bridge. The by-pass (A24), constructed in the early 1930s, has saved the village from the modern volume of traffic, and the historic centre remains essentially as one narrow, winding street with a sweep of Victorian and later development around the curve of the main road to the north-east.
Mickleham Church – St. Michael’s & All Saints
Originally small Saxon one of nave and chancel only. Mainly Norman about 1180 entrance to Chancel – Norman arch – double Chevron bead and dog tooth like Caen (Normandy) old church replaced in 1823.
My Trip to Mickleham
It was a relief to move on to Mickleham, 6 miles away from Chessington on the A243/A24. We drove through the wonderful Mole valley conservation area.
Our plan was to find a delightful pub and have lunch there. We came off the Mickleham by-pass/motorway at the very corner where Fanny’s sister Susan and her husband and family lived. Called Mickleham Cottage in Susan’s time, it was renamed on several occasions Belledawe, Carriden House and Woodbury until it was destroyed in the 1920’s. The property now belongs to Box Hill Boy’s School. There is a most attractive house opposite which is called Mickleham Cottage which is rather confusing but it is not the one Susan lived in (clarified in a note by Judith Kinloch to Exploring Surrey’s Past). We drove up this main street past lovely, well-maintained houses towards the church.
But, we were abruptly stopped just before the pub which was surrounded by trucks, people, lights. It turned out to be a film crew who were using the pub in a new Agatha Christie mini-series “Why didn’t they ask Evans?” written and directed by Hugh Laurie. Our hopes for lunch were dashed but we were allowed to go into the grounds of the church opposite. This was not the church in which Fanny and Alexandre d’Arblay were married but a later replacement. We walked up the lane from the spot where Susan’s cottage had been to the church just as Fanny had done at 7 am on Sunday 28 July in 1793.