Torquay, England makes an appearance in North and South as Margaret begins to make plans for moving the family from Helstone to Milton. Mrs. Hale laments that Mr. Hale cannot not be with her during her respite while Margaret moves the family as he had done before their marriage. Mrs. Hale had spent that time in Torquay with a titled couple.
Torquay is a sea-side resort town on the South West Peninsula of England. The city was a small, realtively unknown village until the Napoleonic Wars during which time the Channel Fleet was stationed in Torquay; as a result, the town became known for its mild climate and resort atmosphere. In 1848, the city opened its first train station resulting in massive population growth. On July 19, 1852, Queen Victoria, her husband, and their children travelled to Torquay and spent time in the resort on holiday. Finally, a medical spa opened in 1857 cementing the city's desire to be viewed as a place of rest, relaxation, and healthcare. Thus, this was a town in which the English jet set used as a vacation destination during the nineteenth century.
WIth this research, the audience can better appreciate the status that Mrs. Hale used to enjoy prior to being married to Mr. Hale. She was housed with a titled couple--a knight and his wife--thus suggesting a higher social status than Mrs. Hale now enjoys. Additionally, the fact that Queen Victoria holidayed in Torquay gives the city high-class status and fashionability to place in which Mrs. Hale stayed. This was not the Branson, MO of England; this was the French Riviera of England. Margaret is trying to recreate this feeling for her mother by sending her to another spa, resort town closer to Milton.
A watercolor of Torquay Harbor painted by Queen Victoria during her 1852 holiday with her family.
Works Cited
Fisher, John. Torquay Harbour Conservation Area Character Appraisal. Torbay Council, Sept. 2004, www.torbay.gov.uk/media/7588/torquay-harbour-caa.pdf. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
Napoleon in Torbay. Torbay Libraries, www.torbay.gov.uk/media/8998/napoleon-in-torbay-1815.pdf. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.
Queen Victoria. “Torquay Dated 31 July 1852.” Collection, Royal Collection Trust, England, www.rct.uk/collection/980055-bj. Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.