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Sir Robert Burnet retired to Budleigh Salterton in 1919 and lived at Pantiles in Fountain Hill until his death in 1931.

He was born in June 1851 at Chryston, seven miles from Glasgow, the son of Rev. William Burnet, Minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He was educated at Glasgow High School, and, after his father’s transfer to Huntly, at Chanonry House, Aberdeen. After graduating as M.B, C.M, with honours at Aberdeen University in 1876, he completed his medical training at the London Hospital. There he became Sir Andrew Clark’s private secretary and assistant for five years. In 1879 he succeeded the poet Robert Bridges as physician to the Great Northern Hospital. In 1882, he accompanied Lord Lorne, later Marquis of Argyll, and Princess Louise to Canada, as medical attendant to the vice-regal household. On his return in 1883 he resumed his duties at the Hospital and was active in promoting schemes for its reconstruction; when he resigned in 1899, he was made one of its consulting physicians. He published in 1890 a work on Foods and Dietaries (1).

In 1894 Burnet was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and the same year was appointed Physician-in-Ordinary to the Duke of York, afterwards King George V; and when the King succeeded to the throne in 1910 he was appointed Physician to the Royal Household. He retired to Budleigh Salterton in 1919. He was knighted in 1908 and created K.C.V.O. in 1917. Among his friends and patients was Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (another Glaswegian) a Liberal politician who was leader of his party and then Prime Minister from 1905-1908.#
In 1887 Robert married Bessie Horsman Morley, daughter of William Morley of Streatham. They lived in London during his working life, in Marylebone and St George’s Square, and had a son John Robert and two daughters, Elizabeth and Molly, all born in Marylebone between 1890 and 1894. 

On their retirement to Budleigh he, his wife, and daughter Elizabeth, became involved in various activities. Robert was a member of the Harmony Lodge of Freemasons and was a very keen golfer, captain of the East Devon Club in 1928 and donor of a veterans’ cup for competition among the club members. He also contributed an entry to the apple class in the newly resurrected WI autumn flower show in 1927.

In August1920 Lady Burnet and Mrs Cowper organised a successful Food Fair at the Lawn in aid of the vicarage building fund (2).

Daughter Elizabeth made herself very popular in the town by singing at the Musical Society’s concerts and at the Women’s Institute. In 1922 the Western Times was of the opinion that “the town is fortunate in having such a polished singer as Miss Elizabeth Burnet who gave two delightful numbers, “Chantons les Amonia de Jean (Weckerlin) and “Le Coeur de ma mie” (Daleroze) for which she was warmly applauded”; in the second half of the concert she sang “The Little Waves of Breffney” (Eva Gore Booth). In January1923 she and Miss Vigars arranged a sacred play “On the road to Bethlehem” at the Masonic Hall given by the children of the WI members, and sang herself in the play (3). In April 1924 she was married at St. Peter’s Church to Mr G D Gordon Hake, Head Master of the Royal West of England Academy of Architecture in Bristol. Unfortunately her father was unwell and she was led down the aisle on the arm of her brother John (4).

John appears to have resided from time to time at Pantiles as he gave that address on several occasions when travelling. When his father died in 1931 he had just returned from East Africa and in 1926 when he was living in Colombia he was described as “a representative” on ships’ passenger lists. While in Budleigh he had represented the town with Mr Hore at the monthly tournament of the Devon County Professional Golfers’ Alliance at Yelverton in 1923. There were 27 pairs in the competition and the Budleigh team came 3rd by 2 strokes and had looked the likely winners at one stage (5). He was also the secretary of the local clay pigeon club (6).

Sir Robert died in February 1931. His wife Bessie stayed in the town and was living at Round Corner when she died in January 1938.

Other sources for the article or further research are listed below (7,8,9)

An interesting co-incidence is the fact that Burnet’s butler at St George’s Square was Samuel Pengilley who was born in East Budleigh. He had returned to Lower Budleigh by 1901 to nurse his ailing mother and stayed on as a general labourer (1911 census). He then moved to Budleigh Salterton and was living at Cranmere Flat in Clinton Terrace when he died in 1937 having been ill for some time. The account of his funeral records that he was highly respected in the town (10).

Written and Researched by Roger Lendon ©2018

(1) Food and Dietaries: a Manual of Clinical Dietetics.
(2) 27 August 1920 - Exeter and Plymouth Gazette
(3) 12 January 1923 - Western Times
(4) 08 April 1924 - Exeter and Plymouth Gazette
(5) 14 December 1923 - Western Morning News
(6) 29 July 1932 - Exeter and Plymouth Gazette
(7) Obituaries in The Lancet & Br Med J.  Feb 28, 1931
(8) Royal College of Physicans Lives of the Fellows Munk’s Roll Vol 4
(9) The Times, 23 Feb. 1931
(10) 25 June 1937 - Exeter and Plymouth Gazette  

BS-B-00082 Biography