Virginia Murch

Virginia Murch was born in Salcombe, Devon. She trained as a Journalist and wrote for newspapers and magazines before deciding to freelance In 2014 she set up Dancing Seagull Publishing to write and publish books about her home town where her family has had it roots for more than 1,000 years.

Virginia's books include "Song of Salcombe" and "The Weymouths of Salcombe Haven," both telling the history of Salcombe as seen through the eyes of her own ancestors. These two have been joined by the more recently published "The Diary of Jacob Weymouth...".

"Song of Salcombe" tells the story of Virginia's Murch ancestors, including James, who was to become the town's largest employer, constructing most of the buildings around the Estuary, and Frank - Lt. Cmdr. Francis Murch who assumed responsibility for the safety of Salcombe in the dark days of the American build up to D-Day in 1944.

In "The Weymouths of Salcombe Haven" she traces forgotten secrets of a family related to three American presidents, and including the adventurer George Weymouth, one of Queen Elizabeth Ist's beloved Devon Sea Dogs who sailed in search of the North West Passage, established a colony in the New World and was sent as emissary to the Emperor of Cathay; Joshua and Patience, Quakers, who risked torture and death for their faith; Alex Weymouth, who at 15, stood with the Cavaliers during the siege of Fort Charles in England's Civil War; Thomas Weymouth, granted Letters of Marque for legalised piracy, who narrowly escaped the rope; Captain Richard Weymouth, translator of the Holy Bible for the British Navy... and 16 year old Elizabeth, who, after the death of her mother dedicated her life to bringing up her twelve brothers to make their mark in the world.

Virginia also publishes "American and British Naval Forces at Salcombe and Slapton 1943 - 1945, " "Salcombe Remembered," and "Salcombe Harbour Remembered," all full of original photographs.

Her most recent book, published in February 2022, is "The Diary of Jacob Weymouth", a transcription of a diary kept by her 5 x great uncle Jacob Weymouth who returned from the Napoleonic Wars to farm around the Salcombe Estuary. The diary was a labour of love to transcribe, as Jacob wrote in a tiny script with a steel tipped nib. Missing for almost 200 years, the book re-appeared only recently to excited acclaim.

In addition to the transcription, Virginia has written a background to the diary, and has traced the people mentioned and followed up their stories, so that the whole gives a picture of everyday farming life together with details of the lives of local families still in Salcombe today. Amongst the families mentioned are those of Jacob's own daughter, Charlotte, who married the Honourable William Americus de Courcy, becoming on the death of her father in law Lord Kingsale, Baron Courcy of Courcy and Baron of Ringrone, and her husband's accession to a title which dated from 925 AD, Lady Kingsale. Her summer residence, Ringrone House, formerly The Marine Hotel (now the Salcombe Harbour Hotel) has become a well known landmark in the town.