St David (Marine Road)

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St David's House, Marie Road

Drawing by Colin Love

This substantial detached two story gentleman’s house was built c1890 for Arthur Hughes. It contained drawing and dining rooms, morning room, study and 6 bedrooms, servant’s room, also a coach house and stabling (with 3 stalls). The architect may have been William Kaye Parry.

Originally built for Arthur Hughes, a grain merchant of 8 Burgh Quay in Dublin. By 1908 St. David’s was occupied by Lt Col Frederick Samuel Heuston C.M.G., R.A.M.C. In 1910 it was occupied by the well-known surgeon Francis Thomas Heuston, Professor of Anatomy at the royal college of Surgeons and Surgeon to the Adelaide Hospital and brother of Frederick. Frederick and Francis were the sons of Robert and Elizabeth (nee Tydd) Heuston. Frederick was senior medical officer of the Scottish Coast defenses. He served in the RAMC and opened the Chinese Imperial Medical College c1894, of which he was President and senior Professor. He was decorated for services in the China Japanese war from the Chinese Emperor of the Imperial double dragon. Frederick lost two son in the Great war, Captain Frank Heuston (died 1916) and Frederic Gibson Heuston (died 1915). St David’s was later the home of J D La Touche. John David Digges La Touche who was in the Chinese Maritime Customs and was Deputy commissioner of customs at Chinwangtac. His is best known for writing “A handbook of the birds of Eastern China”, which was published in two volumes. St David’s was  acquired by the sisters of the Holy faith in 1941, and later demolished to accommodate St David’s School which still occupies the site today.