Emma Keyse had leased land in front of her property, on the beach at Babbacombe. She had hoped to have had a uninterrupted vista and access directly on to the beach and into the sea. Sadly, or annoyingly, for her it was not to be. Fishermen were frequently using the strip of land to go about their fishing activity.
Matters came to a head in 1881 and into 1882 in the case of Keyse v Taverner when matters ended in court and in the local news. Mr. Taverner, an innkeeper and fishermen of 20 Fore Street Babbacombe (The Manor Inn, today called Molloys) was taken to court by Miss Keyse.
Although the case was dealt with in 1882, the annoyance to Miss Keyse by local fishermen continued right up until her murder in 1884. Indeed, it has even been suggested in various sources that a disgruntled local fisherman might have been linked to her demise.
So far, no clear evidence of such a connection has come to light.