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History
Through the hard work of the Village
History Recorder (e-mail
Bill Vincent OBE with additional historic material) particularly in
connection with Millennium projects, a large number of historic images
have been assembled. These include old photographs, post cards, maps
and documents.
IMAGES
To see a gallery of these images, as
yet largely unsorted, click on one of the links below:
Images
from the late 1800s and early 1900s
Images
from the mid 1900s
Images
from the late 1900s
Images
of miscellaneous documents
Please note the
copyright of these images.
TEXT ARTICLES
Earl
Soham: History and Romance (from EADT 1928)
The
history of St. Mary's church.
The
history of the bells at St. Mary's church.
Extract
from Loes Deanery magazine - July 1943
The
Diaries of William Goodwin, Surgeon of Earl Soham, covering 1785
- 1810
Earl
Soham School in the 1920s/30s (with some photos)
Until these History pages are
completed, here are a few facts and figures (mostly from "White's
Suffolk Directories" 1844 & 1874) to fill the gap
temporarily:
- The manor of Earl Soham once
belonged to the Earls of Norfolk, the Bigod family (sometimes spelt
"Bigot" in old texts), who also owned nearby Framlingham
Castle.
- Edward 1st granted Roger Bigod
permission to hold a market and a (lamb and stock) fair in the
village.
- The church dates from about 1320
(chancel) with the nave dated to about 1470 (Kelly's Suffolk
Directory 1900).
- The Baptist Chapel was built
around 1863.
- The school was first built in
1850.
- Earl Soham Lodge was
originally a hunting lodge, built in the 13th century, but rebuilt
in 1789. For many years it was the seat of the Cornwallis family.
- The population of the village
peaked in the 1800's with over 750 inhabitants. Today there are
about 360 adults on the Electoral Register, with about 100 children.
- The 1844 Directory lists many
trades/craftsmen - most of the occupations having now long since
disappered from the village. These included: Corn dealer, Corn
millers, Blacksmiths, Boot & Shoe makers, Grocers & Drapers,
Joiners, Turners, Wheelwrights, Surgeon, Thatcher, Maltster,
Saddler, Watchmaker, Glover, Whip maker & Hairdresser (the same
person!), Tailors, Clergy, School master and mistress - and, of
course, Farmers.
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