SUFFOLK
"SUFFOLK, a maritime county on the E. coast of England, is bounded N. by Norfolk, E. by the German Ocean, S. by Essex, and W. by Cambridge. It lies between 51 56' and 52 37' N. lat., 0 23' and 1 46' E. long. Its greatest length from Southtown, a suburb of Great Yarmouth, on the N.E., to the south-western border, is 68 miles, and the extreme breadth 52 miles. The area is 1,481 square miles, or 947,681 acres, of which about 820,000 acres are arable land, meadow, and pasture. The population in 1801 was 214,404; in 1851, 337,215; and in 1861, 337,070. In the earliest times of which we have any record, it was inhabited by the Iceni, a British tribe, and subsequently formed part of the Roman province of Flavia Caesariensis. It was afterwards occupied by the Angles, and formed part of the kingdom of East Anglia. In 654, Penda, king of Mercia, attacked the East Anglians, and in a battle fought near Blytheburgh, slew their king. The Danes early commenced their ravages along this coast, and in 871 defeated and took prisoner Edmund, king of East Anglia, whom they put to death for refusing to renounce Christianity. His body was removed from Hoxne to Bury, which received in consequence the name of Bury St. Edmund's, and a monastery was erected to his honour. In the division of the kingdom under Alfred the county was included within the Danelagh, and at the time of the Norman conquest was held by Gurth, brother of Harold II. The surface of this county is generally flat, or gently undulating, there being no eminence in the whole county worthy of notice. The highest ground lies towards the W., through which, some miles to the W. of Bury, and thence to Thetford, runs a chalk dyke, which crosses this part of England in a north-easterly direction. This ridge separates the watershed of the N. from that of the S. of the county, the streams on the upper side flowing into the Little Ouse and Waveney, while those on the lower side fall into the Stour and Orwell, or directly into the German Ocean. The north western districts bordering on Cambridgeshire partake of its marshy, fenny nature, and in some places the land is secured from overflow of the rivers by large embankments along their course. The coast line, 52 miles in length, is for the most part regular, and convex to the sea. The bays are generally shallow, and the headlands have little prominence. The principal harbours are formed by the estuaries of the Orwell and Stour on the S.E., and of the other rivers which flow into the German Ocean. The shore is in most places low and sandy, and occasionally marshy; but low cliffs, composed of alternations of clay, sand, and gravel, are found on both sides of the estuary of the Deben, and at some other points. These are being slowly undermined by the sea, while at some places the reverse occurs, and accessions of land are being formed by the accumulation of marine deposits. Lowestoft, Southwold, and Felixstow are much resorted to as watering-places. " (There is more of this description).
From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson © 2003
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- The Suffolk Record Office has branches at Bury St. Edmunds, Ipswich and Lowestoft. All branches of the Suffolk Record Office operate under the County Archive Research Network (CARN) and to look at documents you will need a CARN reader ticket. These can be issued on your first visit after providing suitable proof of identity. The CARN card can be used in any participating Record Office in the UK. You can also search the SRO catalogue online.
- Bury St.Edmunds
Suffolk Record Office, 77 Raingate Street, Bury St.Edmunds IP33 2AR
- Ipswich
Suffolk Record Office, Gatacre Road, Ipswich IP1 2LQ
- Lowestoft
Suffolk Record Office, Lowestoft Central Library, Clapham Road South, Lowestoft NR33 1DR
- LDS Family History Centres in Suffolk.
The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintain two family history centres in Suffolk.
Note: The addresses below are not mailing addresses. Family History Centres are unable to respond to mail enquiries.
Pre-booking is required for many of their facilities - please contact the centre before travelling any distance, and please book well in advance.
The Ipswich Family History Centre
42 Sidegate Lane West, Ipswich, Suffolk
Phone: 01473 723182
Hours: Tuesday 6.30-9pm; Thursday 10-1pm and 7-9pm.
Open by appointment only. You can email the centre at UK_Ipswich@ldsmail.net
The Lowestoft Family History Centre
165 Yarmouth Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk
Phone: 01502 573851
Hours: Tuesday 2pm-4pm; Wednesday 9am-12pm; Tuesday to Thursday 7pm-9pm.
Please call to confirm the centre is open to avoid disappointment.
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Simon Knott's bibliography of Suffolk and its churches.
See also Church History and Maps.
Suffolk is renowned for the quantity and quality of its historic churches, many built with the profits of the wool trade.
- Simon Knott's Suffolk Churches provides photographs and descriptions of most of Suffolk's many churches.
- Popular Guide to Suffolk Churches, Volume I: West Suffolk by D.P. Mortlock, Lutterworth Press. ISBN: 9780906554104
Written with an eye for detail, this is the first volume of the authoritative guide to Suffolk churches. Includes an encyclopaedic glossary of historical and architectural terms. Published 1988.
- Popular Guide to Suffolk Churches, Volume II: Central Suffolk by D.P. Mortlock
- Popular Guide to Suffolk Churches, Volume III: East Suffolk by D.P. Mortlock
- The Guide to Suffolk Churches
By D.P. Mortlock, Lutterworth Press. ISBN: 9780718830762 An authoritative and handsomely illustrated guide to the 'living' medieval churches of the county of Suffolk, now available as a single volume. Includes an encyclopaedic glossary of historical and architectural terms.
Paperback, black and white photographs & illustrations. Published April 2009.
- Tracing the History of a Parish Church, a guide to relevant printed and manuscript material held by the Suffolk Record Office. Suffolk Record Office. Link no longer available.
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There are six main Registration Offices in Suffolk. They operate an appointment system for personal visits but you can telephone them or email your enquiries.
There are also 5 other service points,which operate between one and two days a week.
These are based at Halesworth, Felixstowe, Newmarket, Saxmundham and Haverhill.
Appointments can be booked for these locations by contacting any of the main offices.
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Information on Travel & Tourism in Suffolk.
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Suffolk parishes were grouped into areas called hundreds which were used as sub-county areas for administrative and taxation purposes until 1834.
You may find it worthwhile searching in the GENUKI Gazetteer.
A complete index for England is included, by county and then in alphabetical order of placename. This index page contains a list of the most common abbreviations used in the gazetteer, most notably the nowadays somewhat ambiguous "cm." = "computed miles" and "mm." = "measured miles".
The transcriptions for a number of places in Suffolk are included on the relevant town and parish pages.
- RootsChat The Suffolk Forum at RootsChat. Free lookup service, supported by advertising. Registration is required.
- Surname Index to Pigot & Co Directory for Suffolk (1823-1824), by Barbara Kolle & David Kolle:
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Search for information on Suffolk and places therein in Vision of Britain.
Search for information on Suffolk and places therein in British History Online.
Suffolk Heritage Direct is provided and managed by Suffolk County Council on behalf of a growing partnership of heritage organisations, societies and local interest groups from across Suffolk.
The Framlingham Historical Photo Archive contains a selection of photographs which capture the town of Framlingham and its people over a period of approximately 100 years.
Bartholomew Gosnold was born in Suffolk and his family seat was at Otley Hall, Otley, Suffolk. In 1607 he was instrumental in establishing the first English settlement in America at Jamestown, Virginia.
The Foxearth and District Local History Society has prepared a useful history of Essex and Suffolk.
- Hodskinson's Map of Suffolk in 1783, Larks Press, 2003 - ISBN 1 904006 09
A complete map of the county of Suffolk in 1783, reproduced in A4 booklet form at the original scale of one mile to the inch, with an introduction by D P Dymond.
- Suffolk Snapshots, by Suzanna G. Burnay, Sigma Books
A series of A4 booklets aimed at local historians and genealogists, providing a snapshot of some Suffolk villages in the 1840's. Contains information from tithe maps, the 1841 census and parish records, with detailed maps and indexes for people and field names. The series currently covers Darsham, Kelsale cum Carlton, Knodishall, Leiston cum Sizewell, Marlesford, Middleton cum Fordley, Peasenhall, Saxmundham, Theberton, Westleton, and Yoxford.
- Suffolk Tithe Name Indexes
A series being developed by Suzanna G. Burnay and published by Sigma Books containing an index to people listed as owners or occupiers of land in the early 1840s.
The current series covers the whole of the Dunwich, Orford and Lothingland Deaneries in east Suffolk.
- Suffolk Tithe Name Index Vol.1: Dunwich (south) - covering Aldringham, Carlton, Darsham, Dunwich, Fordley,
Kelsale, Knodishall, Leiston, Middleton, Theberton,
Thorpe, Westleton and Yoxford
- Suffolk Tithe Name Index Vol.2: Dunwich (north) - covering Benacre, Blyford, Blythburgh, Brampton, Bulcamp,
Covehithe, Easton Bavents, Frostenden, Henstead,
Reydon, Sotherton, South Cove, Southwold, Stoven,
Uggeshall, Walberswick, Wangford, Westhall and Wrentham
- Suffolk Tithe Name Index Vol.3: Dunwich (west) - covering Bramfield, Chediston, Cookley, Cratfield,
Halesworth, Heveningham, Holton St. Peter,
Huntingfield, Linstead Magna, Linstead Parva,
Peasenhall, Rumburgh, Sibton, Spexhall, Thorington,
Ubbeston, Walpole, Wenhaston & Melles, and
Wissett
- Suffolk Tithe Name Index Vol.4: Orford - covering Aldeburgh, Benhall, Blaxhall, Bruisyard, Chillesford, Cransford,
Farnham, Friston, Great Glemham, Little Glemham, Iken, Orford,
Rendham, Snape, Sternfield, Stratford St. Andrew, Sudbourne,
Swefling, Tunstall and Wantisden
- Suffolk Tithe Name Index Vol.5: Lothingland - covering Ashby,
Barnby, Belton, Blundeston, Bradwell, Burgh Castle, Carlton Colville, Corton,
Flixton, Fritton, Gisleham, Gorleston, Gunton, Herringfleet, Hopton, Kessingland,
Kirkley, Lound, Lowestoft, Mutford, Oulton, Pakefield, Rushmere and Somerleyton
- Ordnance Survey maps of Suffolk in the mid 19th century are available via old-maps.co.uk.
- England Jurisdictions 1851 provided by Family Search is a live clickable map providing information on Suffolk parishes. Click on the map to explore. Also look for the similar parish/place link under "Maps" on the new (CSS/SHTML) town and parish pages.
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The Suffolk Regiment Museum.
The Suffolk Regiment in 1914-1918 recorded in "The Long, Long Trail".
The Parham Airfield Museum is home to the US 390th Bomb Group Memorial Air Museum and the Museum of the British Resistance Organisation - The Auxiliary Units.
Bawdsey Radar Museum - Bawdsey Quay, IP12 3AZ. The museum is based in wartime concrete bunkers including the old Transmitter Block - the first radar station in the world. See website for opening times and admission charges.
- Index of Suffolk Public Houses, Inns and Taverns A listing of historical Public Houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in Suffolk, compiled by Kevan Wilding. The Suffolk listing uses information from census, Trade Directories and History to add licensees, bar staff, lodgers and visitors. In addition to an index of Suffolk Pubs & Taverns by town name, there are listings by public house name for the years of 1839, 1869 and 1891.
- The CAMRA Suffolk Pubs website uses various historic trade directories and census returns to populate the site with owners and landlords from early 19th cent to the current day. It also contains various items of local history and photographs to help illustrate the pubs, towns and villages.
You can learn about about the workhouse and the development of the Poor Laws.
The Workhouse site also covers this area with pictures of some of them. A good starting point at this site is the map of poor law unions for east England.
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