A WALK AROUND THE VILLAGE IN THE EARLY 1900s
Starting at the Sibton end, there is a road leading to Halesworth after passing over the River Yox. There is then two cottages standing back off the road known as Askers cottages, as they stand at the bottom of Askers Hill. At the top of the hill there is a cemetery, with a lovely old thatched shelter, with concrete posts. At the time of building, all the names of Yoxford Parish Council were carved on the posts.
Opposite the cemetery there’s a drive leading up to Oak Tree Farm, occupied by Herbert Cole. Coming from there we pass the allotments on the left and come to the forge and wheelwright’s shops owned by John Knight, who was also an undertaker. He lived in one end of the double dweller house adjoining the premises, and his blacksmith and shoeing smith lived in the other.
The next house was occupied by Charles Cornish, estate bricklayer for J.K. Brooke Esq. also by James Flegg, who was estate carpenter for the same gentleman.
The next house was rented by Billy Thurlow, who had a boot and shoe repairing business.
The next house was a rather larger one belonging to the local vet by the name of Wright, who had sons all in the same practise. Then we come to the lane at the end of which was a public footpath leading out on to the Halesworth road, which was known as Deadman’s Road. After the foot path passed over the River Yox it went straight up passed Wood Hill farm and joined the Willow Marsh Road which would either bring you back to Yoxford or take you into Darsham. In the lane there is a small grocer’s shop owned by Arthur Newby who had a pony and cart and took goods round to other places in the village.
At the entrance of the lane there was another grocer’s shop owned by Billy Cordle, who also had license for the sale of beer and stout. The only off-license in Yoxford.
Opposite this was another thatched house where I lived * with my father, mother, five sisters and four brothers on one end of the house, on the other lived Ted English and his wife. He had a pony and cart and used to travel to Walberswick, selling vegetables and dressed chicken. Billy Dade, rabbit warrener, rented the next house, which was also a thatched one. Opposite was another double dweller where Butty Mann lived. He was the local grave digger, and kept the cemetery in a tidy condition by cutting the grass and keeping the drive clean.
The next house stands endways to the road and belonging to Robert Cordle, brother to Billy Cordle. He was a rat poisoner and had a son Herbert who spent a lot of his time in Scotland and other parts of the country on the same job.
On the opposite side of the road we have CabbyGeorge Field, who had a horse and cab for taking people to and from the station.
We then come to a large house called Elmsley, the owner being Mrs Wade, who resided there with her children.
Opposite Elmsley in Sandy Drift, a roadway leading up to Hill Farm occupied by Tom Elmy. On the way to the farm you passed a wood called the Pightles with a Keeper’s cottage in the corner. The Keeper’s name being Sexton, who was one of Sir Ralph Blois’ Keepers with Alban List the other one.
A little further on towards the farm was a sandpit where there was a rifle range which was well used in those days.
After Sandy Drift we come to Hogg Hill. There was a double dweller cottage and a single cottage stood in the plantation at the bottom of the hill, also the front drive to Elmsley. Further up there was another double dweller occupied by farm workers. Further up was a dairy farm occupied by Billy Cordle who had a milk round through Yoxford.
Just past the farm the road forked, the right hand fork led to a four dweller cottage, occupied by farmworkers and known as ‘The Fife and Drum’, which was said to be a public house. Further up the road was a two dweller house where the road came to an end except for footpaths. The cottages were called Poplar Tree cottages. The footpaths went across the field. One went by East Wood and came out at Rotten End, on the road leading from Sibton Church through to Saxmundham. The other came out near the town houses at Sibton, Yoxford side of the Church.
Now the left hand fork took you to a four dwellers known as Wolsey cottages, where the gamekeeper for C.H.Lomax at The Grove lived. Further on, another farm was rented by R.J.Cutting. Here the road ends, but a public footpath runs through the fields and comes through the yards of Kelsale Lodge farmed by Adam Mann and out on to the A12 road at the top of Mile Hill. The back entrance to The Grove was at the bottom of Hogg Hill where C.H. Lomax resided.
Now we come to the High Street where Joe Smith’s coal and corn business was situated. He sold coal 8 ½ a ½ cwt also coke if you wanted it. He also sold Bran, Kositos **, meal and dog biscuits. Joe said ‘anything for an honest living’.
The Methodist Chapel comes next with a small house adjoining for the use of the Chapel cleaner.
On the opposite side is Caxtons, a very old house, then Hope House, which at one time was occupied by about 40 lone children. Opposite is a Fish shop occupied by Jakey Spindler. Opposite is a building which was used for housing the fire engine, which had to be pumped by eight men, four on each side.
Now there is another shop, a pork butcher’s, owned by Ted Baldry, who was also Secretary of the Rational Club, better known as The Sick and Burial Club.
Opposite was Black Ball Alley, where a lady lived by the name of Eliza Balls. She was called upon to lay people out after death. At the front of these houses was another shop, selling kiddies’ toys and fireworks at the time. Joining this was The New Inn, with Fred Tuthill as landlord. Opposite this is a Harness makers shop owned by Sam Howard. Now another house where H.J. Bond, the Registrar lived. Next door to him was another shop owned by F.B. Fisher, selling bread, cakes and confectionery. The lady that served in the shop was Maud Whitby. At the back of the shop in the outhouse is a large oven, where I was told that baking bread and pastry was done at one time.
The next one on the same side is another shoemaker’s by the name of Barrett. He had a window at the front where he displayed his work. The next row of three cottages faced the road, the end one being where Harry Smith the roadman lived with his wife who was a very handy woman for the people of Yoxford. In the course of a year she used to pluck and dress hundreds of fowls, if a butcher got an order for more than he could manage they used to call on Lizzie Smith. In the same yard as these houses stand, Ezra Cotton had a workshop for carpentering, he was also an undertaker and had a very good man work for him, Bob Martin was his name.
Next to the New Inn is a house where Noah Wright, the local vet lived. Then a watch repairer’s and jeweller’s shop owned by Mr Hurren. Joined to that is a tailor’s shop owned by Clem Blowers. The next shop is a grocer’s, ladies wear and men’s wear, owned by C.W. French, then the residence of French. Adjoining this is a small shop for the sale of books, stationery and other oddments and owned by Mrs Roberts.
Next is a fairly large house called Barnsdale where the Wesleyan Minister lived.
Opposite this is a barbers shop owed by a Mr Deinhardt, who I think was a German. Just before the first world war he left. Whether he was deported back to Germany I don’t know.
One piece I have missed, opposite French’s grocery shop there is a coach builder name Holmes who did coachbuilding and painting of carts. His son played the organ in the Methodist Chapel.
Then we come to Verandah House where Ezra Cotton lived. The house adjoining the Griffin Inn is Redwald and owned by Mr Ransome. The one opposite is Merivale. Between Barnsdale and Merivale stood the Yoxford Parish Room, where the members had their meetings. Beneath this room was a large cellar where the children used to play when the gates were not locked.
Further on is the Vicarage where the Rev. ‘Daddy’ Lines *** was the Vicar.
Opposite the Vicarage is the Griffin Inn where Jack Hunter was Landlord. At times it was a very flourishing place. It had a three-pin bowling board in the back yard, where every Whit Monday the customers would bowl for a copper kettle. Two or three times a year, Stokes’ Fair would come to Yoxford. There would be steam roundabouts at the front, in the back there would be a swinging boat, coconut shies, Rock and Cockle stalls, all at the Griffin.
The next place we come to is the Three Tuns Hotel, a lovely old place with dining room, billiard room and bar that opened out onto the bowling green. Out the back there were stables and coach houses, also an assembly hall for concerts and films.
Opposite the Three Tuns was a green grocer’s shop owned by Sydney Smith & Son. A barber’s shop next belonging to Frank Clark & Son. Then we had another butcher’s shop belonging to Billie and Bertie Chapman. Joining this was a chemists owned by Robinson. In the shop was Mr ‘Ha Ha’ Heeley. He could cure anything from a corn to a headache. If he had not got what you wanted, he would say ‘ha ha I’ve got a substitute, equally as good, in fact far better’.
Opposite was the Church which I did not know much about as I went to the PM Chapel. Coming across the road once more was another grocery store kept by George Horner & Son. Next to this store we had the front entrance and drive with a small lodge cottage, to Cockfield Hall, the home to Sir Ralph and Lady Blois.
Opposite this is Church Lane where we had an old cycle repairer, by the name of Fudger Whatling. He could make anything from a gramophone needle to a steam engine. He also had a motorcycle combination with a wickerwork sidecar in which he took out his wife Lizzie.
At the bottom of Church Lane was a shop for the sale of bread and pastries belonging to F.B. Fisher, who also had a cake office next door. He had a hand cart for delivering around Yoxford. He also had a horse and cart for outlying districts. He also used to roast joints of meat, chicken and numerous other things for the people of the village.
We now have another butcher’s belonging to Fred Balls, who also had a slaughter house where he killed his own cattle, sheep and pigs.
Opposite to Fred Balls was another small sweet shop owned by Madam Clark.
Next to the butcher’s was the village Post Office run by Arthur Green and his wife. She was almost blind, but could tell the value of a coin by the feel of it. At the back of the Post Office lived the postman that used to do the Middleton round. His name was Morton Cordle. Then there was another ladies’ and gents’ clothing, shoe and boot shop owned by A.A. Bendall.
Next to this was the County Council School, when I went at the age of five there were two hundred & four children taught. We started at five years of age and left at thirteen if we were lucky enough to pass an exam, which I was. Opposite the school is the Wesleyan Chapel which is in two separate sections, one for services and one for the children’s Sunday school and many other functions. Adjoining the Chapel is the gas house where a great gasometer was in front of the house to supply the whole village with gas street lighting. Also I can well remember Mr. Watson coming round lighting the street lamps every night just before dark and coming round again at eleven o’ clock to put them out. Up the yard between Bendall’s shop and the school there was a small shoe maker’s shop built up against the school wall which Mr Tripp used to own for carrying out his shoe repair work.
The next on the left was a four dweller house where Sir Ralph Blois’s Bricklayer and Carpenter lived. Almost opposite was The Hollies, where old Dickie Newson lived. He had a donkey cart and had a farm at Kelsale. Past this we come to another Blacksmith’s and shoeing smith’s owned by Quaker Dalby, who also had an Ironmongery shop. He sold everything from a pin to a gate hook. Adjoining this business is a fairly large house with iron railings in front where Dalby used to live. Further on there is a lovely house owned by Fred Simpson, who also owned the granaries near Darsham station. Opposite Simpson’s house is another Pork Butchers shop owned by Juddy Cotton. At the bottom of his garden was his slaughter house where he did all his own killing and his wife served in the shop.
Next house was a very large place known as The Limes, which was used as a hospital for soldiers during the 1914-18 war. Then we come to Satis House which has recently been turned into a guest house. A lovely old place it was early on.
We then pass along the A12 over the River Yox till we come to the tradesman’s entrance to Cockfield Hall where a very nice little lodge stands at the entrance. On the parks, after passing through the entrance, during the 1914-18 war is where the Essex Horse Artillery were billeted in tents. As boys we will remember this as we used to go on the park and get some of the soldiers’ washing which our mothers used to do for them then on Sundays we used to go up and have our dinner and tea with them in a great marquee. When the officers came in for inspection we used to stand up at attention the same as the soldiers.
After passing the lodge the road forks to the right taking you into Darsham, Westleton and Dunwich. About ¼ mile up this road you come to the red brick arch where the Great Eastern Railway ran under the road.
Coming back from there about half way down the hill is a double dweller known as the Oven houses on the left. Still on the left we come to another coal merchant’s business owned by Ted Thurtell. He also used to supply a man by the name of John Todd and a horse for shunting coal trucks and cattle trucks at Darsham station.
The next place is a business owned by Charlie Fisk who was a fairly busy man with several men working for him as decorator and plumber.
After leaving his, keeping along the A12 road you then pass over the River Yox again. You then come to a triangle piece of land filled with fir trees known as the Heater where the road bears round the wide end onto the Middleton road. When going up this road the first place you come to is a coal yard, cart sheds and stables, a small barn, also a sand pit which supplied the council with sand to put on the roads during the winter when it was slippery. Now passing this you come to the train crossing which took trains from Yarmouth to London. Coming back from there, on the left, is the back drive to the Rookery, a large house standing in park land and owned by a gentleman by the name of Low. After passing the back drive of the Rookery there is a double dweller cottage owned by the Rookery, where various employees lived.
Still coming towards the A12 you come to the front entrance and drive to the Rookery, where a pretty little lodge stands. The tenant was Daddy Anderson. Adjoining this is Love Lane where a footpath took you round and onto the A12 almost through Yoxford. Adjoining Love Lane as you pass on is another fairly large house known as San Souzi, where a gentleman lived by the name of Capt. Wilmer.
Further on is a doctor’s house. The Doctor was Dr. Baillie, a very good doctor but was feared by all the children if they had to go to the surgery. He was so gruff and blunt I was afraid of my life of him. He used to visit his patients in a horse and cart with a coachman.
One small item I must tell about him, he had a poor old lady go to him one day, so he said ‘hello missus what’s up with yo?’ She said ‘I’ve got a stoppage Doctor’ so he said ‘I’ll soon put that right, take this before you go to bed tonight and come and see me in the morning’. So she went down the following morning so he said ‘how are you missus?’ she said ‘no different’ and he thought it funny as he knew what he had given her ought to have done the trick. So he mixed her up another dose and made her drink it in the surgery and said come again in the morning. When she came in the morning, he said ‘did you pass anything Missus?’ so the old lady said ‘yes, I passed a load of hay and two Bakers’ carts’, you can quite imagine what Dr. Baillie said then, he said ‘have you S… Missus?’
*This memoir is thought to have been written by Ernie Flegg, milk roundsman in the village. He was born 4th March 1904 and baptised Ernest John. He grew up in Little Street with his parents, agricultural labourer William and his wife Laura. He was the sixth of their ten children – Norah, Emma Laura, William James, Harriett Esther, Timothy, Thomas, Jack, Ida and lastly Hilda May, born in 1914. Ernie was a single man until 1943 when he married Alice Cooper. A daughter, Dorothy, was born the following year. Ernie died in 1987 at the age of 83. Ernie’s father William married his step-sister Laura Pettitt in 1892. William was born in Middleton, the son of James, the carpenter mentioned in the memoir as being carpenter for the Rookery estate. James had married Harriett Eade in 1868 but died in 1887 and two years later he married widow Emma Pettitt.
(The memoir has been tidied a little but is largely as written).
** brand name, one of the earliest cooked maize farm animal feeds
*** this was Rev Michael Dav(e)y Lines, Vicar of Yoxford 1894-1918. It is not known why he was nicknamed ‘Daddy’.