Author: cobboldtrust@knebworthhouse.com cobboldtrust@knebworthhouse.com

The world of international terrorism, geopolitical stress and bloodshed is indeed unfamiliar ground for a family history trust.  But is it?  Everybody is somebody’s son or daughter.  So, when people die for a cause, the grief is just as profound or maybe even more so.  It doesn’t matter whether one agrees or disagrees with the cause, the grief remains unmitigated.  We have been reminded of this just recently in the case of Anna Campbell (1992-2018) #1990 on the web family tree, daughter of progressive rock musician, Dirk (Mont) Campbell (1950) #883.

Anna was a British feminist, anarchist and prison abolition activist from Lewes in Sussex who fought with Kurdish Women’s Protection units in Syria.  She had been educated at St Mary’s Hall, Brighton, and Sheffield University before moving to Bristol where she worked as a plumber.  She was involved with many political movements including UK student protests, the Hunt Saboteurs Association, Anarchist Black Cross, and other abolitionist organisations.  At the time of her death in 2018, in Afrin, north western Syria Anna was fighting with the People’s Protection Unit (YPG) which has been supported in its fight against ISIS by the UK government.  However, more concerned about the Kurds at its borders than the threat of ISIS, Turkey launched a missile strike on the YPG which resulted in Anna’s death.

Dirk declares Anna to have been a beautiful loving daughter, a feminist, an activist, a woman of courage who dedicated her life to fight for a better world for the rest of us, but Anna’s remains still lie on the battlefield which is now in Turkish controlled territory.  We know the exact location, he says, but despite hiring leading human rights lawyers the Turkish authorities refuse to engage with our request for the return of her remains and possessions.  It is argued that Turkey has violated its international human rights obligations so now Dirk is to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights.  As a family history body, we support Dirk, not because we subscribe to one or more of Anna’s causes but because we believe she should be returned as a simple act of decent family advocacy.

Anthony Cobbold

Those of you who happened to see BBC Bargain Hunt at lunch time on January 10^th may have seen Eric Knowles visit the Victory Hall in the village of Balcombe, West Sussex.  After WW1 the village wanted a memorial to all those who never returned and, partially on the recommendation of Lady Denman, of nearby Balcombe Place decided that a village hall would be both appropriate and functional.

Lady Denman, a self-declared feminist and founding president of the WI, on seeing the plans for the hall noticed there were to be large areas of blank wall around the windows.  It was arranged that Neville Stephen Lytton (1879-1951) #3710 on the web family tree, who had a reputation as a war artist, should paint murals in those spaces reflecting the commemorative purpose of the hall.

Accordingly, inter alia, the murals portray a wounded soldier on a stretcher, shattered trees, mine shafts, wounded German prisoners and replacement British soldiers all illustrating the pain and misery of war.

Neville Lytton was the grandson of writer and politician Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) #3678.  His elder brother was Viceroy of India; and he had three famous sisters; one was the suffragette, Constance Lytton (1869-1923) #3712, another married the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) #3716 and the third married Prime Minister Balfour’s younger brother.

Neville played cricket for Hertfordshire making five appearances between 1896 and 1898 and went on to win Bronze for Real Tennis in the 1908 Summer Olympics.  He served on the Western Front in the 1^st World War and saw duty on the Somme and at Amiens.  His art was a constant interest during the war and when it was over examples were acquired by the Imperial War Museum and by the Musee de Guerre in France.  Towards the end of his life, he succeeded his elder brother to become the 3^rd Earl of Lytton.  A man of many talents.

Anthony Cobbold

March 1720 saw the birth of George Edgcumbe (1720-1795) #15106 on the web family tree, who decided to follow a career in the Navy.  He did well and gained command first of a 20-gun ship and soon one of 50 guns.  Following action in the Seven Years War he was transferred by Admiral John Byng to the Lancaster having 66 guns and subsequently to the Hero with 74 guns.

Until 1864 the Royal Navy was organized in three divisions known as Red, White, and Blue in that order of seniority.  A Captain on being promoted to Flag Rank first became Rear-Admiral of the Blue then of the White and finally of the Red.  The same process applied to Vice-Admiral and to Admiral.  In 1864 the divisions were abolished; the White Ensign was retained and all Flag Officers were placed on the same list.  By 1778 George had risen to become an Admiral of the White.

In May 1761, on his brother’s death he succeeded to the title of Baron Edgcumbe and later that year he married Emma Gilbert (1729-1807) #15108, the only child of John Gilbert DD, Archbishop of York who sadly died three days after the wedding.  Despite having been at sea for long periods he became the holder of many honours and appointments including being Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall and in 1789 he was created Earl of Mount Edgcumbe in the County of Devon.

After 18 years as George’s countess, Lady Emma died and was laid to rest in the family vault.  Someone, possibly a corrupt sexton, knowing that she had been buried with a valuable ring on her finger, that evening exhumed her body to steal the ring.  Unexpectedly, he was not able to slip off the ring so took out his knife and cut into her finger.  The countess suddenly sat up; she had not died but had been the victim of premature burial.  She went immediately into the house where she surprised her family at dinner!

Further research tells us that this story of premature burial has been popular in European folklore since the 14^th century.  Versions have been found to exist in nearly every European country.  Some versions tell us that the robber dies of fright; that her family think she is a ghost and refuse her entry; that she lives on and bears children and that her husband dies of fright upon seeing her.

Research at Mount Edgcumbe fails to establish that the story is anything other than a curious tale.

Anthony Cobbold

None but the meanest would argue that Felix Cobbold’s gift of Christchurch Mansion was anything but an enormous benefit to the people of Ipswich.  In recognition of his generosity, grateful citizens subscribed to the portrait of the benefactor by John Collyer, which hangs at the west end of the grand hall.

Christchurch Mansion is managed by Colchester and Ipswich Museums and enthusiastically supported by the Friends of Ipswich Museums, a body of volunteers to which the Trust has donated in the past.  Recently, the Friends launched a campaign to prolong the life of pictures in the Mansion by re-glazing with non-reflecting glass.  The Trust is proud to have stepped up to the mark and to have provided the funds necessary for the re-glazing of Felix’s portrait.

As part of Wolsey 550, the celebration of Ipswich’s famous forefather, Erica Burrows, a Friend and a keen supporter of our Trust, joined the parade having donned Tudor dress.  Visitors to the re-opening of Holywells Park in 2015 will remember Erica helping the Trust display the Elizabeth Cobbold Valentines in the Conservatory.

Earlier this year Christchurch was the scene of another celebration which unfortunately I was unable to attend.  Rowell Bell, another keen promoter of our Trust and donor to our new Virtual Memorial Wall, chose it as the venue for his 80^th birthday party.  Felix would have looked hungrily but approvingly at those 80 cup cakes.

Anthony Cobbold

Regular readers will know that the Trust is in membership of the Ipswich Society, a body which we hold in high esteem.  In September this year the Society organised its annual Ipswich Heritage Open Days and produced a fine colour booklet describing 30 buildings in and around Ipswich which are of historic interest.  Nine of the thirty have featured in the story of the Cobbold family in Ipswich including, of course, Christchurch Mansion, St Clement’s Church, Fore Street Baths and St Mary le Tower.

Number twenty-nine in the booklet is St Stephen’s Church.  Although mentioned in the Domesday Book the present building is fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.  The church stands on Arras Square which is due to be redeveloped by Ipswich Borough Council.  Having published their plans the council received a disturbing letter from the ‘Design Out Crime’ officer of Suffolk Police.  He claimed that between March 2018 and October 2022 there had been, in Arras Square, 47 public order offences, 42 physical assaults and 6 offences of a sexual nature.  His letter went on to explain that the tombs in the churchyard were being used as tables by drinkers and for sexual activities and drug taking.  He recommended the introduction of railings to prevent such antisocial behaviour.

The tomb to be thus protected is the tomb of Savage Cobbold (1769-1839) #8589 and his brother Andrew (1770-1801) #8590.  They were nephews of ‘Big’ John Cobbold, being the sons of ‘Big’ John’s brother William.  Records show that William was both a corn factor and an ironmonger who had been awarded the Freedom of the City of London.  His son Andrew was apprenticed to his father initially for seven years to learn the art of an ironmonger but must have had a change of mind for he has become a Master Mariner by the age of 30.  It may not have been a good choice, for he pre-deceased his older brother only a year later.

It is possible that the tomb had been subjected to even more serious interference some time previously because the Trust acquired from an antique dealer the coffin plate from Savage’s coffin.  It is clear from its condition that it had been affixed (presumably to the coffin) in its earlier life and that it had been subject to the effects of damp before being removed.  On the assumption that Savage and Andrew’s bodies are still in the tomb, which is by no means certain, we feel that railings might not be a bad idea.  Better late than never!