COBBOLDS, First, last and in the midst. March 2022
The East Anglian Daily Times recently published an article: THE TOP TEN TREASURES OF SUFFOLK. First on the list was Great Beer which cited, unsurprisingly, Tolly Cobbold, seeing that the family brewed fine ales for 266 years across 9 generations. Sadly, it is now 20 years since production ceased at the Cliff Brewery. This was followed by George Orwell (Animal Farm), Sutton Hoo (Anglo-Saxon ship), Suffolk Punch (popular workhorse), Hovercraft (designed by Sir Christopher Cockerell), Dot Cotton (played by June Brown in EastEnders), Ed Sheeran (who, like our prime minister seems to be unwilling to brush his hair), Radar (with Arnold Wilkins pioneering), Voldemort (played by Ralph Fiennes), and last, Ipswich Town Football Club. The Blues, as they are known locally are best known across the continent, says the paper, for winning the UEFA Cup in 1981 under the leadership of Bobby (later Sir Bobby) Robson. Football legend Sir Bobby got his break in management in 1969 and went on to take charge of England, Barcelona and Newcastle United, among other teams. What it doesn’t say is that ITFC also won the FA Cup in 1978 and that Sir Bobby’s break was given him by John Cobbold (1927-1983) #575 who as Chairman appointed him.
Our in the midst family member is Stella Cobbold (1882-1918) #348 who is included in SUFFOLK MAGAZINE’S 40 FANTASTIC FEMALES. Along with Charlotte Ridley and Mabel Pretty, ‘The Ladies of Ipswich’ are cited as this philanthropic trio – founding members of the British Red Cross Suffolk Branch – banded together during World War 1 to form what would become a countrywide network of hospital supply depots. Their shipments of hundreds of thousands of items of clothing and medical equipment to Red Cross Hospitals and front lines all over the world saved countless lives.
Sadly, Stella died of World War One Flu in December 1918 aged only 36. She never lived to see her son ennobled as 1st Baron Cobbold of Knebworth (1904-1987) #490.
