Back in 2009 the Trust was able to give Leslie Ramsey some meagre help with an article he was writing for the Felixstowe Society’s Newsletter, about the Cliff Estate overlooking the sea in Felixstowe. The date of construction of Cliff House is not known but John Chevallier Cobbold (#114 on the family tree) is recorded as living there, maybe not full time, as early as 1840 which seems highly likely as we know he built the Bath Hotel nearby in 1839.
John Chevallier later moved east to Felixstowe Lodge which he used as a holiday home, this being the house subsequently modernised and extended by Felix Thornley Cobbold (#201). In 1876 Cliff House became the home of Colonel Henry Jervis-White-Jervis (#183) and his wife Lucy, John Chevallier’s eldest child. He died only five years later but his widow retained the house until her own death in 1916.
The Trust stayed in touch with Leslie Ramsey knowing that he was living in Harvest House which stands on the hill just above Cliff House. Recently, Leslie wrote explaining that he was moving, to ask if the Trust would like to accept his copy of the Official Programme of the Great Jubilee Celebration of 1897. Of course the Trust is delighted, not least because Felix Thornley was given the Mayoralty of Ipswich that year as a thank you for the gift of Christchurch Mansion. Helping him on the Hospital Committee was John Dupuis Cobbold (#307) and on the Festivities Committee, Herbert St. George Cobbold (#323).
Only when we went to collect the Programme did we learn that Leslie had already written a book, Edwardian Grand Hotel, (1995) about Harvest House which was formerly the Felix Hotel, perhaps the most iconic building in Felixstowe. The book contains an excellent history of the Victorian development of Felixstowe in which the Cobbolds were much involved and a copy is now in the Trust’s library.
