January 2nd 1919

There was an inquest at Chadacre Hall, Shimpling, on the death of Charles Payne aged 55, a gamekeeper on the Chadacre Estate. He had been living at Hartest until a week ago where he had been gamekeeper on the Boxted Hall estate for 28 years, during two years of the war he gave up gamekeeping for a time and then came to Chadacre with his wife and daughter acting as caretakers. On the morning of his death he seemed bright and cheerful but he missed his breakfast. Mr C.H.Hollis, the estate agent discovered deceased lying on his back with the gun under his leg in some brushwood where he had set some traps, he had been shot in the right eye, he must have stumbled or fell. Dr Duncan McArthur of Hartest said he had known deceased for four years and he had been in good health until two years ago when he suffered acute dyspepsia and vertigo which made him unable walk straight at times and his eyesight was poor, witness did not think he was a man who would shoot himself. Accidental death.

February 5th 1919

Pte F.Chinery of the 2nd battallion London Regiment (Foxearth) has been awarded the Military Medal.
Note:-Frank Chinery or Dick as he was always known as, lived at " Billybones" which was the address given during a tribunal for exemption from military service in 1916 and worked at Claypits farm for Mrs Ewer, his father, John Chinery, owned and was farming it (Bellybones) and some charity land. When I knew Dick he was living at Chapel House with his wife Liza and two children Dessie and Cederic and was working at the brewery, he then lived in the house the other side of the village hall.
(G.H.)

February 5th 1919

At Essex Assizes, George Trendell the sub postmaster of Pebmarsh brought an action against John William Nott, a farmer of the same parish to recover damages for alleged slander. Some 5-6 years ago Trendell borrowed a plough rope to pull down a tree, occasionally he lent the rope to a man named " Rusher" Binks who used it to kill pigs. Binks used the rope on the defendand's premises when defendant asked him where he had got the rope, Binks replied from Trendell, whereupon defendant claimed it. Next day day defendant met Trendell and lost his temper saying it is not the rope but the dishonest way you came by it.
Dismissed.

February 5th 1919

At the Essex Assizes, Augustus Lodge a horseman from Roxwell brought action against Ernest Westwood a farmer and dairyman for damages for the seduction of his daughter. The prosecution said that Lizzie Lodge was born in 1904 and entered service with Mrs Westwood, the defendant's mother in 1915 , she resided at the farm. Defendant was 33 years old and a bachelor, as a result of intimacy, the girl became a mother. Judgement for £ 50.

February 19th 1919

On Monday morning a little boy named Slater living at Hunts Hill, Glemsford, was knocked down by a motor car, considering the circumstances he got off lightly. It was said he was running behind a coal waggon which was closely followed by a motor car, just as the car was about to pass the waggon he ran out across the road in front of the motor which knocked him down and one wheel passed over his body. He suffered only a few bruises.

February 26th 1919

At a whist drive in Pentlow school room there were 60 people present. 1st ladies-Miss L.Mayhew, rubber hot water bottle, 2nd- Mrs Davidson, 1lb of butter, 3rd Mrs Evans, despatch case. Gents-Mr Carter, box of cigarettes, 2nd Mr Coote, cigarette case, 3rd Mr Butcher, box of handkerchiefs,

March 12th 1919

At the cricket field in Friars Street, Sudbury, sale of 21 motor tractors, 24 ploughs, 8 cultivators, 21 trailers, by direction of West Suffolk Agricultural Executive. 12 Clayton tractors made £ 340-330- 300-250-210 and £ 180. 2 Fordson tractors with Oliver ploughs made £ 190 and £ 170. Titan tractors made £ 150-180-125-135 and £ 100. There were 6 Cockshutt 3 furrow ploughs-11 Ransome 3 furrows and 5 four furrow ploughs. 2 Sanderson 2 furrow ploughs.

March 12th 1919

" His children will forever be grateful to him" is one of the messages received by Mrs Barrel of Church Street, Bulmer, the wife of Guardsman C.A.Barrel who was buried with military honours in Bulmer churchyard. A member of an old parish family, he was aged 33 years, the young soldier in private life had been employed at Smeetham Hall by Mr Laurence Hyde Parker, as a reserve he promptly answered the call when the war broke out and went through all the turmoil of the last four years only to be laid low by influenza. Badly wounded in 1915 he went back to the fray.
On the arrival of six guardsmen and a bugler on Saturday from the " Old comrades of Chelsea Barracks" the coffin was opened for the purpose of identification by his wife as so many mistakes have been made and also to pin the " Mons Medal" to his breast. A military funeral was offered in London but Mrs Barrel preferred her husband to rest among his people in the old churchyard ar Bulmer.

April 2nd 1919

Mr Henry Keeble of 15 Upper East Street, Sudbury, where he lives with his son and daughter in law, will be, according to the best information, a 100 years old in April. A native of Lavenham, he walks to North Street to get a shave and frequently goes to see his daughter in Gordon Terrace, he does not smoke but likes a glass of John Barleycorn, he used to walk from Lavenham to Sudbury, once he walked to London but liked the stage coach better. At the time of Queen Victoria's Jubilee he went to America with two of his sons and stayed 4-5 years, one son is still there. He was a labourer in harvest field, groom, he also worked in Lavenham horsehair works. When the Zeppelin raid was on, bombs dropped a few yards away and all the windows were smashed, he thought it was a thunderstorm, he remarked that they had storms as bad as that in America.
He has three sons and two daughters, numerous great grandchildren, one of whom was killed in the war.

April 2nd 1919

At Sudbury market hogs were in short supply and under controlled prices. Mr Wilson of Henny had some at 10-14s and Mrs Brand of Foxearth to 12-13s. Colchester market-malting barley to 71s.

April 30th 1919

Mrs Amelia Brown, wife of a railway worker at Melford, died on Saturday night after drinking spirit of salts which had been handed her by her son in mistake for rum. Steven Brown, her husband, a pumper at Melford station, said his wife was 63 years old and had been in bad health for some time and never went upstairs to bed, his son who works at Mr Bell's used spirit of salt for soldering and kept some in a bottle, she sometimes sent her son for half a quartern of rum.
P.C.Gibbons produced 3 bottles which contained rum, gin and spirit of salts. Verdict. Brown gave his mother spirit of salts by mistake.

May 7th 1919

At the May day celebrations at Belchamp Walter school, several parents attended to see the crowning of the May Queen.
The children danced three country dances and the Keel Row. The May Queen was Florence Cowdrey and the King was George Chatters, the head mistress, Miss S.Stonebridge, was well recompensed for the trouble she had taken. Note:-(Fred Chatters says Florence Cowdrey was a Dr Barnardo girl and Miss Stonebridge lodged at The Munt with the Stunt's).

May 21st 1919

The Agricultural Wages Board meeting in London, reduced the hours worked to 54 hours in summer and 48 in winter.

May 21st 1919

Advert. Mr W.S.Nunn, butcher of North Street, Sudbury, is retiring and hopes his customers will suppport Mr F.Bailey who just been demobilised from his Majesty's Forces and has taken over the business, he will endeavour to give satisfaction. He will take possession on the 19th.

May 21st 1919

Belchamp Council. The following prices were fixed for stone. Picked stone, 13s a yard of 18 bushels. Team labour, one man and horse and cart, 17s per day. Two horses and cart, 22s 6d. Horse and cart, no man, 10s 6d.

May 21st 1919

There was an inquest at Henny Swan on the death of Matilda Newman, 39, the wife of Robert Newman a horseman of Gate farm at Middleton whose body was recovered from a well early on Wednesday morning. It appears the husband woke up at about 12 and missed his wife, he searched for her and looked down a well where he found her, he ran for assistance and the body was taken from a 20ft well with 3ft of water. Evidence was given by William Pilgrim, Alfred and Philip Carter and P.C.Robinson. Suicide.

May 28th 1919

To be sold on the cricket field and on the Quay stores at Sudbury. Boardman and Oliver will sell by auction surplus Government stores. 20 Barford Perkins hay presses-1 Howard hay box-10 Ruston weighers-11 Ruston and Proctor and Howard Lion junior steam baling presses-3 Maynard chaff cutters-16 Fowler 10 ton steam haulage trailers- 2 water carts-Wallis and Stevens 6 ton steam haulge trailer-8 Sanderson tractors, model G, 20 hp with wire ropes-Ford delivery van-Clayton and Shuttleworth 7 hp portable stationary engine-10 hp compound traction engine-large quantity of new machinery-20 Ransome R Y L T 3 furrow ploughs-11 Wallis Stevens double furrow tractor ploughs-in all 300 lots.

May 28th 1919

Nurse Cooper of Cavendish who took up nursing at the beginning of the war and has been two years in France has been told she is to receive the Royal Red Cross, it is to be presented to her on her return from France.

June 4th 1919

Property sale at Braintree. Park Farm, Belchamp St Pauls 87© acres to Essex County Council for £ 1622. Marshy Farm, 89 acres, Lt Yeldham to Essex County Council for £ 1600.

June 11th 1919

Cricket. Cavendish beat Foxearth by an innings.
Cavendish-A.Ince b H.Ward 2-P.Hoade b B.Mansfield 27-J.Hutchinson b S.Mayhew 56-J.Page b Mayhew 14-T.B.Ambrose b A.Maxim 45-J.Nice b W.Mansfield 0-J.Bettison c and b Mayhew 5-J.Keyton, J.Offord and J.Yellowly did not bat.
Foxearth-A.V.C.Lambert 0-0--C.Bassingthwaite 0-2-H.E.Ward 4-5-S.Mayhew 4-7-W.Mansfield 1-1-A.Maxim 0-0-E.Harper 3-6-G.Woods 0-1-P.Gridley 1-9- B.Chambers 0-3.

June 18th 1919

Mr T.Slater of Hunts Hill, Glemsford, has written an interesting account on the career of an old bell ringer, Henry Duce, who was recently buried at Melford.
He was born in 1823 and took a wife at the age of 20, he became connected with bell ringing by being a chimer at Melford church. On the 22nd of January 1866 he rang his first peal on Melford tenor bell which was the first time the peal on the Melford tenor had been rung. Soon after this the band went into practice for the old peal of the Oxford Treble Bob but through the fault of of Strutt the conductor a peal was not rung although several attempts were made, these failures and the band clubbing together to buy Strutt a new pair of shoes to walk from Sudbury in, caused the band to be made fun of and the nicknames were " Butt'ny, Dilikey, Slow and Slack, Brushley, Bentlin, Squeaks and Hack.

June 25th 1919

Western Hall Farm, Foxearth also at Liston, 272 acres by the executors of the late J.Shepherd Ewer. Attractive farm house-modern farm buildings-stables-cowshed-offhand buildings and meadows.

June 25th 1919

On Tuesday evening a fatality occured in the Stour at Bures. In the village there is a prisoner of war camp and the men were taking part in bathing at a place called " The Jump", one of the prisoners got into difficulties and was brought to the bank and given artificial respiration by his escorts and comrades, then another man was discovered missing, his body was recovered some time later. He was a Hanoverian named Karl Volker.

July 9th 1919

Sale of 17 freehold cottages at Prospect Place, Kitchen Hill, Bulmer, each with a good garden and having an area of about 1© acres, let to tenants at a low weekly rent producing £ 96 2s a year. On the instructions of the trustees of the late Harriet Westoby.
July 16th. Sale of cottages at Prospect Place. 5-8 to Mr Morgan for £ 240. 9-10-11 to Mr Begant for £ 115. 12-13 to Mr Morgan for £ 140. 14-17 to C.Hills for £ 215. 18-21 to Mr Rudd for £ 245.

July 9th 1919

Messrs Ward and Son, brewers of Foxearth, desire to state that as from July 1st the business has been converted into a private limited company.

July 9th 1919

Lacy Scott have disposed of Wales End farm at Cavendish by private treaty. The farm comprises 295 acres-dwelling house-3 new cottages.

July 16th 1919

Bulmer Tye house for sale by the directions of Mr Philip Harbord.

July 16th 1919

Small freehold estate for sale. Hooks Hall, Boxted. 124 acres by direction of Mr A.Norton-capital farmhouse-well arranged farm buildings-excellent corn growing ground. Desirable accomodation farm known as The Moores, comprising brick double cottage tenements-walled garden-45 acres 2 rods 25 perches.
Hooks Hall and the Moores farm was purchased as one lot by Mr Wells of Pentlow Hall for £ 3000.

July 16th 1919

1st Class Staff Sergeant Major Foster (W.O.C.I) late transport officer of the 69th division. His friends will be pleased to see him back at his old post at Bulmer Fox.

July 16th 1919

Ashen House farm, 83 acres, withdrawn at £ 1600-Hermitage farm, Clare.245 acres, withdrawn at £ 3700

August 6th 1919

A cricket match was played between Belchamp Walter and Gestingthorpe on a meadow belonging to Mr Tilbrook, the ladies provided an excellent tea and Mr Morgan Parson a 4© gallon cask of beer, the game resulted in a win for Belchamp. Belchamp-S.Stunt run out o- H.Shuter(servant in Belchamp Hall) b R.Felton 3-C.Martin (Bombie)b R.Felton 0-R.C.Mauldon c Downs b Finch 6-P.Pearson b Finch 0-C.Hearne st Downs 0-H.Smythe run out 0-F.Tredgett b G.Finch 0-G.Hearne run out 4- A.Pearson not out 1-W.Wright c and b R.Felton 0 extras 6, total 57.
Gestingthorpe. A.Pannel b Stunt 13-D.Godefroy,(gardener for Mrs Oates at Gestingthorpe Hall info from Fred Chatters) b Stunt 9- D.Felton c Pearson b Mauldon 1-R.Nice b Mauldon 1- R.Martin b Mauldon 3- R.Rippingale not out 0-P.Downs c Shuter b Stunt 1-extras 5-Total 51.

August 20th 1919

Alfred Binks, Frederick Newton, Earnest Root, Earnest Coe and Fred Root, all demobilised soldiers, were summoned for assaulting two police constables, P.C.'s Bird and Carpenter at Halstead. There was a disturbance at the Royal Oak on the evening of the Peace celebrations where in the club room there was gathered a large number of men and women. There was much fighting and disturbance taking place and the landlord had to sent for the police, when the officers entered the room they were immediately attacked and their helmets were knocked off, a large cobble stone came through the window and hit one of the constables on the ear. The P.C's then drew their truncheons but being outnumbered were forced to withdraw to the Police Station having great difficulty keeping the defendants off who followed them all the way, eventually after reaching the Police Station they endeavoured to get them outside again and had it not been for the persuasion of Segt. Reynolds would have succeeded. 6 weeks hard labour each.

September 3rd 1919

There was a rather hurried meeting called at Cavendish to discuss the proposed war memorial. The chairman, the Rev Barnard, said the contractors had intimated that the present price of the stone would be greatly increased shortly and the committee said that the order should be placed at once. It was decided to put the work in the hands of Mr Lindley of Sudbury and the architect should be Mr Crowfoot of Melford. It will consist of a hexagon shaped base with steps leading up to it, the whole will be about 18 ft high, there is to be a brass plate inserted on each side, one to bear suitable inscriptions and the other the names of the fallen lads. it would be placed at the foot of the green and the whole cost would be £ 320.

September 10th 1919

The danger of having a loaded gun in the house has been exemplified at Clare where a little boy picked up a gun and shot his baby brother. There was an inquiry at Half Way House on Herbert Bareham, son of Harry Bareham, a small holder who gave evidence, his son was 2 years 11 months and the elder boy was 10 years. The witness had a brother who had a gun and on Friday as he was going out he said he had left it loaded, witness went ploughing and thought nothing more about it, the gun was usually left in the chaff house. On Saturday afternoon he went out with his horses and told the elder boy to clean out the stable, he was on the Common at Clare when a man came and told him something was amiss. Thomas Hickford, a small holder, said he was ploughing in a field behind his house when he heard something go off and a woman screaming, he looked in the stable and saw a baby had been shot.
Albert ran up to him and said " I didn't know the gun was loaded".
Accidental.

September 17th 1919

At Griggs and Brickwall Farm, Bulmer, by direction of Mr W.Cournall who is giving up farming, the live and dead stock. 22 horses and by permission a 10 year old gelding the property of Mr Whittome of Brundon and 3 cart mares from Mr Gordon Miller of Goldingham Hall. 48 neat stock-8 milch cows.

September 17th 1919

Advert. Fred Bailey, family butcher from North Street, Sudbury. Support the men who supported you in France. Proprietor Fred Bailey of the R.G.A. 1917-19. Assistants, Herbert Byham of the 5th Suffolks and Herbert Anger who was willing to go but born too early, sent his son who made the supreme sacrifice.

October 1st 1919

Funeral at Little Yeldham of Edward Gardiner of Delvyns Farm, Gestingthorpe, after a brief illness, he had been out shooting on Saturday, afterwards he was taken seriously ill, he died on Tuesday, aged 35 years. He was the son of Mr B.A.Gardiner, late of Newton Hall but lately resided at the Lawns, Bulmer. He leaves a widow and a little girl. He took Delvyns six years ago.

October 8th 1919

Mrs Turpin of Middleton was summoned for selling milk not of the required standard. Mrs Turpin said she very much regretted this incident as she had been connected with the milk business in Sudbury for 40 years, at the time of the sample they were having some funny weather and had to take the cows off the meadows and artificial feed them. £ 5.

October 8th 1919

Wedding at Cavendish between Mr C.Wells only son of Mr S.Wells of Pentlow Hall farm and Ethel Brown the second daughter of Thomas Brown of Cavendish.

October 22nd 1919

About 30 soldiers and airmen of Belchamp Walter were entertained to a good old English fare at Belchamp Walter Hall by the ladies of the village. Helpers were, Mesdames Raymond, Daniels, Campbell Davidson, Cozens, Golding, Hearne, King, Mauldon, Pearsons(2), Ruffle, Shuter, Stunt, Smyth and Tilbrook. The room was draped in bunting and there were songs and recitations by members of the committee which included Miss Stonebridge, Bear and Turner, they provided the comic element. Major Daniels the president provided each man with tobacco and cigarettes.

November 19th 1919

Harry Griss was charged with the theft of a goldfinch from Edward Dixey, gatekeeper at the Rodbridge crossing. Griss bought a goldfinch from Dixey and a short time after he left with his purchase in a cage, it was discovered that a another bird had gone too.
In the evening a Police Sergeant found both birds in a cage at defendant's house. Griss said as he was on the way home with the bird, another one came fluttering round the cage, so he caught it, intending to take it back the next day. This recital caused much amusement in the court. 20s and 15s 6d costs.