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Glemsford Local History Society is dedicated to the study and distribution of the details of Glemsford's past. Preserving Glemsford's past for future generations Glemsford Local History Society Glemsford is a village in the county of Suffolk in England. It sits on a small hill above the River Stour and the River Glem, from which it takes its name. Glemsford is an ancient village, dating back to Domesday, and before. Although it may have acquired its nickname only last century, it is possible to trace the history of the village across many more centuries through the huge variety of buildings and fieldnames. Find out more Check that you haven't missed the latest web site updates - click here . Latest Publication This latest publication by the Glemsford Local History Society, "Glemsford in the Early 1920's" is a longoverdue reprint of a book, the text of which was dictated to a schoolboy, Perry Baxter, of what was then Clare Middle School as part of a history project in December 1978. He is a grandson of Ted Hartley, whose memoriesthese are. The resulting tape was then transcribed by his father Terry, Ted’s son-in-law and subsequently published. We are delighted to have since been able to digitize the text and photos belonging to the Hartley family in order to produce this edition. The book is available at our monthly meetings and from Glemsford Library, Some titles now out of print. Please contact for details. Events Find out more - Current and Previous Chanters' Jigge 'Rejoice and be Merry November 12th 2026 Christmas Social . December 10th 2026 Sarah Doig 'Suffolk on the Home Front: The effect of WW1 on the people January 14th 2027 Gary Egerton Hidden London (So you think you know London) February 11th 2027 Ashley Cooper Sudbury in th 60s. March 11th 2027 Trustee from Sudbury Common Lands 800 Years of grazing and Land Management. April 15th 2027 NB Third Thursday Stephen Poulter To the hammer born: The History of Auctioneering. May 13th 2027 A Summer Outing Visit to the Gestingthorpe Roman villa and museum. June 10th 2027 About Us Find out more Glemsford Local History Society has been active for many years now, and is dedicated to the study and distribution of the details of Glemsford's past. We aim to encourage the better understanding of the past and present through lectures, activities, visits and research. Meetings Find out more The Society meet on the second Thursday of the month in Glemsford Primary Academy Hall at 7.30pm. We have a wide range of speakers, visits to places of local interest and other events to celebrate our life in ‘Glorious Glemsford’. Membership costs just £12 per annum. Visitors £3.00 per time. The People of Glemsford Find out more about the families of Glemsford throughout the centuries from personal accounts to sourced information. Find out more Tracing your family tree? We are not a family history society and do not hold census or similar records. You may find the information you require at the following web site - Suffolk Archives There is also a Suffolk Family History website which may be able to help with your enquiries. Our secretary will always try to answer general questions about the village, based upon her own personal knowledge and not on formal research. If unable to answer a query herself, she will pass it on to someone in the village, whom she thinks might be able to help. This of course may take some time. If you have information on particular people or properties in Glemsford, which you would be willing to have added to the website we would of course be delighted to receive it. We currently have the following requests for person identification. (Click) Display Cabinet from the Arnold & Gould horsehair factory Link to horsehair factory video on the industry page

History of Glemsford Schools Schools You are here: Home : Buildings and Streets : Schools For well over 100 years, children in Glemsford have been making their way to the village school. Despite many alterations, inside and out, the building is easy to recognise as the three schools which were built as a result of the Education Act of 1870: Infants, Boys and Girls. The story of education which has developed on Lion Road since the 1870s allows many insights into life in the village, for the school has been a focal point for generations of villagers. Articles about Glemsford School Some personal accounts, documents and facts about the Schools in Glemsford, originally compiled and wrtitten by Steve Clarke. Blazes blowing a yard Heating the School Illnesses In the 1890s Logbook Voices from the past The Infants' School Tough conditions The Schoolmistress Undervalued teachers Staffing the School During the 1800s Treats and Holidays Days off School and Health 19th century Visitors and other interruptions Eleanor Bowrey In search of a schoolmistress Back to top

A list of former shops of Glemsford, with photographs and details supplied where possible. top of page Shops You are here: Home : Buildings and Streets : Shops Below is a list of former shops of Glemsford, with photographs and details supplied where possible. Scroll through or click on a quick link below for a specific shop. Bird's Bakery W.J.Cutting Shops Reggie Underwood's Butchers Art Chinnery's Shoe Shop and Repairers Cutting’s Grocery shop Grocer's shop Jim Moss' Sweetshop Mrs Maxims Shop British Legion Hut Bullingham and Maxim’s Butchers Lee’s Haberdashery Lee's Garage Mealham's Fish Shop A.J. Long's Garage Birds Bird's Bakery This is a well-known bakery until the late 70s/early 80s and one of three in the village I recall. Mr Bird’s bread was very popular. Many people called him the Midnight Baker owing to his bread always being ready early in the morning. The bakery was run as a delivery business rather than a shop but he did make the most delicious cream horns with confectioners’ cream sitting on a bed of bright red ‘jam’! Also his bread was like none other – quite doughy with a well-baked crusty top - as it was cooked in a faggot oven, a rarity even then. W.J.Cutting Shops Mr. Cutting, and in later years his three sons, ran a number of shops in this part of the village. Cuttings were wholesalers and here ( the present day terraced housing) stood a large warehouse which stored an enormous collection of hardware goods – spades, forks, buckets bins, pots, cutlery, crockery plus smaller items needed for gardens and home maintenance. According to the older photograph I think that the hardware shop (and possibly groceries as well) was formally housed in what is now the Chinese takeaway; however I can only remember the takeaway as primarily a grocery shop – see photo dated c. 1938– where in the fifties we would go to buy all food essentials. They had a bacon slicing machine and wire cutters for cheese; they used sugar paper cones to put most dried goods in e.g. sugar, sultanas, currants etc. and they were expert at making the cones really quickly! Also I can remember the large tins of biscuits, some of them labelled ‘Broken’ which were very popular as they were much cheaper and quite exciting as you were never sure what the mix would be. Should you also need any hardware items you were able to go towards the right of the shop where a part of the counter could be raised allowing customers to go behind, turn right and walk down a little slope into an extra part where a host of hardware was available. By the late sixties/early seventies this shop dealt purely with hardware as the groceries were moved to the shop opposite the Angel. W J Cutting Reggie Butcher Reggie Underwood’s Butchers Right next door to Cutting’s and near the narrow iron grille/gate through which the rubbish blew, was the butcher’s shop, small and compact but sufficient. I understand that the iron grille was the entrance through which the cattle were driven before reaching the abattoir situated behind the shop! I remember regular visits to the shop with my mother; of course in those days people were fairly canny shoppers and were quick to complain if they were sold poor quality meat. I remember taking my baby son in his Silver Cross pram down there once or twice a week in the early seventies and just parking at the side of the road having no fear of cars; somewhat different with traffic today! I can also recall beef mince at a very reasonable price and making the most delicious cottage pies, very succulent and crispy simply because the meat was loaded with fat! I have never emulated them since, needless to say. Back to top Art Chinnery’s Shoe shop and Shoe repairers In the fifties this was a much visited shop as money was tight and shoes had to be repaired regularly. Mr.Chinnery was a talented cobbler and always came up with a mending solution. Rumour in my family was that whilst he was a life-long bachelor he had been known to have had some kind of relationship with my spinster aunt, Bessie, my dad’s oldest, and in my eyes, sternly terrifying sister! Later I would visit Art to have broken sandal straps repaired and shoes re-soled. Although he sold shoes they were very utilitarian, work boots etc. (certainly NOT high fashion), however he could be relied upon to provide children’s plimsolls for school. In later years he also ran a business of repairing and renovating second hand bicycles and many were the bargains found there. Art Chinnery Shop? Shop I think at one time this may have been Prentice’s Butchers shop but not sure. I can remember this shop as being owned and ran by Mrs. Bowers. I think she sold a variety of fancy goods ranging from children’s clothes, wool and threads to the odd crafty and general household items. Her husband ran an electrical business, thus it was also possible to obtain here electrical bits and pieces Lees Lee’s Haberdashery and later Cutting’s Grocery shop In the fifties this was a haberdashery store which my mother would visit quite regularly to buy wool, thread, underwear, stockings and the like. I recall the older Mrs. Cutting serving behind the counter and when you entered a bell above the door rang where upon she would appear from the outer regions because she and Mr. W.J. Cutting owned and lived in the large house. By the seventies the shop had been completely converted into a new self-service grocery store and here again, as I only lived just up Hunts Hill, I would bring the pram and later pushchair, safely leaving the sleeping baby outside, to do the shopping. It was much easier and quicker than trips to the supermarkets today when you think about it. On the retirement of the Cutting family the grocery business was sold and the shop ran by a number of other people until it closed. Lee’s Garage This was a very thriving garage dealing with Austin and then British Leyland until Mr. Lee retired. Part of the garage premises became a video shop, probably in the late eighties/early nineties, and did good business at that time I imagine. Joe Joe Hurndall’s Men’s Barber shop I knew Joe Hurndall well as his elder brother was married to another one of my dad’s innumerable sisters! His shop was a small wooden hut as I recall with a bench, a barber’s chair and a couple of shelves containing relevant items for sale including the inevitable condoms secreted at the back; these were a source of much speculation. I did not really visit Joe’s hut until I took my son down to have his hair cut in the seventies, it then being the fashion for little boys to have quite long hair and fringes. In later years I have received from Paul a certain amount of abuse re. his boyhood hair cut which he likens to a pudding basin! What was I thinking about etc?? On reflection the answer is that Joe was an expert in short back and sides and we young mums were trying to avoid that! I was told also that one customer requested an Elvis Presley hair- cut only to find he had been given a short back and sides! Upon complaining he was told that Elvis himself would have received exactly the same! jim moss Jim Moss’ Sweetshop In the late fifties this was a real heavenly emporium for children. Mr. Moss sold really cheap black jacks, chews (very fruity), everlasting strips and best of all, broken Smiths crisps, really fatty but delicious, for just a halfpenny a pack. In addition to this you collected Green Shield Stamps so that you could send away for a free, red, plastic record rack for all your Ricky Nelson, Buddy Holly, Elvis and Cliff 45s! (At least that’s what I did!) I was told that the young lads would visit the shop, request something for Jim to get out back then, in his absence, promptly pinch anything going! British Legion Hut + Doctor’s Surgery Not a shop but worth a mention. I was aware of the black wooden British Legion Hut being a kind of social club/drinking establishment for years but have no memory of events there other than occasional visits on days when it doubled as the doctor’s surgery. You had to go up some steps to enter the building. Inside there was a waiting room and when the doctor called you into his surgery you had to go through two doors thus to ensure privacy from those still waiting. The hut was demolished c. 1970. The present day Social Club was opened in 1968 I think and it was built on the site of a large orchard. Legion hut bullingham Bullingham and Maxim’s Butcher’s shop (right side of Hunts Hill partly on site of the Social Club): I remember this shop really well as I lived opposite and it was well used by my family. Ollie Bullingham was the father of Doris who died only recently, and Will Maxim lived in the house which is now The Briars Residential Home. There was a large metal gate which was kept shut when the shop was closed and behind it roamed an ugly looking bull terrier reminiscent of Bill Sykes’ Bullseye, and always ready to bark at passers -by in an evil kind of way. Mrs. Maxim’s shop (left hand side of The Briars): This was a sweet/cake shop long before I was born and as the picture shows sold lots of things. Mrs. Maxim was the mother of Will Maxin, the butcher. My mother told me that the very first time she had ice-cream it was from this shop – in those days ice-cream was a kind of custard confectionary. mrs maxim 28 28 Hunts Hill I lived here from c.1953 and later from 1968. Obviously Not a shop, but as the picture shows there was a small matting factory here at one time run by my great-uncle, Bert Smith. Grocers Grocer’s shop top Hunts Hill Now a hairdressers, this was formerly a Grocers and Drapers but not in my time. I can only remember it as a general stores run by Mr and Mrs Mead. It was well used and stocked fresh and tinned food, vegetables, fruit plus some other non-food items. When the Meads retired c.1980 it continued in this capacity for a number of years before becoming a hairdressers and estate agents – now back to hairdressing! A J Long A.J.Long’s Garage (right side now Hunts Hill Stores): In the fifties Mr. Long ran a garage for repairs and a coach company. It later became Pearson’s Trucks. These were big and noisy particularly when you heard them leaving very early in the morning. Often they carried perishable goods and when parked overnight the drone of their refrigerator units was not recommended for a good night’s sleep! In the mid- eighties, the garage was set on fire. At about 3am we saw a car containing a barking dog and a man running to get into it. Not many minutes later the garage was ablaze and virtually destroyed. Back to top Mealhams Mealham’s Fish shop Variously described as selling in addition to fresh and fried fish, poultry and rabbit skins, I have no memory of this although I do remember a Mrs.Mealham living there.

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A Young Man's War You are here: Home: People & Memories: Auxilary Fire Service Volunteer Roy is a cabinet maker and master story teller. Some of his stories are a mite taller than his cabinets, but he is a fund of anecdotes. He is also a scribe of no little skill and a lot of humour. He has contributed verses of his own to the Poems and Pints evenings at The Angel. The document below was first written down in 1994, as an effort at recording the exploits of the Glemsford Auxiliary Fire Service during the Second World War. It is all Roy's own work; it has been transcribed and adapted for this medium. A Young Man's War by Roy Porter

Information relating to the history of the Parish and Church of Glemsford Anchor 11 Churches You are here: Home : Buildings and Streets: Church and Chapels Glemsford's Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin is a Grade 1 listed building and dates back to the early 14th century. The Methodist Church is at the other end of the village and dates from the Victorian Era. Below you will find a link to a collection of stories and facts relating to the history of the Parish and Church of Glemsford by Rev. Kenneth Glass. A Short History of Glemsford by Rev K. Glass St. Mary's Church A History talk 2002 by Clive Paine A History of St. Mary's Church Font by David Newell A Guide to St Mary's A TOUR AROUND THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN, GLEMSFORD Ebenezer Chapel (link to St Edmundsbury Local History) Text taken from the above link. By 1829 about forty of these Glemsford worshippers would start building their own chapel at Glemsford. The new Ebenezer Chapel at Glemsford was opened by Pastor Elvin in 1830 with a large congregation and the first resident minister appointed was Pastor Robert Barnes who ministered there for 27 years. Membership included Baptist leaning worshippers from Sible Hedingham, Clare and all the surrounding villages. A plaque over the door read, "Strict Baptists", and the congregation seems to have required strict rules of conduct for its members. The Ebenezer Baptist Chapel in Egremont street. An early C19 rectangular chapel faced with plaster There is a central circular panel with the words Ebenezer Baptist Chapel and the date 1829. The congregation had their own pastor, Mr, A. J. Ward in the late 1800's and the last, Pastor Laver, resigned in 1945. In 1859, 32 members left Ebenezer and built their own chapel, The Providence Chapel, at the top of Hunts Hill Link to Glemsford Local History Society Facebook GLEMSFORD CHAPELS Glemsford in the nineteenth century had a strong non-conformist interest and four denominations developed churches and built their places of worship. In 1828 Ebenezer Baptist Chapel was built in Egremont Street and opened in 1829, and through the years they maintained a strong Christian witness. They also were able to support their own ministers, Mr, A. J. Ward was Pastor in the late 1800's and the last, Pastor Laver, resigned in 1945, The sad dispute which troubled the Baptist denomination in the 1850's had its repercussions in Glemsford and in 1859 Providence Chapel in Hunts Hill was opened. Both Churches flourished whilst Glemsford was prosperous with a large population but grew less strong as the village declined and Providence Chapel is now closed and disused. A branch of the Long Melford Congregational Church was formed in Glemsford about this period and they built a small chapel off Egremont Street, It is interesting to record that the Congregationalists used the Chapel for a fortnightly midweek service on a Thursday, and rented the Chapel to a company of Methodists for use on Sundays. The Chapel was known as "Renters Chapel" for this reason. During the first World far the Congregationalist cause was revived and flourished again for a number of years, but the Chapel is now closed and used as a store. The company of Methodists mentioned above were a church of Primitive Methodists in the Sudbury Circuit and in 1914 they decided to build the present Chapel at a cost of £495, and it was opened on Whit Monday 1915; it has seating for 300 and useful Sunday School hall and vestries After the Union of Methodist Churches in 1934 it continued in the Sudbury circuit and remains today the most flourishing nonconformist church. Members of the Plymouth Brethren have a meeting place in Egremont Street and although small in number their influence in Christian witness has been felt in the village. Although Nonconformity came late to Glemsford it had a great impact and it is to be regretted that modern folk no longer take the interest in Chapel and Church that was shown during the nineteenth century, when these causes were formed and the last major restoration of the Parish Church took place. Reference "A Short History of Glemsford" by Rev K Glass (see above) Providence Chapel (Drapery Common) Link to Glemsford Local History Society Facebook Providence Baptist Chapel was built in 1859, when 32 people left the Ebenezer Chapel. Those headstones that are still visible are as follows:- 1) George Maxim of Stanstead (next village to Glemsford) died April 7th 1887 aged 52 Also on the same headstone William Robert Scowen died October 25th 1902 (born 1831 I think.) 2) Eliza Relton died November 28th 1905 Also Charles Relton, husband, died March 30th 1909, aged 83 years. 3) Esther Prentice died 26th September 1910 aged 68years. 4) Alfred Fenn died 3rd December 1914 aged 71 Also Hannah Fenn, wife, died 16th March 1917 aged 69. 5) James Cook, died 30th March 1927 aged 60. Alice Cook, wife, 23rd November 1945 aged 76. Martha Elizabeth Cook, daughter, died 20th January 1912, aged 16. 6) Charles Smith, died 2nd September 1902, aged 54 Hannah (wife) died 10th November 1904 aged 54 7) Thomas Wordley died November 20th 1864 aged 58 years. 8. James Smith 61 or 71 years? 1864? 9) Samuel Kemp, 23 years a Faithful and Earnest Baptist Minister, died July 1874 aged 48 years. Also George Kemp, same headstone. Back to top

Explore information about Glemsford's buildings and streets, it's past shops, schools, the train station and the local pubs and industry. Buildings and Streets You are here: Home : Buildings and Streets Shops Schools Station Streets Church and Chapels Industry Pubs Houses Facilities

History of families of glemsford including war stories, anecdotes and connections. People & Memories You are here: Home: People & Memories Family Histories Find out more about the families of Glemsford throughout the centuries from personal accounts to sourced information. War Stories The Glemsford War Memorial A Young Man's War The Sudbury Lamplighter One day in May 2000 Windsor Castle connection George Cross for F.Craddock Memories of Thomas Brown Why Little Egypt? History of Morris Men Australian Connection Aspects of Life Australian Penal Colonies Jabez Copsey A Fire-Raiser of 1844 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee 2022 Coronation of King Charles III May 6th 2023

The Tale Of Little Egypt Read below or download the file

Information about events taking place in the society calendar. Events & Meetings Previous meetings on "Event" drop down box You are here: Home : Events On these pages you will find information about the events taking place in the coming months including talks, visits, activities and research. You will also find reports of prvious meetings should you have missed them. Scroll down to view. For further information please contact us here. Our programme of talks is provided by a variety of local speakers. Upcoming Events 2026 November 12th 2026 Chanters' Jigge - Rejoice and be Merry December 10th 2026 Christmas Social . January 14th 2027 Sarah Doig - Suffolk on the Home Front: The effect of WW1 on the people February 11th 2027 Gary Egerton - Hidden London - (So you think you know London) March 11th 2027 Ashley Cooper - Sudbury in th 60s. April 15th 2027 NB Third Thursday Trustee from Sudbury Common Lands - 800 Years of grazing and Land Management. May 13th 2027 Stephen Poulter - To the hammer born: The History of Auctioneering. June 10th 2027 A Summer Outing - Visit to the Gestingthorpe Roman villa and museum. The Society held its Annual General Meeting on 8 th October. With a good attendance, the meeting re-elected the existing officers and committee. The Treasurer delivered his report to the accounts which showed the Society in good financial health. The chairman spoke to his annual report which highlighted an annual membership of over 60 and a well received programme of monthly talks. Andrew Powell from St Mary’s Church spoke about the work to be undertaken to the churchbuilding following a major grant from the National Lottery Fund. One of the conditions ofthe grant is that there must be community engagement. This will feature local residents talking about their lived experience in the village and keeping a digital record of it. Ben Archer gave a presentation on how the Suffolk Flag came to be registered as the official flag of the County in 2017. The design is based on the banner of arms of St Edmund who was the last Anglo Saxon King of East Anglia. The flag features a yellow crown pierced by two crossed arrows on a blue background symbolizing how King Edmund was killed by the Danes in 870AD at Hoxne. The flag was registered following public support, including that of GLHS. Our speaker, Martyn Taylor, told us all about the ‘Inns, Alehouses and Pubs of Bury St. Edmunds’ starting roughly around the time of the 1830 Beerhouse Act which liberalised the brewing and selling of beer thus lowering its price. This resulted in a number of establishments opening up so beer could be sold from more ‘desirable parlours’ hopefully appealing to the slightly higher echelons of society. It was even hoped that the lower strata could be weaned off the easily available, but strongly alcoholic, gin! From those times, up until the 1920s Bury St. Edmunds appeared to have been saturated in all kinds of drinking venues; the oldest pub which is still operating being the Fox Inn in Eastgate Street. An enormous number have closed and are now splendid private houses scattered throughout the town; others have undergone conversions (The Suffolk Hotel) or completely new development (Everards Hotel).Martyn had a wealth of former landlord stories; he pointed out where plaques had been removed, where archways for coach and horses had stood, besides much timber framing on the front of many alehouses and inns. We recognised the names of most of the remaining 23 pubs in the town and their Greene King ownership, I believe. The largest is The Greengage and the smallest (smallest also in Britain, it is claimed!) is The Nutshell at around 15 X 7 feet and containing a myriad of quirky collections including a mummified cat!

Source of information for genealogy in Glemsford Families You are here: Home: People & Memories : Families The Allen Family The Allen family were involved in an alarming fire in 1896 on Egremont Street . Henry Allen (above), who was rescued from the great fire of the 1890s, lived for virtually the whole of the 19th Century, and by the time of his death owned several properties in the area around The Cock and The Angel. History of the Allens Alarming Fire! The Oakley Family Ben Oakley has been sharing some information regarding the Oakley family who lived in Glemsford since at least 1624. Ben has links to Farrance, Humm, Hartley and Theobold in his family tree. Members of the family lived in Old Chequers as well as many other houses around the village. If you would like to get in touch with Ben you can visit his website here or send an email If you have links to the Oakley family and would like to share information. The Brown Family Find out more about the Brown family of Glemsford. The Pearman Family Information regarding the Pearmans. The Butcher Family A family of weaving and silk work The Watkinson Family Sid Watkinson discusses

The history of Glemsford Village. Old photographs and postcards of Glemsford . Glemsford Village You are here: Home: Glemsford Village Glemsford walks Glemsford is an ancient village, dating back to Domesday, and before. Although it may have acquired its nickname only last century, it is possible to trace the history of the village across many more centuries through the huge variety of buildings and fieldnames. Park Farm for instance is thus called because its land was once the deer park for the Abbot of Ely, in whose gift the village was. Park Farm itself stands close to the village church which is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. The church is a fine structure and, although not on the scale of Long Melford or Lavenham, is a good example of one of those churches which benefited from the successful East Anglian wool trade of the late middle ages. Elsewhere in the village are to be found many examples of English domestic architecture across the ages. There are several fine hall houses as well as a wide range of more modest weavers cottages which bear witness to several stages of the village's development over the centuries. On Bells Lane there is the structure of the horsehair weaving factory which prospered in the 19th Century. On Chequers Lane, a silk weaving operation still continues, having first arrived in Glemsford in the 1820's, from Spitalfields. Old Postcards Over the years, we have acquired a number of photographs of Glemsford, past and present. Some of these images are included in the collection of Old Postcards. The Station The Old Post Office The Church of St Mary Bells Lane Duffs Hill The Silk Mill Hunts Hill Bridge nr, Cranmore Scotchford Bridge Go to Old Postcards Early 20th Century Here we have included some first hand accounts of Glemsford in the Early 20th Century. Each document is saved in pdf format for you to click and view or download. Glemsford In the 1920s by Ted Hartley Glemsford In the Early 20th Century Extracts from 'Reubens Corner' by Spike Mays Glemsford Surroundings Over time we hope to create a collection of information regarding the surroundings of Glemsford. For now we have this interesting article about Stoke College. History of Stoke College Walks through Glemsford Links to documentation of walks around the village organised by the GLHS. 1998 Walk through Glemsford 1993 Glemsford Changes Glemsford Circular Walk