Cooper
From the 1911 census Ellen Cooper (age 61, so born 1850) is living on Main Road with her 3 sons 27 year old Albert, a farm labourer,- David Cooper (21, working at the Gun Cotton factory) and Ephraim Cooper age 20. Also living with the family is Ellen’s younger sister Emma Poole (b. 1852 and registered blind)
Ellen had been born in Drinkstone – all 3 boys had been born in Stowupland.
By the 1920’s Emma and Ellen are living in the middle of the three cottages that back on to Chapel Alley, possibly after Mr & Mrs Charles Wilden moved out.
Albert Cooper
In 1934 Rev. Chapman nominated Albert Cooper to be his church warden, whilst on behalf of the people Walter Garrard was re-elected as people’s warden.
In 2022 Albert Cooper (b.1939) shared some of his memories. He lived in one of Church Walk Cottages (where the Rev Leslie Brame had been brought up, his father paid £320 for the house and he remembered the Brame’s wooden porch being replaced.)
Albert was born in Ipswich, his mother told him she had been warned she might have to make alternative arrangements because of the war.
Albert was in the local church choir and was a church warden as his father had been. His grandfather Albert Edward Cooper had had a seat in the church with his name carved on it. His grandmother had lived in Victoria Cottages in Saxham Street.
Albert’s father was in the Home Guard, but he didn’t know if this was a Stowupland platoon or a section of Stowmarket HG. He remembered evacuees arriving in the village from Shoreditch. He remembered seeing a V1 flying over his home and landing in Gipping Wood and later the V2 that crashed in a ditch on Walnut Tree Farm. He had been in class at school and remembered the ground shaking.
He remembered American Servicemen cycling through Stowupland. He remembered on stopping and asking his Dad to pump up his bicycle tyre for him, which he did, the American wanted to give him Half-a-crown, which Albert’s Dad said he couldn’t accept, but the man said he would leave it in the water butt anyway. On another occasion Albert was sitting by the roadside when an American walked past. Albert asked for some gum (which was quite usual) the man said he didn’t have any but had some candy – a tube of sweets similar to fruit polos today which he gave to Albert and then he was whisked away in a jeep. (For more memories of Stowupland in war time see memories of conflicts.)
This printed apology to William Cooper from John Robinson appeared in a newspaper of 1802. William Cooper farmed Sheepcote Hall but was obliged to leave the farm in 1807.
In 1807, William Cooper is ‘obliged to leave’ Sheep Coat Hall {sic} and auction off his property.
In 1854, Elizabeth Cooper died, aged 81. Her husband Thomas had died in 1838, aged 68. In the 1851 census Elizabeth is named as a farmer of 130 acres employing 5 men and 3 boys.
Also living with her are 2 grandsons, Cooper Symons (b.1834) and John Symons (b 1829). They are listed as farmers assistants. Also there are a visitor Mary Beard (b.1791), and 2 servants: Rachel Catchpole (b.1832) and Robert Mekens (b. 1834).
Lot 3 refers to property situated in Saxham Street (Saxon Street).
In the 1841 census Zephaniah Stedman (als Steadman b. 1806) is living with Elizabeth Cooper in Saxham (Sareham, sic) Street. Also there are Mildred Hart (b. 1821), Martha Lockwood (b.1826) and William Furman (b.1826).
1854 more details of the Cooper’s property. Lots 1,2 and 3 are along Saxham Street near its junction with Bells Lane (todays A1120).
Lot 1 was a messuage with garden occupied by George Cutting.
Lot 2 was a messuage of 2 tenements occupied by Thomas Cook and Henry Soar.
Lot 3 is newly erected, built with brick and slated.
Lot 4 a messuage with 2 tenements on Thorney Green occupied by John Chenery and John Honeyball.
This shows the property owned by Elizabeth Cooper in the 1840s and 50s. 210 is the tithe reference for the farmhouse. The fields surrounding the house up to 214 were also Cooper’s land. The fields to the east of Saxham Street were owned by Charles R Freeman who at that time also owned Stowupland Hall.
In 1840 Elizabeth Cooper also owned Uplands Cottage ( Tm 89)
Cooper’s Farm no longer stands and bungalows were built here in the 1950s and 60s.
The land being sold in 1854 had been acquired at auction in 1840 from the estate of Edmund Halls under direction of his trustee Richard Bendall.
The farm house on the west side of the road from Stowmarket to Mendlesham had a barn, stable, neat-house and other out-houses: yards, garden, a good orchard, a small piece of arable and 2 inclosures of fine pasture land.
According to a note Ena Carter recorded from Ipswich Archives, Elizabeth Cooper paid £15.00 per annum for a reserved pew in Stowmarket Church.
