Blackerby, Tailer and Bayley
In 1820 the house we know as Stowupland Hall was described as a ‘new built brick-built mansion’ when the estate of the late John Bayley Tailer was advertised for sale. It was probably not called Stowupland Hall at the time.
John Bayley Tailer had been a merchant at Woodbridge and in 1800 he had inherited the estate from his uncle Isaac Bayley. This may have been when the present house was built. In his will Isaac had left ‘all my manors, messuages, lands… in Stowupland, Earl Stonham, Creeting St Peter and Combs to John Bayley Tailer. The manors referred to were Thorney Keebles and Thorney Campsey of which Isaac was Lord of the manor, this suggests there was an existing manor house prior to the newly built mansion, though its exact location is unknown.
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In 1773 Isaac Bayley had inherited the estate from his father, also known as Isaac. From the records of the manor court of Thorney Keebles, on the 8th June, 1737 ‘the first court of Isaac Bayley an infant’ as an infant he was represented by John Bayley esq Guardian. Isaac must have inherited the estate and Lordship of the manor from yet another Isaac Bayley as the court records of the linked Thorney Campsey dated August 1715 names Isaac Bayley, gent as the then Lord of the manor.
In 1703 Samuel Blackerby is Lord of the Manor of Thorney Keebles. Samuel is likely to have been the son of Thomas Blackerby.
Thomas Blackerby was a wealthy merchant with a mansion in Tavern Street, Stowmarket. In Thomas’ will of 1688 he left ‘to my deare and loving wife Katherine my two Manours of Thorney Campsey and Thorney Keys als Kebles’ and ‘ all that Capitall messuage or farme called Saint Thomas Hall als Browne Baston or by whatsoever other name or names the same bee called or knowne with the lands meadows pastures underwoods and other the Appurtenances containing together one hundred and forty Acres bee the same more or lesse scituate in Stow Upland mendelsham and Gipping aforesaid and Earle Stonham now or heretofore in the occupation of Margaret Clarke widdowe’. No will of Katherine is known but on her death in 1694 the property and manors passed to Samuel Blackerby. Samuel died in 1715 whilst living in London. His will makes no mention of Suffolk land, only that he leave £5.00 to the poor of Stowmarket where his mother and father were interred. The assumption is that Isaac Bayley acquired the land in 1715.
Katherine’s uncle was Bartholomew Gosnold who established an early settlement in America. In 2005 hopeful of proving that remains found in Jamestown USA were Gosnold’s, a request was made for a sample of DNA to be obtained from Katherine’s remains. Unfortunately the Blackerby vault could not be located.
(Langridge: 2017)
