Coopers, Saxham Street

Recent research has established in the 19th century there was a Coopers farm, in the corner between Rendall Lane and Saxham Street. Whether this existed before the 19th century is unknown.

map

A barn in Saxham Street is mentioned in the records of Stowupland Hall and research by Ena Carter mentions Coopers  barn in relation to sale in October 9th 1790 by John Newsteads at Skowers farm in Stowupland.

The barn building is at the extreme right of this map which shows the buildings of Stowupland Hall on the left.

In the 19th century the Cooper family are named with Uplands House (tm 89) but in the early 19th century Elizabeth Cooper is associated with a small farm near Stowupland Hall and the tithe records gives her owning many fields around her. This makes the association with Coopers Barn.

But there may also be an earlier link to Newstead and Skowens Farm?

Tithe properties associated with Eliz Cooper in the 1840s.

tm 207 – 2 acres Pightle, pasture 2a 2r 2p (behind Cooper’s house)

tm 208  – Orchard 0a 2r 22p (between 207 and 1st Road Piece)

tm 209 – 1st Road Piece (in the 1950/60s bungalows were built along here.

tm 210 –Homestead  0a 1r 1p

tm 210a — Buildings and yard 0a 0r 16p

tm 211 – 2 acre meadow, pasture 2a 0r 37p (behind 2nd Road Piece)

Fields to the north of Rendall Lane:

tm 203 & 204 – Coopers Fields

tm 201, 202, & 206 Damarts – all fronting onto Rendall Lane.

tm 200 & 204 Great & Little Johns, and 213 Streets Johns – form a westerly line from the Driftway towards the Bacons.).

tm  163, 164 & 165 Bacons (163 is towards the north of Gt Johns). The 3 Bacons and 3 Johns form a line between Saxham Street and Gipping Lane, finishing adjacent to Gipping  farm)

In 1852 the mortgagee of properties in Stowupland and Earl Stonham ordered the auction of their freehold. The Stowupland tenement was divided into 2  dwellings occupied by Thomas Cook and Henry Soars ( rents amonuting to £7.00 per annum). The proprieter of the Earl Stonham prpert was Thomas Bendall.

Henry Soar was born in 1801 nad married Charlotte. In the 1841 census they are living in Saxham Street with new born son James. In the 1851 census Henry is named as a widower and although the address is recorded as Mendlesham Road this is Saxham Street. 

In 1854 the freehold or messuage of 2 tenements occupied by Thomas Cook and Henry Soar (Lot 2) was sold on the death of Elizabeth Cooper, at present we don’t know the new owners: also the home of George Cuttings.(Lot 1)

The home of the Coopers was advertised as being newly built, by 1864 it was described as being 2 tenements.

In 1864 Cooper’s Farm was included in the lots put up for sale by William Freeman. Described as a ‘Desirable Freehold Farm called ‘Coopers’ in the parish of Stowupland comprising a Farm House, now in two tenements, and a single cottage, producing a rental if £15 10s per annum also Capital Barn and substantial recently erected cattle Sheds, and other Out-buildings together with 32A 0R 34P of land.’