Ena Carter lived in Stowupland for 50 years. Although she had been born in Lincoln in 1911,  her family came from Suffolk. She met her husband Jack whilst on family holidays at Stowupland Hall, and following their marriage in the ’30s they moved into Gipping Farm.

Read her own story of Summer holidays spent in Suffolk.written just a few months before her death in  1986, Like Topsy, it just Growed.

Or read some tributes and memories of Ena from those who knew her.

Jack and Ena  married in 1936 and set up home in the house where Jack had been brought up, Gipping Farm. Having married into a farming family she focused on researching and recording local history. She and Jack made a good team, both were interested in learning, preserving and sharing knowledge about the past.  He was the public spokesperson while she was the administrator and recorder.

Ena carried out a lot of research into Suffolk’s history and although she did not publish anything her notes have been an invaluable resource for our group. She provided usefull reference as to where her information had come from be it from the  County Archives or by word of mouth from local people.

They both played an active role in Stowupland’s  local life sitting on several committees.

It is evident from her notes that Jack and Ena were part of the post WW2 amateur movement to learn and record all aspects of local history. They attended lectures and classes to learn about ‘doing’ local history. Jack was a ‘magnet’ for unwanted farming equipment and Ena helped catalogue collections of memorabilia that local people shared with them.

Jack and Ena died many years before Stowupland Local History Group was formed but we owe them a great debt. We are extremely   grateful to their daughter who saved and passed on Ena’s archives to us.