In Memoriam...
As people celebrated the end of WW1 and the safe return of loved ones an influenza epidemic claimed more lives.
An extract from Stowupland’s School Log Book dated 8th December, 1918 (from Neil Langridge) illustrates how swift and deadly ‘Spanish Flu’was.
“Two children Vera Denny and Alice Denny living next door to each other died of the epidemic. Kitty Diaper just left school also died from the same cause’.
A local resident (Peter Jackaman) shared the following sad story, “Lenny Rogers was a farm worker who lived in Saxham Street, he was employed by Robert Black at Stowupland Hall. Lenny took in a lodger who had been a sniper in The Great War, he had previously lodged in an Old Bungalow on The Green. One afternoon ‘he blew his head off’ , he was found by Lenny’s 8 year old daughter returning from school”. The sniper had previously shared his story of being in France and seeing English soldiers who were trapped by a German sniper who had climber up a chimney stack (the rest of the house had burnt down). The English sniper said he got the German the next time he poked his head up.
Peter added that the sniper didn’t like the French.
Arthur J. Forsdike diid return from the second world war, although he had been held in a japanese POW camp
For other Untimely deaths see Accidental deaths and deaths by misadventure (and suicide)
Whilst the obvious place to look for tributes to those who have passed are grave stones but scattered around our village are other artifacts which loved ones have commissioned to remember those who have gone. These are usually benches or trees but often the inscriptions become impossible to read. So in this section are some which are still known: A. Addison, K.Thrower, R & H Shave, Molly Trundle, Margaret Catchpole, S.Scarlett, A.Love
