Sudbourne One-Place Study

My grandmother Iris and her father Arthur Keer were both born in Sudbourne; the houses they were born in are still there. Although it’s not a large village, three branches of my family (Keer, Raymer and Meadows) lived in Sudbourne and I am interested in exploring the familial connections linking Sudbourne people to those living in nearby villages. I plan to research one generation forwards and backwards from the time they were a Sudbourne resident.

Sudbourne is rural, scattered village, near the Suffolk coast, about 20 miles roughly east of Ipswich. Adjoining parishes are Orford, Gedgrave, Chillesford, Iken and Aldeburgh.

Sudbourne’s history is rich and varied, with evidence of Saxon and Romano-British settlements. The stately home Sudbourne Hall was home to various landowners over the years, who were both landlord and employer for most of Sudbourne’s residents. Historically it has always been a very agricultural area. During the Second World War II (in 1942) Sudbourne, along with the neighbouring village of Iken, was evacuated after being requisitioned by the War Department for use in tank training exercises.

The nearby woods, Captain’s Wood and Tunstall Forest, are home to a herd of fallow deer, barn owls, buzzards, nightjar and woodlark. Plant-wise, the woods boast mature oak trees and conifers and heathland areas. In late April/early May, a fine display of bluebells can be seen at Captains Wood.

Study goals:

Reconstruction of the historical families who lived in Sudbourne
Set up a website to tell the stories of Sudbourne and its historical residents