Norman Sinclair’s Notes, page 16 – end
1634
“On the last of April”, the ‘Francis of Ipswich’ left Ipswich for New England with passengers from Elmswell and other villages.
1674
John Fiske, Lt.Colonel in Parliament Army, of Clopton Hall (he had relations in the village at this time) was a trustee of the almshouses.
1682
Sitting in Bury, magistrates of Suffolk fixed farm labourers’ wages at 5 old shillings a week in winter and 6 shillings in the summer.
1640
John Marsh, Senior, paid £1.14.0 (old money) as his “Ship Money” assessment (read up the reign of Charles I). The Marsh family had been yeomen farmers in the parish since the 13th century. William Marsh (1735-1802) was the last male heir. His tombstone is at the east side of the churchyard.
1811
Elmswell was affected by the Enclosure of Commons Act, and lost four-fifths of its common green. All that was left was the southern tip bordering Hawk End Lane and School Road, and each side of Ashfield Road as far as Oak Lane.
1791
70 deaths from small pox recorded.
1818 Wesleyan Chapel built
1819 Church Hall built
Until 1864 a pleasure fair was held annually on November 1st in Lion Meadow (behind Catton’s)
1865
School and School House built. The present School was built in 1891, to hold 175 children.
The late 19th and early 20th Century saw the growth of small industry in Elmswell, encouraged perhaps by the opening of the railway line from Ipswich to Bury in 1846. (The Eastern Union Railway) First Station Master of Elmswell was William Ward and the last was Mr.F.Thompson of Station House. (The station closed in 1967-8; the booking office, waiting rooms, lavatory, were closed. Only the signal men remained.)
Some Elmswell Firms
O.C.Jewers established 1865
Bakers, Millers established 1898
Bacon Factory established 1911
Hawes, Printers established 1909
Andersons, Engineers established 1963
Thurlow Nunns This was a foundry in 1847. Amalgamated with Thurlows of Sowmarket in 1970.
Catton’s Garage Converted from the Lion Public House in 1964.
There were two other pubs in the village, now non-functional, the Oak Beer House in Ashfield Road and the Crown, opposite Bakers’ Mill.
1926
Elmswell obtained its own steam fire engine.
1952
An outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the village.
1956
Elmswell Memorial Hall, built by voluntary labour, was opened.
Some old village surnames
Borley, Hurst, Rice first recorded in 1283
Rose, Baker .. in 1327
Steggles, Buckle .. in 1524
Cross .. in 1638
Ling .. in 1639
Mulley .. in 1670
Nunn .. in 1671
Jacob .. in 1663
Bloomfield .. in 1763
Elliston .. in 1773