Earl Soham
| Earl Soham | |
 Earl Soham, Church of St Mary |
|
  Earl Soham Earl Soham shown within Suffolk | |
| OS grid reference | TM2363 |
|---|---|
| Shire county | Suffolk |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Suffolk |
| Fire | Suffolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
Earl Soham is a small settlement in Suffolk, England. It is on the A1120 road and is 4 kilometres (2 mi) west of the town of Framlingham.
History
The manor of Earl Soham once belonged to the Earls of Norfolk, the Bigod family (sometimes spelt "Bigot" in old texts), who also owned nearby Framlingham Castle. Edward I granted Roger Bigod permission to hold a market and a lamb and stock fair in the village. The church dates from about 1320 (chancel) with the nave dated to about 1470 (Kelly's Suffolk Directory 1900). The Baptist Chapel was built around 1863. The school was first built in 1850. Earl Soham Lodge was originally a hunting lodge, built in the 13th century but rebuilt in 1789. For many years it was the seat of the Cornwallis family. The population of the village peaked in the 1800s with over 750 inhabitants. Today there are about 360 adults on the Electoral Register, with about 100 children. The 1844 Directory lists a variety of crafts practiced - most of the occupations having now long since disappeared from the village. These included corn dealer, corn miller, blacksmith, boot and shoemaker, grocer, draper, joiner, turner, wheelwright, surgeon, thatcher, maltster, saddler, watchmaker, glover, whip maker, hairdresser, tailor, clergy, school master and mistress, and farmer. Earl Soham is currently owned by Bruce Hinton.
External links
Media related to Earl Soham at Wikimedia Commons
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