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Rector of Wortham, near Diss in Norfolk, from 1825 to his death in 1877, the
Reverend Richard Cobbold, M.A., achieved tremendous success with his popular
historical novels.
He was born in 1797 in Ipswich into a large and affluent family who made their
money from the brewing industry. Indeed, their name lives on in Ipswich in the
form of Tolly Cobbold. Having been educated at Cambridge he entered the church,
starting at St Mary Le Tower in his home town before moving to Wortham in the
1820s with his wife and three sons. One of his first tasks on moving from the
comparatively bright lights of Ipswich to the rural life in Wortham was to
build the rectory, which he did in 1827.
For more information, see the ever reliable Simon Knott's entry for
Wortham church.
Margaret Catchpole
(
December 2003 — as part of their "Legacies" section on local history,
the BBC have compiled
this feature on the story of Margaret Catchpole, with particular emphasis
on the tale told by Richard Cobbold)
In his lifetime he was best known for his historical novels, his most popular
work being "The History Of Margaret Catchpole". This was the (true) story of
an unfortunate Ipswich girl who had previously worked as a nurse for the
Cobbold family in the latter part of the 18th century. In love with a smuggler
by the name of Will Laud, she left the employment of the Cobbolds, but then
stole her former employer's horse to travel to London to meet him.
Found guilty of theft, Margaret Catchpole received the death sentence, but this
was commuted to transportation for seven years. However, in prison, she escaped
and went on
the run before being recaptured. This time she was sentenced to
transportation to life. In Australia she became a housekeeper, then a midwife
and nurse, and wrote many letters back home to England. These letters formed
the basis of the Rev. Cobbold's book.
The Biography of a Victorian Village
During his time at Wortham, more significantly, he recorded the daily lives of
his various parishioners, both in words and pictures. His four volumes
eventually found a home at the Suffolk Record Office, and have become an
invaluable source of information about everyday life in the countryside at that
time.
In 1977 a book entitled "The Biography of a Victorian Village" was published,
in which Ronald Fletcher presents Richard Cobbold's account of 1860s Wortham.
His works include:
However, the anonymous author of "Public Men Of Ipswich And East Suffolk",
published in 1875, poured scorn on Cobbold's work:
"...the ancient town of Ipswich...has never been heard of except as the scene
of some of the chief adventures of Margaret Catchpole, and...the name of the
river Orwell has become, in a manner, immortal because upon its banks have
wandered the fictitious characters of that widely circulated romance Freston
Tower."
If you've anything to add to the above, get in touch.
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Richard Cobbold
Wortham church
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