Cobbold and Kin: Life Stories from an East Anglian Family

The Cobbold family, its roots firmly planted in East Anglia, is most commonly associated with the brewing industry and with Ipswich Town Football Club. This, however, is only a small part of the story. Over the centuries, the Cobbolds and their kin have turned their hand to almost every imaginable field of endeavour. This richly-illustrated book relates the lives of thirty-two of the family’s most interesting and colourful characters across eight broad subjects: from industry and agriculture to faith, from the arts to empire, from public service to scientific enquiry, and from sport to military service. Not all bear the name Cobbold but all are related to the family.

Drawingon the archive of the Cobbold Family History Trust, the book reveals not only the extraordinary breadth of the family’s interests but also its geographical reach. It is not merely a collection of life stories from Suffolk and East Anglia but ventures to five continents and remote regions of the world. Seldom could a more diverse cast of characters have been assembled in the pages of one book and each biography is set against its own historical canvas. Together, they encompass almost every aspect of the human condition - some tell of triumph over adversity, some are heartbreakingly tragic, others downright improbable.

CLIVE HODGES is an independent historian and freelance writer. He completed his PhD in History at the University of the West of England.