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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: littlesis 76 on Tuesday 02 February 21 08:35 GMT (UK)
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Hi , I am looking for any information on a ggg uncle who was known locally as Sproughton Bob. He was born Robert Jacobs in 1869 in Sproughton Suffolk to John Jacobs and Mary Ann Bugg.
He is in a book on Suffolk along with a photograph, the story goes his house burnt down and he then lived rough in the woods ,I believe he was in the local workhouse in 1911 and used as a scarecrow by farmers. The book said he died in 1920s and the locals raised money for a wreath for him.
I really want to find out more and order his death certificate but I cannot find one that would fit .Could anyone help find more on this man please
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Images of Sproughton Bob
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There is a death in Ipswich but it is 1938
Robert E Jacobs 80 yrs :-\
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Hi Heywood
Same problem as me then . I believe the reg district would either be Bosmere or Samford and think its highly unlikely he moved away from Suffolk and he was buried i believe at Sproughton due to the wreath.
I need the local record to open so I can check the parish records if they are available
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The article does say he frequented the Ipswich cattle market and the wreath was purchased by regulars at the Hippodrome, Ipswich.
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It might not be him but the age fits and there doesn’t seem to be another one around.
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His birth is registered in the March Qtr 1860, Samford District, Vol 4a, page 583 -- mother's maiden name BUGG.
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Possible death:
December Qtr 1913
Ipswich District
Vol: 4a
Page: 1028
Gives DOB 'about 1855' -- gives age as 58
Might be worth looking at?
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I see that the article you posted indicated his death in the 1920's. Any other proof to this. I see that the 1920's death is from the memory of someone -- not necessarily accurate. Memories do go wrong.
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There is a Robert Jacobs, b 1855 boarding in Ipswich in 1911.
But the details on the death certificate depend on the knowledge of the informant.
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A postcard here - post mark of 1915, I think, but that wouldn’t help with his death date
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01q9l/
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Wow I cannot believe that postcard is starting at £50.00 ! . Thank you brilliant find
I believe I found Bob in Tattingstone workhouse in 1911 but I could be wrong.
I do have a book here with the same photograph on and it also says he died in the 1920s and that the local of Sproughton paid for a wreath unlike the newspaper. I have tried looking on the BNA to see if there was any mention of his house burning down but was unable to find anything.
I asked about him a few years ago on a local group and someone remember being threatened by their parents if they were naughty they would take them in the woods to sproughton bob. I have a feeling he died later than 1920s .Could anyone date the photographs?
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This is the same information that you have but a bit clearer.
https://issuu.com/mansionhousepublishing/docs/int_sproughton_mar17_7e4eedd8bd0b80
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I have a photograph of my maternal great grandfather, a small holder in Whaplode, Lincolnshire, and he is wearing the same style of hat that Bob is wearing. The photograph is marked as being taken in 1895. Hope this helps.
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Is there a family grave at all?
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littlesis 76
Tracking Bob via Census returns shows that he was with his parent in 1861;1871 and 1881. He was with his widowed mother in 1891 and 1901. He was in the Samford Union Workhouse in the 1911 Census - his mother passing in, I believe, 1903.
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Hi
Thank you Allan ,I have all the same for him. I have just looked at the Facebook group and people on there are asking who remembers Sproughton Bob riding on his bike with 2 rabbits hanging from the handle bars ? Surely no one alive would have a clear memory of him if he died in 1920s ?
I have searched the graveyard and no graves. I remember the day well cold,raining and stood in dog dirt ...no my greatest grave hunting day !
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Oh for the days when we could travel to a graveyard of our choice in all sorts of weather without 'fear of the dreaded lurgy'
I remember cold wet days picking my path between graves to try and find the ones that I was sure were there, sometimes winning but a lot of the times 'no such luck'
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Yes, I saw the Facebook message and thought the same. Perhaps the name was handed down to a/some eccentric figure around the town.
I am not sure if the death certificate would help in identifying him. I think the later one fits best though.
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There is a death in Ipswich but it is 1938
Robert E Jacobs 80 yrs :-\
I might just get it but he didn't have a middle name .I suppose only rhe person registering could of got it wrong.
I wonder if I could find any parish records online ....suffok is still digitising all theirs
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It is perhaps a bit too recent for parish records :-\
What about local newspaper archives?
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It is perhaps a bit too recent for parish records :-\
What about local newspaper archives?
The newspapers are only online to 1900 then there abit sparse for Ipswich ,again I think they are slowly getting them on. I have ordered the 1938 certificate as I cannot find another Robert Edward Jacobs in Ipswich that fits so that may be him and people have got the death muddled. Just hope I recognize a name on the cert
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Do you recognise Mrs Robinson on the postcard?
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Hi
No that's not a name I am familiar with . Roberts father was married and had 8 children (the eldest was 40 years older than Bob ) , the 1st wife died and he married Mary Ann Bugg . There was a big age gap between the two and they had Mary Ann ,Robert and Emily.
Mary Ann married a Charles Warden and they both died in there 30s and Emily married a Walter Hood. As I am a descendent from Emily I haven't spent much time researching the first lot of children and that may be where the Mrs Robinson comes from.
I will check my tree and see what I have got with the other children, I know they lived in the same village but thats about it
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Just a quick update. I received the 1938 dert cert today and it had nothing on there to prove it was Bob . It does say formerly of Hampton Road U.D ? I am not sure what the U.D means .It also has he was a former farm labourer which I would expect if it was Bob . The death was registered by someone from the hospital.
I did speak to a lady from Sproughton who wrote the piece for the paper in 1985 ,she wrote it from tales her mother had told her and she wasn't clear when he died but would like me to tell her if I find out.
I was also given the name Serry Cottage for Bobs home too.We have also discovered another postcard with Bob on so they certainly are some still about.
So still blank and no closer to finding him
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I did a search for Serry Cottage and there is a reference to Chas Whight in 1881.
Looked him up and no names of cottages shown. However, a few pages before there is a Lloyd family shown at Serry Cottage.
The Jacobs are living in the same area, Robert is 21 yrs, no cottages named on the census form.
In 1891 he is living with his mother in Upper Street, Sproughton.
What is the context given to you re Serry Cottage?
U.D. means urban district, the local district, presumably Ipswich.
On a modern map, Hampton Road is off Branford Road. Closeby, Sproughton Road is also off Branford Road and Sproughton is less than 2 miles away.
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Looking at the choices, there are only the two deaths mentioned here - 1913 and 1938.
There is a possible for the 1913 death living in Ipswich in 1911.
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Hi
Someone else researching was given the name Serry cottage by a local historian ,will ask him more questions on it . I have just finished work so will be looking to see if any of his relations lived in Hampton road . I will keep searching till I find him :) ....i hate brick walls