SUDBURY’S HISTORY

The village of Sudbury is very fortunate to have a group of volunteers who have spent years collecting and collating information. The Sudbury Local History group have helped to uncover lost information on The Gasworks, as well as a wealth of information about life in Sudbury over the years. You can find out more about Sudbury below, including Sudbury in the Victoria Era and Sudbury’s involvement in World War II. You can also learn more by visiting the local history group’s blog.

Sudbury in the Victorian Era

Sudbury is an Estate Village, and in 1874 when The Gasworks was built, it was Augustus Henry Vernon, 6th Lord Vernon (1829-1883) and Lady Harriet Frances Maria Anson, Lady Vernon (1827-1898) who lived at Sudbury Hall.

The Vernon estate oversaw housing, employment, farming, schools, churches, village improvements and much of daily social life. For many residents, the estate provided employment.

The Vernon family also invested heavily in making the village attractive, as estate villages were intended to reflect the status and morality of their owners, so buildings were often carefully designed and maintained. The influence of architect George Devey helped give parts of Sudbury a picturesque appearance with decorative brickwork, chimneys and Tudor-inspired styling.

Education in Sudbury

Sudbury Primary School has been at the heart of the village for over 300 years and still serves around 50 pupils today. Education was always valued, with the Vernon family ensuring both boys and girls were taught from a young age, for free – even before it was made law.

Find out more about education in Sudbury below.

Sudbury in World War II

Although small, Sudbury played an important role in WWII. The surrounding area was home to military training camps, airfields and hospitals, while the village of Sudbury also became home to many evacuees.

A US military hospital was constructed in Sudbury in 1942 for the United States Air Force and Army, specifically to prepare for casualties from the D-Day landings, and was later converted into a temporary prisoner of war camp. It is now the site of HMP Sudbury.

Sudbury was also home to some of the millions of British soldiers who were sent to war, including Edgar Merry, who served with the 7th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment and took part in the Battle of Kohima in 1944. He also served in Egypt and survived when his ship was torpedoed in the Mediterranean Sea by Italian dive bombers.

Below you can watch an interview with Edgar Merry, and listen to an audio recording of Hans Teske, held by the Imperial War Museum. You can also read extracts from letters by Hon.J.L.Vernon to his parents, Lord and Lady Vernon of Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire, following his landing in Normandy with Allied Forces on 14 June 1944 and after the liberation of Brussels in September 1944 here.