Books for Sale

A young wife, unexpectedly widowed in Buenos Aires in 1900 with five daughters under eight, writes to her family and that of her late husband asking for help in returning home to England. The former, who were poor, do help; the latter, who were rich, do not – but why not? The search to find the answer to this question covers three continents – Indian fighting in South America, cattle and sheep stations in Australia, searching for gold in New Zealand and family life in East Anglia. It uncovers at least one case of bigamy, several religious prejudices and ten illegitimacies before suggesting a reason why this family were apparently harshly treated in their tragic circumstances. Why, indeed, the sin of a father was visited not only upon his children but also upon his grandchildren.

Paperback 183 pages and numerous b&w illustrations, diagrams and charts

ISBN:

978-0-9555134-0-4

Here is a book which not only tells the tale of one man’s experiences of the Royal Navy as he saw it, but which also faithfully records the essence and spirit of the Service as it was at that time. One re-lives the times of the period in its pages, it is funny, informative and unashamedly nostalgic. It is unique in that this is the first book to record the activities of the National Serviceman afloat, giving an honest appraisal of what he thought of the Service and how he related to it. I enjoyed every page and would recommend it to anyone with even the slightest interest in the sea and ships. It is a book for the scholar as well as an excellent source of entertainment for the casual reader.

Hardback with dust jacket 294 pages with 9 b&w photographs

ISBN:

0-947614-03-6

Felix Thornley Cobbold (1841 - 1909) was the eleventh child of wealthy Suffolk brewer, John Chevallier Cobbold. In his life he would be a Cambridge academic, a lawyer, a farmer, a banker, a JP, Mayor of Ipswich and twice an MP for Suffolk constituencies. Above all, he was a true philanthropist. His two greatest legacies survive a hundred years later. His lands endowed the Felix Cobbold Trust, and his money saved Christchurch Mansion from the developers for the people of Ipswich. He was a remarkable man in so many ways, as this book demonstrates.

Paperback 84 pages and 31 illustrations

ISBN:

978-0-9548298-9-6

In 1845, the Rev. Richard Cobbold published a book telling the story of the well-known Suffolk heroine Margaret Catchpole. It was a best-seller and is still in print today. At the time, he painted 33 watercolours to accompany the story, but most of these were never used and the few that were only appeared in black & white.

Now, with the help of the Cobbold Family History Trust, local historian Pip Wright has made these pictures available for the first time in a retelling of the story. Fully illustrated in colour, with photographs and other pictures, this book runs to 130 pages of sheer delight.

Paperback

ISBN:

978-0-9548298-8-9

This biography of Frank Cobbold by Arthur W Upfield in 1935 (edited by Sandra Berry in 2008) opens when Frank goes to sea on a Clipper at 14. It follows him through inexperience as a Fijian trader who escaped the cannibals' cook pot and survived one of the worst hurricanes in living memory. In Australia he learned the skills of a surveyor and quickly became a sought-after and trusted station manager.

Despite problems that would have defeated a less resolute man he took droughts, cheats and unyielding land tenure regulations in his stride to become one of Australia's great pioneering pastoralists. Admired by fellow bushmen, trusted by his partners and wooed by bankers, his gritty determination earned him a small fortune which he gave away.

It's a remarkable story.

Paperback, 280 pages with B&W illustrations.

ISBN:

978-0-9555134-3-5

This book portrays a vigorous rural community which lived almost two centuries ago. It is based on the personal accounts of over one hundred of his parishioners written by the rector of Wortham, Richard Cobbold (author of The History of Margaret Catchpole), supplemented by standard sources such as census returns and parish registers. As a piece of social and economic history, and as a record publication, it should be of lasting value to historians of all kinds as well as to general readers. Included are many coloured portraits which Cobbold himself painted of his parishioners and of the houses in which they lived.

Hardback, 278 pages and 130 coloured illustrations.

ISBN:

978-1-905111-05-3

Mayfair socialite, aristocratic owner of an estate in the Scottish highlands, and accomplished deerstalker and angler, Lady Evelyn Cobbold cut an elegant if eccentric figure on her frequent travels in the Arab world. In 1933, at the age of 65, she became the first British-born Muslim woman to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Yet the story of her adoption of Islam, her contribution to the literature of the Hajj, and her place as a female traveller have been inexplicably overlooked till now.

Paperback 336 pages and 32 pages of B&W photographs.

ISBN:

978-0-9544792-8-2

John Cobbold, of the famous Tolly Cobbold brewing dynasty, was the most eccentric man in football - ever. Educated at Eton, he was a grandson of the 9th Duke of Devonshire, nephew of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and, when he followed his late father of Ipswich Town in 1948 at the age of 21, he became the country's youngest-ever-football club director. He was chairman between 1957 and 1976, and remained on the board until his death in 1983.

Now thanks to tape recordings made just before he passed away, John Cobbold's own story in his own words appears in print for the very first time. Simultaneously poignant and hilarious, this tale of a bygone era is supplemented by tributes and anecdotes from thos who knew him best, including giants of the game Sir Bobby Robson, who was eternally grateful to Mr John, as he was affectionately known, for his unwavering support while a rookie manager.

ISBN:

978-184818-514-2