The Fosdike family - Builders, Bell ringers and Firemen.

Several generations of the Fosdike family lived in Woodbridge. The first record of them is when Andrew Fosdike married Ann Scarlett at St Mary’s Church in 1716.  Since then a succession of Fosdikes have been baptised, married, buried and rung the bells at the church. They also played an active part in the life of Woodbridge and, as builders, they were responsible for some significant changes to the town.

Andrew Fosdike is renowned for having climbed up and down the stairs to the ringing chamber in St Mary's tower 7 times in 27 minutes at the age of 67. There is a plaque in the tower to mark his achievement.  He may have had the incentive of a swig of beer each time he reached the top as it was the practice in those days for the bell-ringers to be paid in beer, and the junior members were expected to keep the jugs full.  Some of the jugs held up to six pints!

The next generation of Fosdikes included Robert who married Elizabeth Waller at St Mary’s in 1749. Their son, Robert II, was appointed Sexton of St Mary’s Church in 1787 having previously been an assistant for many years. He seems to have continued the family tradition of bell ringing because there is a plaque in St Mary’s tower recording a peal rung by him 1789.

Robert III married Catherine Berry in 1770 and one of their seven children, yet another Robert, was press-ganged into the navy in 1794, soon after the British joined Austria and Prussia in the war against France. He served on HMS Lapwing, a frigate, which was sent to protect the Leeward Isles. He was finally released from service in 1802 after the Treaty of Amiens and returned to Woodridge and married Hanna Bloomfield in 1803. Sadly she died during the birth of their first child who only lived for a month.

Drawing of HMS Lapwing capturing a French Frigate

and sinking a Brig in the West Indies.

Published 21st Aug1797 by John Fairburn, London.

Robert III subsequently married Mather Howes in 1813 and they had four children.  John, their only son married Lydia Kemp in 1846 and a photograph of them much later is on the right.

John was an ardent bell ringer from the age of 12 and a number of boards in St Mary’s belfry record the various peals in which he rang. The earliest of these was in 1840.

For 50 years John carried on a business of a builder and contractor. He was Alfred Lockwood's sub-contractor when building St. John's Church and he later went on to build some of the houses in the adjoining streets. Then, in 1871 John and his workers built the Wesleyan Chapel to a design by the architects Cattermole and Eade of Ipswich.

For some time he lived in one of the houses he built in St John’s Terrace. Later he built and lived in Alma House on St. John's Hill (named after a battle in the Crimean War) until he died aged 83.

John and Lydia Kemp

John’s son, John II, took on the business of his father and is believed to have built some of the houses on Victoria Road.  The photograph shows him with his workmen.

John II was also Captain of the Woodbridge Fire Brigade and the photograph below shows him outside the fire engine house on Cumberland Street in 1905.  John II  is on the right and Ed Turner, one of his workmen is on the left.  He was killed while on his way to help during the Zeppelin raid of 1915.

John II and his workman.  John II is the

one in the centre pouring a drink.

The Woodbridge Fire Brigade outside the

engine house in Cumberland Street

Last edited  21 Aug 23