Ipswich Street Names

This is a selection of information taken from the Lewcock Collection presented to The Ipswich Society in September 2003. The Collection had been in the possession of Edward Hussey "Jim" Lewcock (1916-1989) who was a member of an Ipswich family long established in marine and ship brokerage businesses. Jim himself worked in administration at the BX Plastics factory at Brantham. A long standing member of The Ipswich Society, he was interested in many aspects of Ipswich life, past and present. He was also a regular member of the Society's visits abroad. This street information was probably collected by Jim's father.

Adair Road: commemorates Hugh Edward Adair, of the Adair family of Flixton Hall, Bungay. He was MP for Ipswich 1947-1974.

Alan Road: named for Alan Brooksby Cobbold, the owner in 1864 of the 238 acre Rose Hill estate. The Rev E C Alston of Dennington then became the owner. On his death it was sold, and Alan, Alston and Rose Hill Roads were then constructed.

Alpe Street: commemorates William Alpe, Borough highway surveyor, 1698.

Ancaster Road: commemorates an 18th century family connection of Lord Gwdyr of Stoke Park. An ancestor, Peter Burrell, married Priscilla (Baroness Willoughby d'Eresby) the eldest daughter of the third Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven.

Anglesea Road: commemorates the Marquis of Anglesea who lived in Ipswich in the early 19th century. He fought in the Battle of Waterloo, 1815.

The Avenue: an allusion to the fine avenue of trees shown on Kirby's map of the Christchurch estate 1735, which was a continuation of the avenue which ran from the Mansion to the Park Road gateway, cutting across Great Kingsfield beyond present day Valley Road.

Badshah Avenue: commemorates Kavas Jamas Badshah who retired from the Indian civil service in 1904 and came to live in Ipswich where his family had been established since 1892. He became a town councillor in 1913, was awarded the OBE in 1918 in recognition of his war work in Ipswich and became mayor in 1925.

Bantoft Terrace: commemorates William Bantoft, Town Clerk 1883-1924.

Beatty Road: commemorates David, first Earl Beatty (1871-1936), Admiral of the Fleet, and his distinguished service in the First World War.

Beck Street: commemorates Cave Beck, headmaster of Ipswich Grammar School 1650- 1657. He held a plurality of livings - rector of St Margaret's 1658, St Helen's 1658 and Monk Soham 1674-1706. Noted nationally as the author of "The Universal Character" in which he sought to establish a universal means of language using numerals as linguistic symbols.

Bedford Street: commemorates Thomas Bedford, a "postmaster" - a hirer of horses, coaches and gigs, with premises in 1855 off St Matthew's Street.

Benezet Street: commemorates the anti-slavery movement and the work of Antony Benezet, a Frenchman whose family came first to England in 1731 and later went to Pennsylvania where he campaigned for the anti-slavery cause. The nearby EmIen Street, Wilberforce Street and Clarkson Street were similarly named.

Blenheim Road: commemorates the battle of 1704 in the Seven Years War which ensured the Hanoverian succession to the English throne.

Bond Street: commemorates Henry Cooper Bond who had a tannery here and another on Bramford Road. He lived in a house at Majors Comer where the Regent now stands.

Boss Hall Road: two possible derivations, one from the name De Bois, landowners here in the 13th century, the other a contraction of Bordshaw Hall.

Bostock Road: named after the family who owned the Hippodrome in St Nicholas Street and the theatre in Carr Street.

Bulwer Road: commemorates James Redford Bulwer, QC (1820-1899), MP for Ipswich 1874-1880.

Canham Street: commemorates William James Canham. In 1883 he acquired a 75 year lease from the Borough of grazing land here. He was a furniture van proprietor with premises in Portman Road. Houses were built on the land in 1933.

Cecil Road: named in 1929, it commemorates Viscount Edward Algernon Robert Gascoyne Cecil (1864-1958), a leading figure in the founding of the League of Nations after the First World War.

Chalon Street: together with Metz and Sedan Streets commemorates events in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. [The latter two have disappeared under the development off Princes Street - Editor]

Chevallier Street: commemorates Dr Barrington Chevallier (1818-1889), Mayor of Ipswich 1873-1874.

Colman Street: cut across the garden of Dr Colman in 1821. His house and garden at the comer of Northgate Street are marked on the Pennington map of 1778.

Coyte's Gardens: commemorates Dr William Beeston Coyte and his noted botanical garden marked on the Pennington map of 1778. He published two catalogues of his plants, 1796 and 1807, which established the national importance of the garden.

Crane Hill: commemorates the Crane family. Christopher Crane held office as a chamberlain (financial officer) of the Borough circa 1564. He was bom in the parish of St Matthew.

Cutler Street: commemorates the Cutler family of St Nicholas parish, members of which held in the 17th century the offices of bailiff, justice and coroner of the Borough.

Dial Lane: the earlier name of Cooke Row was in use until about 1844 but it became the present name because of the clock which then stood out from the west face of the tower of St Lawrence church. The clock was removed when the tower was rebuilt in 1882.

Dog's Head Street: name derived from the inn Dog's Head in the Pot which stood at the north-east end of the street, or lane as it was called on the Ogilby map of 1674.

Duke Street: seems to have progressed by 1844 from the earlier humble name of Duck Street, as given on the 09ilby map of 1674. It has been suggested that ducks were kept in this area adjacent to shipyards and the ri ver.

Ernleigh Road: developed by a local builder Ernest Lee. No prizes for the derivation!

Fletcher Road: commemorates Mrs E M Fletcher, member of the Borough Council 1922- 1933 for St Margaret's Ward. Her husband was rector of St Matthew's 1900-1915.

Gatacre Road: commemorates Major-General Sir William Forbes Gatacre (1843-1906) who served with distinction in India, Egypt and in the Boer War 1899-1901 in South Africa. From 1898 to 1904 he commanded the army's eastern district based at Colchester.

Gaye Street: commemorates Charles Gaye (1804-1882) rector of St Matthew's 1847-1875.

Hervey Street: was cut through land farmed by a farmer called Hervey. The 1855 Suffolk directory records an Ernest Hervey occupying Bolton Farm in this area.

Hossack Road: commemorates James Francis Clark Hossack (1868-1937) a local doctor of the East Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital, who was a member of the Borough Council 1908-1929 representing St Margaret's Ward, mayor in 1929 and became an alderman in 1930.

Hutland Road: derives from the huts that occupied an area of land near to the military barracks on Woodbridge Road.

Ivry Street: relates to the history of the Fonnereau family who had been in the 15th century Earls of Yvery in Normandy.

Kelly Road: commemorates Sir Fitzroy Kelly (1796-1880), a distinguished lawyer. Owner of The Chantry 1852-1867, he was MP for Ipswich 1835, 1837-1841 and 1852-1866.

Lacey Street: commemorates Robert Lacey, named as president of the Ipswich Freehold Land Society in their prospectus of 1849.

Moffatt Street: commemorates Alexander Moffatt, Town Clerk of the Borough 1925-1946.

Murray Road: The owners of the land across which this road was cut were the Cobbold family. John Dupuis Cobbold of Holy Wells married Lady Evelyn Murray, daughter of the 7th Earl of Dunmore.

Navarre Street: relates to the Fonnereau family, who were in the 15th century Earls of Yvery in Normandy, and their sovereign King Henry of Navarre.[Wher-e is this remnant of a street?]

Neale Street: In 1793 the Reverend Charles William Fonnereau had married Harriet Debora Neale, daughter of a Thomas Neale of Freston. In 1882 a Thomas Neale is recorded as being in residence at Christchurch Mansion.

Paget Road: commemorates the connection of Lord Paget (later the Marquis of Anglesea) with Ipswich. In 1805, as Lord Paget, he received the Duke of York when he came to review the troops on Rushmere Heath.

Patteson Road: commemorates the connection between the Cobbold and Patteson families, and several of the Cobbolds bore Patteson as a second name. John Coleridge Patteson, the first Bishop of Melanesia and grandson of the Rev Henry Patteson of Drinkstone, was killed on a Pacific island in 1871, the result of trouble caused by Englishmen still engaged in slave trading. There is a large memorial cross to him in St Mary le Tower churchyard.

Pearce Road: This is on land developed by the Ipswich Freehold Land Society, of which Joseph Pearce was secretary 1850-1876.

Ringham Road: commemorates Henry Ringharn (1806-1866) of St John's Road, a wood- carver of national repute. He was involved in restoration work in over eighty Suffolk churches.

Shafto Road: a family name connected with the Adair family of Flixton Hall, Bungay, one of whose members, Hugh Edward Adair, was MP for Ipswich 1847-1874.

Sherrington Road: commemorates Sir Charles Scott Sherrington OM (1857-1952) who attended Ipswich School 1871-1876 and later mamied into the Wright family of Preston Manor, Suffolk. He discovered the physiology of the brain, for which he received a 1932 Nobel Prize.

Toller Road: commemorates Richard Toller, head brewer and manager 1896-1922 at the nearby Cobbold's brewery.

Tudor Place: off Woodbridge Road near Christchurch Street, was named as it led to Tudor's Circus which was held for many years on the meadow which stood adjacent to the Mulberry Tree (now The Milestone). The circus closed in 1904 and the Drill Hall was subsequently built on part of the site.

Wallace Road: commemorates Sir Richard Wallace of Sudbourne Hall, founder of the Wallace Collection in London. He was appointed High Steward of Ipswich in 188-3 and was President of Ipswich Museum 1876-1885.