Several years ago I inherited a family photo album. The photographer was my maternal grandmother, Ethel Hewitt (née Edwards) 1895-1973, and the photos were taken between 1909 and 1922.

Ethel had an elder sister, Kate (aka Kit) 1894-1927, and a younger brother, Bernard 1911-1999. Their father was John Edwards 1866-1950 who was the co-founder of the firm J&J Edwards, gentleman’s outfitters of Tavern Street together with his brother James.

Their mother was Ada Edwards (née Popplewell) 1870-1956 and the family lived at 22 Tuddenham Road, Ipswich.

1. Ethel's self-potrait.

Ethel’s maternal grandparents were John (1840-1928) and Mary (1844-1933) Popplewell and they lived at 49 Bolton Lane – see the photograph 8 on page 7: ‘A Picnic at Orwell’. John ran a business which had been started by his father in Woodbridge Road called W. Popplewell & Son. Originally selling bicycles, they then progressed to motor cycles and later cars. On a receipt of the 1920s they describe themselves as ‘Cycle and Motor Cycle Agents for Sunbeams, Singers, Rovers, Triumphs, Calcotts and Auto-Wheels’. On a receipt of 1935 they are then main agents for ‘A.J.S., B.S.A., Douglas and Triumph Motor Cycles. Austin and Triumph Car Agents’.

In April 1921 there is the first photograph of a young man named Cyril Hewitt, 1898-1978, and he appears with increasing frequency until the final photo in the album which is dated September 1922. He and Ethel married in July 1923. Cyril took over, from his father, the running of the family grocery business, W. Hewitt & Son of 23-25, Upper Brook Street until it closed in, I believe, 1969.

Regarding J&J Edwards (photograph 11), Bernard joined the family business and continued to run the firm after his father retired. It was a popular and successful shop with a highly regarded reputation before it eventually closed in January 1968.

Michael Atkinson

 

 

 

2. Bernard in his pushchair April 1913 with a flock of sheep in Christchurch Park. Is this how the council maintained the greensward? The houses in the background would be in Westerfield Road.

 

 

 

 

3. This photo is annotated ‘Christchurch Park Donkey and Kate feeding him’, June 1911.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. This photo is annotated ‘Ransomes No.6 out on a test without a body. Miss Rose and Kit wired this up on their own’ and is dated March 18 1918.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. 3 photos in 1. Bottom left September 29 1911; bottom right December 30 1911.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Wool Pack Inn. This is annotated ‘Kate, Kathleen and Margaret snapped on the tree trunk before a set of tennis’ June 17 1915.

 

 

 

 

 

6. Picnic at Framlingham. Bottom L&R Ada, Bernard, Kate and John Edwards.

 

 

 

 

 

8. A Picnic at Orwell September 5 (1917?) from left Kate, Bernard and John Edwards, Mary Popplewell, John Popplewell and Ada Edwards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. The Cenotaph with the Butter Market beyond. It bears the words: ‘For the fallen’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Snow scene: Christchurch Park, December 1920 by the Wilderness Pond.

 

 

11. The final photo shows the premises of J&J Edwards at 33-35, Tavern St (note the 2 small girls in their white dresses standing in front of the shop) and on the back of the photo it states: ‘2 little girls are Ethel and Kate Edwards. This would be early 1900s’.

Photograph of J&J Edwards shop and the information on the W. Popplewell & Son business came from the family archive held by John Edwards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. a sample of Ethel's colourwork on a panel from the album.

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