Catalogue description BLOIS FAMILY

(An account compiled by Mr. Robert Parr, formerly of Yoxford).

Claim to be connected with Stephen, comte de Blois, who came over with the Conqueror. Their traceable connection with Suffolk begins at the end of the fifteenth century.

In the 16th century they were prominent merchants in Ipswich, I Thomas Blois (died 1528), II Richard Blois (died 1559), III William Blois (died 1607), IV William Blois (died 1621), being four generation, all of whom resided in the parish of St. Nicholas, where the first and third are buried.

Richard Blois was a Portman of Ipswich: he lived in a house called The Christopher, which afterwards was The Mansion House; and this he devised to his son William who lived and died there. Richard Blois himself retired to Grundisburgh, where he had purchased property, and he is buried in Grundisburgh church.

Among that property was an ancient farmhouse known as "Sigers", which, says Richard Blois's great-grandson, "was always the chief ferme in Grundisburgh". William Blois (No.III above) added a new parlour to it in July, 1589, and William Blois (No.IV) a kitchen in August, 1621. The latter's son V (William Blois also) made a hall, parlour, stairs etc., in 1624. As thus completed "Sigers" became "Grundisburgh Hall".

This Mr. William Blois (No.V) retired from business, and lived at Grundisburgh as a country squire, adding to and rounding off his estate by judicious purchases as occasion offered: both he and his father appear to have sold house property in Ipswich as they acquired land outside. He has left a pious record of the transactions in these words - "I desire thankfully to acknowledge the goodness of God who was pleased to afford us opportunity to purchase"....... (certain property)........ "whereby we were accommodated with many parcels of land which were either bordering upon our lands or else dispersed and scattered among our land, which hath made ourselves more compleate. According to that promise in Isaiah c.20 v 23, 'In that day shall thy cattell feed in large pastures'. And for this I extoll the providence and favour of our gracious God".

This Mr. Blois had a sister Abigail, who married John Hodges, esq. of Woodbridge. He also had a daughter Abigail (died unmarried 1652), and a granddaughter of the same name (died an infant 1665), both the latter are buried at Grundisburgh.

He was M.P. for Suffolk, 1654 and 1656, and for Ipswich 1661. Died 1673.

VI. Sir William Blois, Knt. was son of the last-named by his wife Cecily, daughter of Sir Thomas Wingfield of Letheringham. He married twice: and through his first wife, Martha, daughter of Sir Robert Brooke, Knt., of Cockfield Hall, Yoxford, acquired that property, which is the present seat of the Blois family. Sir William himself appears to have resided partly at Yoxford and partly at Grundisburgh, but his son VII Sir Charles Blois, created a baronet in 1686, removed finally to Cockfield Hall, though the family continued to be buried at Grundisburgh for another half-century. Grundisburgh Hall remained their property until about 1800, but had degenerated into a farmhouse again.

The predecessors of the Blois family at 'Sigers' were the Wingfields, of whom three generations owned it. Sir Anthony Wingfield, K.G., sold it to Mr. Richard Blois: This Sir Anthony was great-grandfather of the Cecily Wingfield who afterwards married into the Blois family and thus returned to her ancestral home. At an earlier date (temp. Ed.II and III) the house was called Wergen Hall.