Catalogue description Photographic copies of paintings of Goldrood, Ipswich

Internal and external views painted by Mary Ann Alexander (later Mrs Henry Shewell Corder) Listed by Mr. J.S. Grace, owner of the original album.

The characters in the pictures are:

A.L.A. Anna Louisa; A.M.A. Agnes Maria; A.O.A. Anna Olivia; A.S.A. Anna Sophia; E.M.A. Ellen Maria; E.A. Emily; F.A. Fredrick; G.A. George; J.A. Joseph; J.B.A. John Biddle; M.A.A. Mary Ann the artist; R.A. Rebecca; R.B.A. Rebecca Biddle; R.M. Rachel Maw W of S.A.M.; S.A.M. Samuel Alexander Maw; C.F. C. Fisk; E.T. E.Tuke; M.T. M. Tuke; P.T. P. Tuke; S.L. Samuel Lockwood; W.L. William Lockwood; S.N. S.Newsom; D of J.B.A.; D of J.B.A.; W of G.A.; D of W.H.A.; D of S.A.; D of J.B.A.; S of S.A.; S of S.A.; S of J.B.A.; D of S.A.; W of S.A.; D of S.A.; D of S.A.

(For other photographs of the Alexander family see K 420)

Purchased by the Suffolk Record Office 4 September 1984

Acc No 6852

• Alexander, Mary Ann, fl, 1850, artist
• Corder, Mary Ann Shewell, fl 1850, artistAlexander family of Ipswich, Suffolk

Notes compiled by Mr. J.S. Grace

THE GOLDROOD BOOK

The Goldrood Book is one of the albums of Mary Ann Alexander which comprises paintings of Goldrood house internal and external views and also poems produced between 1840 and 1850. She married Henry Shewell Corder at Needham Market on 27:12:1850. She was born in 1815 and died in 1913 and her children were Henry b1855:d1944 and Marianne b1857:d1947 who married Herbert Marriage in 1878.

M.A.A. was the daughter of Samuel Alexander b1773-d1838 and Rebbeca S (Biddle) b...: d1849 m1805 and their other children were:

Sophia b1806:d1865 m W. H. Alexander

Elizabeth b1807:d1846

Ellen Maria b1808:d1865 m Wm. Henry Norton

Rachel b1809:d1899 m Samuel Alexander Maw

Samuel b1810:d1878 m?

John Biddle b1812:d1863 m Anna Sophia Phillips

George b1813:d m Ann Olivia

Marianne Gibbs

Fredrick b1814:d m Lydia Burtt Sims

Rebecca B. b1817:d1887

Charlotte b1818:d1822

Gurney b1819:d1819

GOLDROOD IPSWICH

Goldrood was the home of the Alexander family, from 1811 till 1850. The family business was initially that of ship owners in the Iron and Corn trade.

The Bank of Alexander & Co. was opened at Needham Market in 1744 as a regular bank. A branch was opened in Ipswich on Market Days and this became a regular bank in 1767 and the Head Office in 1804

In 1809 the firm became known as Alexander Spooner and Alexander and from 1838 to 1845 was called Dykes Alexander & Co.

In 1878 the firm amalgamated with Gurney & Co. of Norwich who had founded a regular Bank about 1770 as the Norwich & Norfolk Bank.

Samuel Alexander nephew of William Alexander the founder had married Elizabeth daughter of John Gurney one of the founders of that Bank.

In 1896 the banks amalgamated to form the Ipswich and Woodbridge Bank

In 1822 a member of the firm was robbed of £31,199 in notes! on the way home from London. A reward of £1,000 was offered and subsequently increased to £5,000 ! Most of the money was recovered by negotiations with the thieves solicitors.

Bernard Barton the Quaker poet was a clerk at the Woodbridge branch of the Bank for nearly 40 years. His wife Lucy was the daughter of Martha Jesup (Alexander) a sister of Samuel Alexander's father.

GOLDROOD Historical Notes

with acknowledgment to research by

A.M.C. Wilcox of St. Joseph's College

Goldrood is situated in the Parish of St. Mary Stoke in the district of Belstead Ipswich Suffolk.

From the Parish registers of rates it is found that in 1808 Dykes Alexander bought an isolated country cottage built by a Mr. Head in 1799 on land known as GOLDEN ROOD or GOLDROOD and in 1809 the ownership changed to Samuel Alexander.

In 1811 Samuel built his country mansion on the land, as is revealed by the increase in rates for the period.

There were also covenants on the land between the house and the river Orwell prohibiting the erection of obstructions to the view of the river, these covenants remained in force until recent times.

In 1851 the property was owned by Captain Henry Lacon until 1890 when ownership passed to the Hon. Stanhope Tollemache B.A., J.P. a brewer of Ipswich.

In 1898 the property was owned by William Pretty until 1928 when it passed into the ownership of R. H. Paul Esq. of the local grain firm until the death of Mrs. Paul in 1963.

The Property was then acquired by the Trustees of St. Joseph's College who owned the adjoining house Birkfield which had been bought in 1946 by the London Province of the De la Salle Brothers.

The new House forms additional dormitory facilities for the College, a new wing has been added in 1984 to increase the accommodation.

GOLDROOD Origins of name

Goldrood has been known in historical times under various versions of the name eg. Gold Rood; Goldenrood; Goldroyd. The name refers to an ancient and celebrated CROSS or ROOD which stood near by in Monastic times. The Cross is refered to in documents as a miraculous Rood.

The word "Rood" as in rood-screen means the Cross of Christ and comes from the Old English "ROD" a cross or gallows.

The cross is referred to in the perambulations of the town in 1351 & 1522 by the Bailiffs.

GOLDROOD 1984

Goldrood House is a listed building and the building has been extended and modified at various times since 1850. Bays have been added on either side of the entrance and the first floor room extended over the portico.

The College has just completed a new dormitory block on the end of the kitchen wing in keeping with the original house.

The drawing room at 1st. floor is a circular room with a domed ceiling under the dome in the pictures, with moulded plaster work centre, the door is also curved to follow the shape of the room.

The view of the Orwell is now partially obscured by a new housing development.