History Bury Road, Lawshall

1 history

1.1 catholic mission @ coldham cottage
1.2 coldham cottage roman catholic school
1.3 flight sergeant johannes bartholomeus jat van mesdag

history
catholic mission @ coldham cottage

the church of our lady immaculate , st joseph, otherwise known coldham cottage, located in bury road near entrance coldham hall. time of reformation history of catholic mission had been closely linked rookwood family , coldham hall. hall in neighbouring parish of stanningfield main entrance gatehouse, avenue , present church in lawshall.

the rookwoods had been in area since 1315, built magnificent house in 1574 , pulled down former residence. new house constructed built-in secret attic chapel, hiding hole , escape down chimney outer wall.

four years after completion of hall queen elizabeth paid visit lawshall. efforts made rookwoods persuade visit them @ hall these rewarded 1 of family being thrown in prison in bury st edmunds later died. disturbances between roman catholics , protestants touched village in many ways. tale of fines , confiscations can followed in rookwood records. during these difficult times priests stayed @ coldham hall names not recorded security.

sometimes during late sixteenth century or seventeenth century attic chapel no longer used religious purposes. place used mass, buried in woods , surrounded moat. second chapel @ house named barfords , building, remains of chapel still survives. @ time rookwoods linked gage family @ hengrave hall when sir thomas gage took on coldham hall mother rookwood. brother fr. john gage brought coldham mission end arranging many people travel new church in bury st edmunds. in attempt stop drop in communicants @ beginning of nineteenth century third chapel built @ coldham hall. still there no longer used services.

in 1865 when fr. patrick rogers priest new challenges arose when coldham hall sold because of financial difficulties. mass said @ barfords once again until 1870 when presbytery @ coldham cottage adapted , extended form present church. @ time catholic school moved site adjacent new church.

coldham cottage dates late seventeenth/early eighteenth century , has timber-frame, whitewashed , rendered, pantile roof , brick central ridge , right end projecting stacks. separate church created utilising 1 unit of existing house (kitchen , bedroom removal of floor) , building on extension. whole represents unusual , rare instance of continuing catholic use @ least eighteenth century.

following renovation work cottage, there resident priest facility provide holiday accommodation clergy wanting take time off own parishes. present church oldest roman catholic mission in suffolk.

coldham cottage roman catholic school

over period of 127 years children roman catholic families in lawshall , stanningfield able attend roman catholic school. school first established in 1816 on coldham hall estate, catholic girls boarding school. moved in 1823 barfields, farm building on estate had been adapted use chapel along school under care of miss mayston. lived in house next chapel , had school in best room.

after estate sold in 1867, school moved year later land adjacent new church @ bury road. land bought purpose @ estate sale. building included upper room stage theatricals. annexe built in 1870 , new larger classroom added in 1933. school remained @ bury road until closed in 1950.

flight sergeant johannes bartholomeus jat van mesdag

a memorial stone located on bury road flight sergeant johannes bartholomeus jat van mesdag, aged 21, lost life during night of 6 march 1945 while flying mustang mk.iii. mother s birthday. memorial dedicated saints church, lawshall on 8 november 2009 , located near spot plane came down. prior war breaking out johannes studying in united states. during period lived in ardsley, new york. joined dutch forces in canada before being sent uk, arriving on 17 august 1942 , gaining wings on 26 november 1943. flew no. 64 squadron based @ raf bentwaters, suffolk.