#56, John COBBOLD
| Born | 06 Feb 1745 in Harwich, Essex |
|---|---|
| Died | 14 Jun 1835 in Ipswich, Suffolk |
| Occupation | 3rd generation Brewer. Banker and Merchant. |
| Father | Thomas COBBOLD (1708 - 21 Apr 1767) |
|---|---|
| Mother | Sarah COBBOLL (sic) (14 Feb 1717 - 30 Jul 1777) |
The family brewery was founded in Harwich in 1723 by John's grandfather Thomas Cobbold (1680-1752).
Thomas soon discovered that the water in Harwich was too brackish so in 1727 he started shipping clear spring water down the Orwell by barge from the 'Holy Wells'. The business prospered to the extent that in 1746 he decided to move his family and the brewery to a site on the Cliff above the Orwell at Holy Wells. There has been a Cliff Brewery in Ipswich ever since.
The founder died shortly afterwards and his son another Thomas Cobbold (1708-1767) took over. The business still flourished but 'young' Thomas died only 15 years after his father and John, the 3rd generation found himself at the helm when only 22 years old. He had been educated at Greenwich and he turned out to be a natural businessman. His granddaughter, Emily Caroline remembers him having fair hair and blue eyes. Contemporary portraits suggest he was a well-built man. He had inherited property in Harwich and Dovercourt and the prosperity of the business provided him with an enviable lifestyle.
He married Elizabeth Wilkinson (1753-1790) in 1773 and she bore him 15 children in 17 years before, unsurprisingly dying. Another Elizabeth, this time Clarke nee Knipe (1764-1824) was his second wife who gave him another 7 children in 8 years. With his large philoprogenitive capacity satisfied he turned his attention to banking. Bacon,Cobbold,Rodwell,Dunningham,Cobbold & Co. received a substantial injection of cash from the brewery business which allowed it to survive the 1825 banking crisis and build a profitable banking business which was to trade for another 80 years.
His big family raised, his new house built, his duties as a Magistrate completed and his businesses prosperous he died in 1835 at the age of 90. He was certainly entitled to feel that his life was a job well done.
Anthony Cobbold 2006
Recently we have taken to calling him 'Big John' (which is a pretty accurate description) to distinguish him from his 6 John Cobbold descendants.
His will was dated 30th May 1832 and proved 27th June 1835
Timeline
Born
Death of Father, Thomas COBBOLD
Married Elizabeth WILKINSON
Birth of Son, John Wilkinson COBBOLD
Birth of Son, James COBBOLD
Birth of Daughter, Elizabeth COBBOLD
Death of Mother, Sarah COBBOLL (sic)
Birth of Daughter, Sarah COBBOLD
Birth of Daughter, Maria COBBOLD
Birth of Son, Thomas COBBOLD
Birth of Daughter, Mary COBBOLD
Death of Daughter, Mary COBBOLD
Birth of Daughter, Mary COBBOLD
Birth of Son, William COBBOLD
Birth of Daughter, Anne COBBOLD
Birth of Daughter, Harriet COBBOLD
Birth of Son, George COBBOLD
Birth of Daughter, Sophia COBBOLD
Birth of Son, Henry Gallant COBBOLD
Birth of Son, Frederick COBBOLD
Death of wife, Elizabeth WILKINSON
Married Elizabeth KNIPE in St Clements, Ipswich
Birth of Son, Robert Knipe COBBOLD
Birth of Son, Charles COBBOLD
Birth of Son, Rowland COBBOLD
Birth of Son, Francis COBBOLD
Birth of Son, Richard COBBOLD
Birth of Son, Edward COBBOLD
Death of Son, Henry Gallant COBBOLD
Birth of Daughter, Frances Catherine COBBOLD
Death of Daughter, Maria COBBOLD
Death of Son, Francis COBBOLD
Death of Son, Rowland COBBOLD
Death of Daughter, Anne COBBOLD
Death of Daughter, Frances Catherine COBBOLD
Death of wife, Elizabeth KNIPE
Death of Son, William COBBOLD
Death of Daughter, Sophia COBBOLD
Died 1835