WALTON BURRELL ARCHIVE

THE BURRELL ALBUM The archive consists of an album containing circa 2,161 photographic images, notes, letters and certificates. Most of the photographs were taken in the area around Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk encompassing the parishes of Ampton, Great Barton, Cavenham, Clare, Culford, Fakenham, Flempton, Fornham St Martin, Fornham St Genevieve, Garboldisham (Norfolk), Hengrave, Ingham, Mildenhall, Newmarket, North Stow, Thetford (Norfolk), Timworth, West Stow and Wickhambrook. There are also a few photographs taken at the East Anglian coastal parishes of Dunwich, Sheringham and Cromer and further a field in London, Canterbury, Rochester, Sussex and the Channel Island of Jersey. The photographs cover for the most part the first twenty years of the 20th century with a few from the late 19th century. The last dated photograph in the album is of a winter scene in 1929 Several of the photographs are typical of an Edwardian family album showing members of Waltons' family at their home in Fornham St Martin celebrating the wedding anniversaries of their parents and relaxing in the grounds of Hall Farm. Other photographs show local houses, churches, and wildlife and general views of the East Anglian countryside. A large number of the photographs illustrate the effect of the First World War on the 'Home Front'. These images cover soldiers of various regiments and nationalities both on and off duty. There are numerous photographs taken at the Red Cross Hospitals established in the county to care for wounded soldiers. He captured the damage left by zeppelin raids on the county (particularly Bury St Edmunds) and was also able to photograph the restricted area in west Suffolk where prototype tanks were tested. Finally Burrell photographed the dedication ceremonies for several of the war memorials erected in the villages and towns during the1920s. CAPTIONS Most of the photographs have captions written by Burrell below them, some give locations for the images others the names of the people shown. Where these captions exist they have been included in the description within quotation marks. In some cases Burrell has added pencil notes to photographs of soldiers noting their death during the First World War. Where Burrell has left a blank and the name or place is recognized these have been added to the catalogue in square brackets. THE BURRELL FAMILY Walton Robert Burrell was the eldest of fourteen children born to Mr Walton Burrell and his wife Ellen. The family resided in Suffolk at Hall Farm in Fornham St Martin until 1919 when they moved to 43 Risbygate Street, Bury St Edmunds. Many of the photographs in the album are taken at Hall Farm. The Burrell family consisted of Walton Robert, Ellen 'Nellie', William, Florence, Lewis (died in infancy), Henry (died age 8), Beatrice, Catherine, Frank, Evelyn, Louise, [Maud] Clare, Mabel and Duncan. Nellie married the Reverend Henry Boldero, he and two of their children Monica and Henry appear in the album. Florence married a Mr Charles Webb and she served as a Red Cross nurse during the First World War. The 1881/1891 census notes that Walton Robert, Beatrice, Clare and Duncan were deaf from birth. Mr Walton Burrell was a long serving parish official in Fornham St Martin and also served as a director of Kempton Park racecourse. The final photographs in the album show the family grave in Fornham St Martin where Burrells parents Ellen and Walton were buried in 1923 and 1925 after over sixty years of marriage. Walton Robert Burrell died in 1944 aged eighty one

Album purchased by the Friends of the Suffolk Record Office (FOSRO) and deposited at the Bury St Edmunds branch