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SUTTON,
The
line of low hills to the south of the village was once an ancient reef made up
of shelly Coralline Crag at the base of which was a seam of phosphatised
nodules, known locally as "coprolites“. They were thought to be the
fossilised droppings of dinosaurs that naturally attracted the interest of a
number of interested Victorian geologists. They began to be raised on a large
scale in this area of Suffolk from the mid-1840s as they were much in demand by
manure manufacturers. By dissolving them in sulphuric acid, it resulted in
superphosphate, a valuable artificial fertiliser.
Sometime
around 1845 it seemed the workings had started nearby as a visiting geologist
commented,
"Near Ramsholt
Creek, Sutton, as in other parts of the Suffolk Crag large quantities of fossil
teeth, bone and coprolitic substances are found. These are rich in phosphate of
lime and are now collected for agricultural purposes. They are found mixed with
sand and gravel from 2 - 4 feet below the surface and about 300 tons had been
procured from about a rood of ground which had been turned up."
(Wiggins,
John F.G.S. Quart.Journ.Geol.Soc.vol.iv, p.294)
Yields
of 1,200 tons an acre would have meant an enormous fortune for the landowner,
especially when labour costs ranged between £0.40 to £0.50
a ton and the fossils could be sold to manure manufacturers at prices up to £3
per ton. According to several sources, this pit was most likely on the estate
of Thomas Waller, who lived in Sutton Hall. (Wood, S.V., (1858) 'Fossils of the
Red Crag,' Journ.Geol.Soc.,pp.40-1) Although there is
a suggestion Mr. Waller was still involved in 1850, the census taken the
following year only showed him as a "Farmer
of 560 acres employing 26 labourers." Digging fossils was a labourer's
work and many did not describe themselves as "coprolite" or
"fossil" labourers.
There
have been no documents to shed light on Waller's involvement during the 1850s
but it seemed he must have done very well for himself. By 1861, aged 61, he was
described as living at "Sutton Hall, Owner and farmer of 800 acres
employing 38 men and 15 boys." However, the census noted that the industry
had declined, not because the seam had been exhausted but because many diggers
had migrated to workings in Cambridgeshire, "where more available deposits
have been discovered." (1861 census vol.1,p.353)
This was the explanation in the census for the village's decline in population
since 1851 but there were still deposits to exploit.
In
W.G Arnott's description of the estuary it was mentioned
that Stonner Point, on Waller's estate, had been used
as a landing place throughout the period of human settlement in the area.
"Quite
a large settlement formerly existed round the Green at the back of the Point
and it was a busy part of the parish when the coprolite industry was in full
swing during the 19th century. Stonner Quay was built
by Thomas Waller of Sutton Hall about 1850 for the purpose of shipping
coprolite when the old barge channel was deepened. Coprolite, which is
fossilised animal dung, was used as a fertiliser for the land and was dug in
large quantities all over the neighbourhood and particularly at Ham Woods. It
fetched about £3 a ton and thousands of tons were shipped annually from the Debenside quays to all parts of the kingdom. The industry
gave employment to hundreds of men, women and children between Bawdsey and Woodbridge, and there were men living in Waldringfield now who were earning 6d. a
day "coproliting" and sleeping on benches
in the bar of the Maybush Inn on a Saturday night
because they were too tired to go home."
(W.G.
Arnott, (1950), 'Suffolk Estuary', p.107)
The
digging was very much a labour intensive industry covering much of southeast
Suffolk and the fortunes it brought in to the landowners have been described as
enormous. Another large farmer at that time was Henry Edwards who employed 30
labourers on his 1,000 acres. Whether any of them left to work the coprolites
or whether he had them extracted on his land is uncertain but there were many
cases of farmers having to increase farm wages to ensure the landwork was done. (Suff.R.O.
FC47.A1/1) A William Ely, was recorded as a
"coprolite miner" in the 1861 census and evidence shows he bought
"irons, rivets and sives" from the Boyton blacksmith. (Strong, Brian, 'The Accounts of a
Suffolk Village Blacksmith 1859 - 1881', Journal of the Tool and Trades History
Society p.55)
As
no records of leases have come to light, it would appear that the landowners
arranged to have them worked without any need for much paperwork and arranged
for them to be sent on to the manure works in Ipswich and elsewhere.
Interestingly several geological papers appeared in the mid-1860's after the
discovery of what appeared to be the ends of some animal's tusks. (Lankester,E.'Mammalian Fossils of
the Red Crag,'Q.J.G.S.,(1865),pp.221-32; Prestwich,J. 'Structure of Crag Beds,'Q.J.G.S.,
(1868), p.460
By
1871 Mr. Waller had expanded his holdings and become a leading figure in the
parish. Aged 70 he was described as a "Landowner and Occupier of 1025
acres employing 70 men and 17 boys." Again none of the locals termed
themselves coprolite or fossil labourers so one is left uncertain as to how
many were involved. About this time one of the largest exporters of coprolite
in the district, William Colchester, had become very much involved. Although no
documentation has emerged it seemed as though he had a lease from Waller or
another landowner, whereby, for a number of years, his manager was allowed to
work the land and raise the phosphates at the same time.
"
(Prestwich,J. (1871), 'Structure of
Crag Beds,'Q.J.G.S.,p.116, read 1868)
Mr.
Colchester and his son made a valuable collection of fossils from the pit
including bones from mastadon, rhinoceros, deer,
cetaceous whale, and other skulls, bones and vertebra. They were noted as being
generous in giving samples to visiting geologists. This naturally attracted the
attention of a group from the British Museum who visited several pits on the
estate.
"Leaving the river, we ascended the hill
towards Mr. Colchester's farm at Sutton. We saw the first large accumulation at
the entrance to a field, probably 220 tons; we picked up a water-worn tooth of
the great shark Carcharadon, and another of Lamna, but no good examples of coprolites, although some
pieces showed the twisted form slightly. On enquiring for Mr. Wood (Mr
Colchester's steward), he soon appeared, and was most obliging and attentive to
us throughout. He amused us by pulling from his pocket a handful of shark's
teeth, two fossil crabs, and a very fine corkscrew coprolite, the best specimen
I ever remember to have seen. These he presented to us."
(Woodward, H. (1866), 'An Excursion to the Crag District,' Intell. Observer,vol.8,p.39)
Mr.
Woodward pointed out for the benefit of prospective entrepreneurs who might be
interested in venturing into the industry, that each operation was not always
successful. He confirmed Prestwich's point that Mr
Colchester had arranged to have a pit opened up on the south side of the hill
but when it proved unremunerative it was filled up
one or two years later and the ground levelled between 1861-2. A lot of the
rubble from these pits was used to reinforce the sea walls along the banks of
the river. (Whitaker, W. Proc.Geol.Soc.,vol.v.)
In
Mr Whitaker's account of the geology of the area, a section of the workings was
taken in 1868. Seen on page .. it
clearly shows five pits around what was termed Crag Hill. (Whitaker,
(1885), 'Geology of Ipswich Etc.' Mem.Geol.Surv.
pp.67-9.) The financial success of other of these workings, in terms of
labour for the diggers and carters, and royalties for the landowners and
compensation to tenants for land out of cultivation, would have certainly
stimulated the local economy. It encouraged nearby landowners to allow the bed
to be worked on their land. The tenant of Pettistree
Hall had the deposit on their land raised. In 1871another
geologist, Mr. Prestwich, referred to a working on
the slight rise to the south of Pettistree Hall,
close to the Deben. Here the nodule bed was
excavated to a depth of 22 feet (8.1m.). (Prestwich,
(1871), Quart.Journ.Geol.Soc. vol.xxvii.,
pp.116-8)
The
trade directory for 1874, in its description of included the comment, "Large
quantities of coprolites are found in this parish," and also gave some
clues as to who else might have been involved. Waller by this time had become
the Lord of the Manor with Charles Austin, Lord of the Manor for Fen Hall.
Other landowners possibly involved were Lord Rendlesham,
who had the coprolites raised from his estates in Boyton,
Butley, Bawdsey, Capel St. Andrew and Ramsholt in
the late 1850s, W.T. Phillips, Horace Weston, R. V. Edwards and C. Walker. The
one most likely involved, however, was Charles Girling
who was described as Farmer and Manure Agent of Pettistree
Hall. (White's Directory,1874)
By
1876 Thomas Waller, his son or relative of the same name, took over the tenancy
of Church Farm across the river in Waldringfield and
the Waller family continued the coprolite diggings there until the mid-1890s.
Whether he left sons to continue the work in Sutton was again unclear but this
was certainly the "boom" period for the industry. It would appear
likely that any worthwhile deposits would have been exploited at least until
1879 when the import of cheaper foreign phosphate brought prices tumbling.
In
Whitaker's account of the geology of the area, published in the mid 1880s, it
was stated that,
"Much
of the ground between Nettle Hill Cliff and Sutton Hall has been found
productive of phosphate, and some of the abandoned pits are still open."
(Whitaker,
'Geology of Ipswich Etc.' Mem.Geol.Surv.(1885) pp.67-9.)
The
contractors were often unable to afford to continue when the fall in prices
made it uneconomic. Sections of several of these pits, including Bullock Yard
pit on the north side of the hill, just south east of the Hall can be seen on page ..
The
1881 census gave no indication of the work except that 59 year old Robert Long
who had been born in Sutton, was described as a coprolite raiser living on the
Main Road, Hollesley. It appeared however, that there
was a slight revival a few years later, as in 1883, by which time Colchester's
lease would likely have expired, the trade directory mentioned, "Thomas
Waller occupied the Sutton Hall Estate where two urns were dug up a few years
ago, which contained copper coins of the reign of Constantine." (Kelly's
1883; White's 1885) Although the map reported them having being unearthed in
1870 (GR.30624514) the archaeological records omitted the date stating that,
"two coin hoards were unearthed by the coprolite diggers
during the diggings and they included nearly a bushel of mainly Constantian bronze and copper coins from c.330 AD. buried in a Saxon urn. Ten of them were donated to the
Ipswich Museum."
(SCSMR.03678.)
Coprolite
prices rose slightly in the 1880s, but not to the heights they had reached in
the 1870's when up to £3.00 per ton was being paid. Just over £2.00 was paid
which resulted in contractors laying men off and paying lower wages to maintain
their profits.
The
1890 map showed several crag pits which may well have been where the coprolite
was worked and these were about half a mile northwest of Newshill
Barn and almost half a mile south south east of Broxted House, opposite the Oakhill
Plantation. (Suff.77NW) According to the local trade directory in 1892 there
must have been a slight revival both here and Waldringfield
as it included that, "The parish is rich in antediluvian shells and
fossils, numerous in the crag pits. There are also extensive diggings of
coprolites." (Kelly's Directory 1892) The decline of the industry was
explained well by W.G. Arnott.
"With
the advent of new kinds of fertilisers and quicker means of transport by the
railways, the industry waned and with it, the barge traffic up and down the
river, and it finally died out about 1895."
(Arnott, W.G. 'Suffolk Estuary', p.107)