No 3 Queen Street
 
 

Built in the early 1600s but given a new Georgian facade in the late 1700s, this Grade 2 Listed house, together with its partner No 1 next door, originally constituted a single residence - The Elms. In the 1860s it was the home of Mrs M Rayley, widow of Capt C Rayley. Mrs Rayley was a noted benefactor of the community. Among many other good works she founded the Sailors' Reading Room in memory of her husband. The Elms was divided into two in 1925.


 

 
1916
Dr Dudley Willis Collings - MB (Lond). MRCS (Eng), MRCP (Lond). Physician and Surgeon. Medical Officer of Health for the Corporation, Medical Officer and vaccinator for the 6th District. Blything Union Surgeon and agent for the Admiralty, Surgeon to Trinity House and certifying Factory Surgeon. (K1916).

 
1925
Dr Collings has now moved his practice to his home at No 14 North Parade and the Blair family will soon move into No 3 Queen Street from their previous home at No 40 Stradbroke Road.

Note: The Collings and Blair families were close friends and this may have had something to do with their choice of home. Eric Blair (later to become famous as 'George Orwell') formed a lifelong friendship with Dr Collings' son Hubert Dennis Collings. This, despite having a secret and passionate affair with Dennis's girlfriend and later, wife, Eleanor Jacques. Eric's sister, Avril Blair and mother, Ida opened a fashionable teashop, 'The Copper Kettle' next door at No 5 Queen Street in about 1933.
 



 
 





 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

Residential
   

Do you have any memories or records about this address? Can you correct any of our information or fill in any of our blanks? If so, please email Barry Tolfree
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SOURCES:
BSD - Bernard Segrave-Daly
BCS = Bygones & Characters of Southwold by Barrett Jenkins
C = Census
CP = Cinema Programme 1958
CSP = Coronation Souvenir Programme 1953
G = Gales Trade Directory
GRO = General Register Office
K = Kelly's Directory
LM = Local memory
M = James Maggs' Southwold Diary 1818-1876
MCG = Methodist Church Guide 1930
NA = National Archives
PP = Pantomime Programme 1933
PLR = Petrol Licence Records
POD = Post Office Directory
PPP = Pier Pavilion Programme 1924, 1926
RCE = Rotary Club Exhibition 1969
SCM = Southwold Catholic Magazine 1923
SCTG = Southwold Corporation Tourist Guide
SER = Southwold Electoral Register
SFP = Southwold Scouts Fete Programme 1947
SG = Southwold Guide
SGCH = Southwold Golf Club Handbook
SLHR = Southwold Local History Recorder 1980s 1990s (Mrs R. McDermot)
SMHS = Southwold Museum & Historical Society
SN = Southwold & Neighbourhood 1903
SPM = Southwold Parish Magazine 1895 -1954
SR = Southwold Recorder 1927, 1932, 1934, 1935
SRB = Southwold Rate Book
SRT = Southwold Railway Timetable 1915
SSAS = Southwold Sea Angling Society Handbook 1909
SST = Southwold Summer Theatre Programmes
SSW = Southwold Shopping Week Programme, June/July 1922
STG = Southwold Town Guide 1930
SVL = Southwold Visitors List 1907, 1930
SVCP = Southwold Victory Celebration Programme 1946
SWCG = Southwold Wesleyan Church Guide
TTR = 'The Town Revisited' - Portraits of Southwold by Stephen Wolfenden 2000
TTT = ''To The Town' - Portraits of Southwold by Stephen Wolfenden 1988
W = White’s History, Gazetteer and Directory of Suffolk 1874
 
Note on dates
Unless otherwise stated, dates given do not indicate the years in which the business started or finished but those for which there is firm evidence that it was trading at this address. Sources in brackets; key at bottom of page.


Nos 1 and 3 Queen Street were originally one house. No 3 is on the left