14 January 2025
Mr Hermiston wrote:
Hello,
My inquiry is about the famous French resistance leader Jean Moulin, and the time he spent in (or near) Newmarket in the closing months of 1941. Moulin was over in the UK to meet with General De Gaulle, head of the French Government-in-exile, and plan resistance activities against the Germans in his occupied homeland. For a few weeks in Nov/Dec 1941 he appears to have made Newmarket his base – his radio operator Joseph Montjaret, who would accompany him on his flight back to France on Jan 1, 1942 (from RAF Stradishall) wrote in later years…
”If the will to fight, which animated us as young boys, had brought us together in London, then in Camberley to form the core of what would become the Free French Forces, my desire to fight in France itself had led me in November 1941 to a base near Newmarket to await my departure on a mission. It was a superb castle surrounded by an immense park where there were already Polish, Czech and Norwegian officers who were there for the same reason.”
And on the Jean Moulin website, there is this reference to his stay in Newmarket: ‘Jean Moulin stayed in London for about ten days before going to Newmarket in Suffolk, a vast estate belonging to Lord Beaverbrook, where he killed time between horseback riding, board games, cards and billiards’.
All the indications would appear to suggest that ‘a superb castle surrounded by an immense park’ and ‘a vast estate belonging to Lord Beaverbrook’ refer to Bedford Lodge. Actually, Lord Beaverbrook had sold it long before 1941 and by then Bedford Lodge was in the possession of the famous jockey and owner Henry Wragge. But the French visitors will have been aware of the Beaverbrook legacy.
So, as a writer and historian, I’m very keen to find out more about Jean Moulin’s short stay at Bedford Lodge (now of course a hotel and spa) in World War 2. Is there any documentary evidence (I’ve written to the hotel and asked them if they have any papers from that period)? Is there anyone still alive (highly unlikely of course), or any residents of the area whose relations talked about what went on at Bedford Lodge in WW2? Was the country house, as it then was, given over to distinguished visiting guests, agents and resistance leaders from occupied European countries?
If you can help me in my quest and shed any light on Jean Moulin’s time in Suffolk – or point me in the right direction – I would be most grateful.
Regards,
Roger Hermiston
12 March 2025
Hello.
I wondered if you might consider this (below) as being worthy of consideration, by a plaque or memorial. I say in the article in yesterday’s East Anglian Daily Times that few if any are aware of the “hinge” at Kentford upon which swung the fate of King Charles I and the future of England. I’d be very pleased to expand.
Kind regards
Brian Emsley
13 March 2025
Hi!
My son, Ben is involved in Boy Scouts and he’s working on earning his Genealogy badge. Since the topic piqued his interest, his leader encouraged him to do some research at home.Luckily we came across the Newmarket Local History Society site! Ben is really enjoying looking through the Family History page: https://newmarkethistory.org.uk/links/family-history/He really seems to have such an interest in learning more about genealogy and our family history… and he actually plans to visit his grandfather sometime this weekend to talk about some older relatives and look through some war journals. He’s really looking forward to it. :)Ben has struggled to find hobbies he really enjoys which is the reason we got him involved with the Boy Scouts program. It’s been great to see him so excited and invested in a passion project– I haven’t seen this big of a smile on his face in awhile.Ben was also hoping you could check out this additional resource: https://www.hmy.com/researching-your-familys-history-from-ships-passenger-lists/It’s all about researching your family through passenger lists. He thinks it would be wonderful for people who are also looking to explore their own history. He would be so excited if you were able to include the resource on the Family History page. & I know his troop leader would be very proud of him for going above and beyond.If it’s something you’re able to add… is there any chance it could be done by this coming Monday? That’s when his next meeting is.Hope to hear back from you soon. Thank you for all of your help and support. Any additional genealogy tips for Ben are more than welcome. 🙂
Best,
Jenny
