In Search of the Leiston Gibbet

Trawling the web, as they say, I came across an entry with the above heading. My interest was further aroused when it was thought to have been located South of Leiston in the Aldringham or Knodishall area.

The investigation was taken under the headwind of Griffminsters Great Walks, which entailed a 6 mile walk around the heaths and commons of Coldfair Green, where an old winter fair used to be held on the Feast of St Andrew. Another area of interest was to locate a part of heartland that was known in the 1600’s as Friday Market Heath. The only reference to this comes from an old book from 1910 entitled The Chronicle of Theberton which details the route past the Gibbet.

Changes to Leiston’s boundary over the years had to be considered, but the investigator became confident, although it was not definitive, that the site of the Leiston Gibbet must be on the south side of the River Hundred. It was probably alongside the footpath beyond Mill Hill in Aldringham and before thus meets with Fitches Lane, which was then thought to be known as Green Way. This placed it in the old Hazelwood parish.

One story in 1606 involving the Gibbet, concerned the Browne family, when Agnes Browne was said to have murdered her husband John. It was thought, however that their servant Peter, was gibbeted for the crime.

The word ‘gibbet' was usually described as gallows, with chains or a metal cage attached, to leave the victim hanging on public display to deter others.

Mick Sturmey