Monk Soham

Monk Soham directly means "monks" meadow by a "lake". The monks belonged to the abbey at Bury, and were given the land in the late 10th century by Alfed, Bishop of East Anglia. The lake no longer exists, however, it is believed to have reclined north of the back road which now runs from Earl Soham towards Ashfield-cum-Thorpe.^[6][7]

In Domesday Book, "Soham" was described as a village which consisted of both Monk and Earl Soham.^[8] Monk Soham was considered to be in the Bishop's Hundred along with Hoxne,^[9] while Earl Soham was considered to be in a different hundred for judicial purposes. This suggests that both villages have since been separated, as on twenty-first century maps they have distinguished boundaries. Domesday Book also states Monk Soham had fifteen acres of meadow and woodland for thirty pigs and eighty-one goats in the 11th century; this suggests that the rural town was focused on farming and agriculture and carried on this sector of work for many centuries, and in 1868 the parish was recorded as "wholly agricultural".^[10] Most of the woods were cut down between 1500 and 1640 to make room for pasture. County records describe the village as consisting mainly of meadow with the farming of dairy cows, pigs, horses and poultry as well as growing a variety of crops.^[11] Following the 13th century reorganization of the hundreds, Monk Soham was in Hoxne Hundred.

Monk Soham was described as having a small market on a Saturday and a charity school in 1813.^[12] In the mid-1800s, a village school was built for 85 pupils. Attendance averaged 82 by 1883, however, it fell to 42 in 1900 and after gradual decline, in 1947 the school was closed. In 1958 the Suffolk Parish History described Monk Soham as "a small dispersed settlement".^[13]

Abbey House is a listed historical Victorian Rectory, set in an idyllic setting surrounded by ten acres of private garden and meadowland. The house lies hidden amongst the many magnificent old oak, beech and lime trees in the grounds.^[14]

Claude Morley, the English antiquary and entomologist who specialised in Hymenoptera^[15] and Diptera,^[16] lived in Monk Soham House from 1904 until his death in 1951. It is clear that the monks used to take part in the recreational sport of fishing as the fishponds they used can still be identified^[17] today although most have dried up.

Census data for Monk Soham dates back to 1801. The earliest recorded population total at this time was 329. The highest number to be recorded by the census was in 1851 with a total population of 448. The population of this parish has been in decline since 1851, with the lowest recorded being in 2011 with a total population of 156, which is under half of the highest recorded figure.^[18][19]

The main industry recorded for the village in 1831 was in agriculture, in particular, 57% of inhabitants were agricultural labourers. In the 2011 Census this figure had dropped to 0% and the most popular occupations with 24% of the people are the managers, directors and senior officials' jobs. The explanation for this is due to Britain's shift from primary sector jobs to secondary and finally tertiary. This will also explain why most of the other jobs are in the tertiary sector such as customer service occupations and caring, leisure and other service occupations.^[20][21] This century, many inhabitants commute to London, Ipswich, Norwich and Cambridge leaving few to work on the land.^[22]

A church has been recorded in Monk Soham since 1086, however, the earliest parts of the present building date from 1300.^[23]

St Peter's Church has a notable Seven Sacrament font,^[24] which is one of thirteen in Suffolk and one of forty in the UK, which is finely detailed. The panel facing east is for the Mass, and then; Baptism (NE), Ordination (N), Confirmation (NW), Last Rites (W), Matrimony (SW), Crucifixion (S) and Confession (SE).^[25] There is also a square embattled tower.^[26] Archdeacon Robert Groome was the rector of Monk Soham for forty-four years from 1845, and spent £850 in 1860 on restoring St Peter's after the structure was in such bad condition. His friend and poet Edward Fitzgerald gave him four yew trees which were planted by the church gates. To remember the 2000 millennium, in the churchyard a further two more yew trees were planted in union with the Parish Council.^[27]