West Stow Dorlings 

This is part of a letter from Margaret Dorling, born 13 Oct 1896, probably at Culford, Suffolk,who wrote this in 1984:

"My father Esau Dorling (born 1865 West Stow) was the youngest of 9 as you may already know, and his mother, Margaret was left a widow when he was, I think about two years or so. She lived on North Stow Heath, which is very out of the way, I remember going there once. The cottages stood in the midst of heath land, a fine place, I would think, for rabbits! not many trees, as I remember it. Of course there are plenty of trees at Culford. I suspect you will hardly remember Culford, and it has altered lately, since the Estate was sold in 1935, and the East Anglian School bought it, they have lately made other changes at the Hall, pulling down kitchen and ...etc and building a large Assembly Hall to hold about 1000 + also the girls school is now at Culford. These schools used to be at Bury St Edmunds. Well, the only Dorlings I know, are busy working people, interested in tilling the Soil and cultivating Gardens, wherever they are & so they are I think, by nature Countymen. Grandfather, my Father, was very busy with his garden and allotment in his spare time. HIs work was hard & meant often a long walk to and fro (oh, my poor feet), no byke and seldom a ride I think except, he sometimes was on the Engine which was used on the Estate for different things., to take the elevator & drum, for thrashing, the stacks, corn etc, no combined harvestors then. + yet he could make a beautiful bouquet of flowers for the flower show, + 1st prize. I remember he said when making it, its for 1st prize, & it was."