GREAT BEALINGS, a parish in the hundred of Carlford, in the county of Suffolk. It is located approximately 2 miles to the W. of Woodbridge, which is its post town, and approximately 6 N.E. from Ipswich. The Great Eastern Railway has a station at Little Bealings serving Little and Great Bealings. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Norwich, its value is in the region of £250, and it is in the patronage of E. Moor, Esq. The church, a brick and stone building in the perpendicular style is dedicated to St. Mary. Close to the village is Bealings Hall. The parish has an area of about 1,029 acres, mainly arable land, the property of Lord Henniker, who is lord of the manor.

Edited from the entry in the National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

The Old Rectory at Gt. Bealings
(photo - Angela Marshall)

Winifred Fortescue, was born on the 7th February 1888 at The Rectory, Great Bealings, Suffolk. Her father, The Rev. Howard Beech M.A. was rector of St. Mary's Church, Great Bealings. She was the third child of Howard & Henrietta Mildred Beech. She spent most of her very happy childhood in and around the Suffolk village and often returned to visit her parents, after she had moved to London to take up an acting career at the age of 17 yrs.

(Click on the picture of the The Old Rectory to see a bigger version with more information.)

St. Mary's Church has not changed a great deal since Winifred's time and is in fine condition. It is in one of the most beautiful locations in Suffolk. In There's Rosemary There's Rue Winifred describes how, as a small girl, she hid at her fathers feet under the reading desk while he was conducting a service. Her life and the church and it's congregation are described in much detail in the first chapters of this book. Her favourite time of year was always Easter when the altar of the little church was dressed by her godmother, (the wife of the Squire), with fragrant lilies. She was baptised, confirmed and married at Easter. Winifred's mother was a fine musician - her great instrument was the organ and she would be perched up on the organ seat at the west end of the church during services.

Village War Memorial

The pathway from the road to the church gate

Churchyard entrance

Brick porch entrance

St Mary's from rear of church

The church from the path and churchyard

The high altar

List of incumbents showing Howard Beech

Font and organ to the right

Pulpit & reading desk

Font and organ to the right

One of the splendid carvings inside the church

Another of the lovely carvings

Winifred & Family as recorded in the UK Census records

1891 UK Census

The 1891 census of the UK shows Winifred Beech, aged 3, living with her family at The Rectory, Great Bealings in Suffolk.

Shows, along with her mother and father, The Rev. Howard Beech and H (Henrietta) Mildred Beech, her brother, Guy, aged 4. The census also records a cook, housemaid, nurse and a visitor staying the night of the census.

To see the census in detail in Adobe  format use the link below. Winifred's is the 15th entry from the top.

1901 UK Census

The 1901 census of the UK shows Winifred Beech, aged 13, living with her family at The Rectory, Great Bealings in Suffolk.

Shows, along with her mother and father, The Rev. Howard Beech and H (Henrietta) Mildred Beech, her brother Mervyn W H Beech, aged 19, her sister Margery Beech, aged 9, a cook domestic and a housemaid domestic.

To see the census in detail in Adobe  format use the link below. Winifred's is the 4th entry from the top.