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Life as Mrs. Cobbold in Ipswich
October 1791 - 17 October 1824
Former site of the Cliff Brewery (founded by John Cobbold) in Ipswich, England
Six months after the death of her first husband, Eliza married John Cobbold, wealthy owner of The Cliff Brewery in Ipswich. She became stepmother to Cobbold's 15 children from his first marriage. Additionally, Elizabeth was pregnant for essentially all of the first 6 years of her second marriage during which she gave birth to 7 children with Cobbold.
Nucula cobboldiae, fossil named for Elizabeth Cobbold, from the collection of James Sowerby (1817)
Copper plate engraving in black printing ink and hand colored with watercolor of Nucula cobboldiae used in Sowerby's Mineral conchology of Great Britain, or, Coloured figures and descriptions of those remains of testaceous animals, or shells which have been preserved at various times, and depths in the earth. (1812) (Johns Hopkins The John Work Garrett Library)
Elizabeth was an engaged mother for her class and time, and she would often write plays for her children to perform. She also oversaw their education and made sure to share her love of the natural sciences, especially conchology and botany, with them. Mineralogist and botany illustrator James Sowerby wrote that Elizabeth's mollusc fossil collection was "obtained with great industry, in company with several of the junior branches of her family, whom she delighted to inspire with a love for the works of Nature." Regarding Elizabeth's love of botany, her friend Laetitia Jermyn wrote: "Her love of flowers was very great, and was rendered more pleasing by her intimate acquaintance with their several properties and uses."
Starting in 1806, Elizabeth started hosting valentine parties for her single upper-crust friends at her and Cobbold's home "The Cliff." Each year, Elizabeth (likely with the help of her daughters and friends) hand-cut about 40 pairs of valentines and inscribed each with one of Elizabeth's original poems. The valentines were mounted on either blue paper for the gentlemen or red paper for the ladies. The attendees would randomly draw their valentine from a basket and find their "match" at the party.
A collection of Cobbold's valentine poems were published in 1814 under the title "Cliff Valentines." The Cobbolds moved to a house in Hollywells Park, Ipswich in 1814 where Elizabeth continued to host her valentine parties until her death in October 1824.
Valentine from the Special Collections Cobbold Album