Famous Framlingham Folk

Thomas Danforth was born in Framlingham and baptised on November 20, 1623. The eldest son of Nicholas and Elizabeth. The Puritan Danforth family left New Street Farm, Framlingham for life in New England USA in 1634 and Thomas went on to become a significant landowner, a politician and magistrate, with a finger in many pies …

With family connections to Framlingham’s long established estate agents on Well Close Square, Charlie is a renowned singer-songwriter-musician who enjoyed four UK top 10 singles with pop-punk boy-band ‘Busted’ and has gone on to carve himself a career in rock with band ‘Fightstar’ and also as a solo performer.

Renaissance poet, nobleman and fine soldier buried alongside his wife, Frances de Vere, in a fine alabaster tomb in St Michael’s Church Framlingham. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, was son of the 3rd Duke of Norfolk and reputedly developed the English sonnet – a form later mastered by William Shakespeare. As a young man, he found favour with Henry VIII, but was executed for treason on false charges in the Tower Hill.

Bramford-born wheelwright, Thomas Mills, came to Framlingham in 1640 and inherited his employer’s business in 1660. He married well and died in 1703 as a rich man, but with no heirs. He left monies for almshouses and ongoing charitable support within the town. Mills was a devout Baptist and did not choose to be buried in churchyard, but somewhere closer to home…

This former Framlingham choirboy turned songwriting superstar grew up here, went to Thomas Mills High School, married his school sweetheart and lives nearby. He has been known to nip in the chippy, supermarket shop for snacks, order a Framlingham curry after an O2 gig and drink with Taylor Swift in The Station Hotel! Philanthropic Ed also supports and inspires the community’s young musicians. Remember ‘Castle on the Hill’?

Joseph was one of the founders of the Tetley Tea Co in 1837, whose family went on to invent the tea bag.  He lived in Broadwater House on the outskirts of Framlingham and is buried in Framlingham Cemetery in the Tetley-Jones family plot.

A successful lawyer, Member of Parliament and Attorney General in Jacobean times, Sir Robert Hitcham leased and then bought Framlingham Castle from the Howard Dukes of Norfolk in 1635 for the princely sum of £14,000. But what did he do with his impressive property, land and money when he died unmarried with no heir? 

The greatest and most powerful nobleman in England during Henry VIII’s reign. Uncle of two of Henry’s wives,  Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, and a lead player in the downfall of the Ipswich-born rival, Cardinal Wolsey. The Duke lived in Framlingham castle until it was considered somewhat outdated. He went on to build the finest residence in Kenninghall (South Norfolk), sadly later demolished. The Duke’s tomb (originally located in Thetford Priory) is to be found in St Michael’s Church Framlingham and is like extremely fine in line with his power and aspirations, part English and part French in design and arguably worthy of a King.

King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, Henry has a fine tomb in St Michael’s Church in Framlingham. The young almost-royal was an Earl and double Duke by the age of six. His resting place is in Framlingham because he as married to Lady Mary Howard, a daughter of the third Duke of Norfolk – the powerful family which owned Framlingham Castle in the 1400s. His surname ‘FitzRoy’ is a corruption of the French ‘Fils du Roi‘ (son of the King).

Fans of this award-winning 2014+ TV series starring Mckenzie Crook and Toby Jones will just love discovering the film locations here in Framlingham (aka ‘Danebury’). Find Lance’s flat (Double Street), Maggie’s shop (Market Hill), or the pub where the ’Dirt Sharks’ muscled in (by the castle). Alas, Danebury Metal Detecting Club’s meet-up venue is no more, replaced in 2022 by the Castle Community Rooms.