On Saturday, Sudbury will come together to remember the man who made it his life’s work to uncover all there is to know about the town.
Nobody could claim to know more about Sudbury than Barry Wall, who was chairman of the Sudbury History Society for more than 30 years.
Barry’s quest for knowledge began in the days before computers; when trying to unearth the secrets of the past meant pouring through public records, knocking on doors, or even crawling through cellars and attics.
Barry loved it. “He was a pillar, a foundation block in researching Sudbury’s history,” said Ashley Cooper, longtime friend of Barry’s and a fellow local historian.
“Now, there is hardly anything which has been written about Sudbury that does not unwittingly draw from his work.”
In his lifetime, Barry wrote three books about the history of Sudbury, and one on Long Melford, which are now regarded as “bibles” of the town, Mr Cooper said.
However, Barry strived to make everything he uncovered accessible to the people of Sudbury, where he lived for the majority of his life.
“He was a most dedicated and assiduous researcher, and shared his knowledge freely and abundantly,” said Mr Cooper. “He gave literally hundreds of talks and guided talks during his life. His knowledge was truly encyclopedic.”
These talks were scrupulously researched, and Barry would even liaise with Ipswich Museum, so that artifacts could be displayed at in the town.
Indeed, one such talk which took place in 2002 at St Peter’s Church is thought to have been attended by a staggering 10,000 visitors.
“The effect of this was to foster a love of local history in other people, who would then follow in his footsteps and build on the foundations he established,” said Mr Cooper.
Barry Wall died shortly before Christmas last year.
On Saturday, members of the community will gather in the Town Hall’s Assembly Room at 2pm, where tributes will be made in his memory.
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