In 1994 the Blythburgh Society, conceived in 1989 and formally established in 1992, issued the first of its series of Blyth Valley History Notes. The aim was to provide an easy way of 'getting into print' for anyone with something interesting to say about the history of the area, its places and its people. The Notes could be brief reports of original research (too often never published), accounts of events or topics culled from published works, transcripts of information not readily available and thought to be of interest to a wider audience, or combinations of all three.

The aim of the editor has been to encourage the production of Notes with an accessible style but which nevertheless are authoritative, founded on evidence, separating history from mystery. This collection does not claim to give a balanced view of the history of the Blyth valley. It represents the current interests of the contributors. They hope that readers will be interested in what they have to say, will be encouraged to ask their own questions about this fascinating area, and perhaps contribute their own Note to the series.