June 8th

On 8th June 1300, a year after Hull’s establishment, King Edward I gave a charter to allow the mayor and aldermen to pave the major streets, with a central gutter for ease of drainage. The work began in 1301.

On 8th June 1661, King Charles II wrote a letter to the Hull Mayor, prohibiting John Shaw from preaching in Holy Trinity, as he was too radical a Puritan. He retained his post as Master of the Charterhouse, and his sermons there continued to draw large crowds, but he resigned the following year.

On 8th June 1806, in a kitchen accident, in Hull, Mrs Lambert reported being struck on the back by a large hanging lump of sugar she had dislodged; she expected that if it had hit her on the head, she would have died.

On 8th June 1815, the Commissioner of Customs acquired the former Neptune Inn, Whitefriargate, as a Custom House. The Inn had opened in 1797, but had never made the expected profit of a first-class coaching inn. The building now houses Boots Chemists.

On 8th June 1821, the troopship Thomas of London was driven on to the Binks sands, in the Humber; the 26 troops, crew, 2 women and a child were rescued, and 1 woman drowned, despite brave attempts by the captain, Lieutenant Pritchard, to save her. The operation by Robert Richardson, master of the Spurn lifeboat, and crew, took 11 hours.

On 8th June 1829, Ira Aldridge, celebrated American actor of African heritage, performed in Hull for the first time, at the Theatre Royal, Humber Street; over a long and distinguished career he visited Hull several times, and performed at the Nag’s Head, Driffield in 1841.