July 20th

On 20th July 700 AD, St Osanne (or Osana or Osmanna) died aged 30 (at least, this is her saint’s day). Sister of Osred I, King of Northumbria (or daughter of Aldfrith), she was a nun at Jouarre, France. Her miracles are recorded: when a concubine of the Howden rector was so impious as to sit upon Osana’s tomb, Osana stuck her to it so that she could not be removed.

On 20th July 1332, Edward Balliol gathered a fleet of 88 ships in the Humber, and joined by a number of other Scottish nobles, set off for Fife to claim the Scottish throne from the Bruce family.

On 20th July 1413, Pope John XXI wrote to residents of West Hull villages, solemnly reminding them of the judgements to come if they did not maintain the water courses providing fresh water to Hull.

On 20th July 1495, John Halyday, carrier, of Watton, claimed sanctuary at the church of St John, Beverley, for the murder at Watton of Agnes Lathe.

On 20th July 1631, Henry Lord Clifford made the first payment to Dutch painter Hendrick de Keyser the younger, following a fashion for painting set by Charles I; de Keyser was employed for 7 years, unusual for a great house in the North. No work attributed to de Keyser has survived.

On 20th July 1662, Rev Nicholas Osgodby was reinstated as vicar of St Mary’s after being removed from his post during the Commonwealth.

On 20th July 1798, press gang officer Lieutenant Loten was attacked in the street in Hull by a sailor with a Greenland knife, and escaped to his house. A riot began which took the militia 3 hours to quell.

On 20th July 1934, the crew of Hull tug Autocrat were rescued when she was pulled over and sank near Whitton, in the Humber, while helping the Goole tug Salvage to refloat the SS Ouse. The tug was raised and returned to service.