On 17th August 1377, King Richard II issued a charter allowing the town of Hull to ensure the town walls and moats were kept in good repair, and to compel every householder to contribute to the cost of repair.
On 17th August 1427, Thomas Brygman, vicar of Foston, asked the Pope to relax the penances paid by those who did not visit church on holy days or give alms, because the church buildings were ruinous, and lacking a bell tower to call parishioners to prayer, and because the parishioners were too poor to repair the church. Their poverty was caused by ‘divers burdens’ imposed by King Henry to fight wars, and also because of the high mortality level in the area.
On 17th August 1863, Dr T.T. Pierson of Bridlington Quay apologised for signing a certificate at The Retreat asylum, Kilham, to declare a woman insane (whom he had known since they were at school) at the request of her husband; she turned out to be suffering only from the effects of alcohol.
On 17th August 1905, Hull merchant Frederick Harker was fined £2 plus costs for speeding at Harpham – travelling at 28 miles per hour in a 20mph zone. It was reported that the method used, of 3 police officers timing him over a measured distance, had not been used before.
On 17th August 1920, Sir Luke White, MP, died at Driffield, aged 75. Liberal MP for Buckrose since 1900, he died a pauper and under investigation for bankruptcy, having covered his political expenses by using money entrusted to him by the clients of his business as a solicitor.
On 17th August 1954, workers at King George Dock, Hull, began a strike against unsafe working conditions called the ‘Filling Strike’; within hours, 4,000 dockers were on strike and 60 ships lay idle. The strike ended after 11 days.
Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar 