November 17th

On 17th November 1407, Sir John Constable died at Halsham, and indicated in his will a wish to make amends to anyone he had swindled, and to return to their families goods and chattels belonging to his villeins, which he had kept after their death, ‘for the convenience of their sons’.

On 17th November 1868, novelist Anthony Trollope stood as a Liberal candidate and came 4thout of 4 candidates in the election; he referred to Beverley (where ‘political cleanliness was odious to the citizens’) as Percycross in his 1871 novel ‘Ralph the Heir’.

On 17th November 1907, Bokane, Kuarke, Mongonga, Mafutiminga, Matuka and Amuriape, pygmies from the Ituri Forest, Congo River Basin, sailed home from Hull after 30 months in England. 3,000 people paid to see them at Olympia and halls around the country. They also visited the House of Commons. They stayed with Colonel James Harrison at Brandesburton Hall and hunted in the parkland. Human rights activists had campaigned to stop the visit.

Brandesburton pygmies

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