Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar

May 22nd

On 22nd May 1455, Ralph Babthorpe of Osgodby died fighting on the Lancastrian side in the 1^st Battle of St Albans, as did Henry Percy of Leconfield. Thomas Percy and Thomas de Roos also fought on the Lancastrian side. James Pickering of Ellerton fought on the Yorkist side. (It was Richard, 3^rd Duke of York, who led the Yorkists at St Albans, and was the father of Richard III.)

On 22nd May 1649, Charles Bacon of Norrth Ferriby had his estates sequestered, probably as head of a recusant family; apothecary Christopher Bacon probably of the same family, was suspected of being a Royalist agent in 1644.

On 22nd May 1778, diarist James Boswell arrived in Hull from Barton, viewed the newly opened Dock, and left for the tourist resort of Beverley, where he stayed overnight at the Tiger Inn, and met his relatives, the Bosvilles of Thorpe Hall, Rudston.

boswell

May 21st

Leven canal

On 21st May 1801, Charlotta Bethell of Rise succeeded in getting an Act of Parliament to create the Leven Canal passed. (photo shows canal today)

On 21st May 1891, Sir Henry Cooper, physician and Mayor of Hull died aged 84. Local doctor who campaigned to improve living conditions before the cholera outbreak of 1847; urged the council to build decent homes for working people and offered to raise £2,000 himself if others would do the same.

On 21st May 1900, 4 days after the lifting of the siege of Mafeking, Hull’s Grosvenor Restaurant served a celebration menu reflecting the Boer War, with items such as ‘Kromeskies a la Baden Powell’, cod with Transvaal sauce, nonsuch tart a la Kitchener, and red, white and blue blancmange. Villagers at Nafferton celebrated the news with church bells, bands, a parade, dancing, followed by burning an effigy of Kruger stuffed with fireworks.

On 21st May 1927, English actress Kay Kendall was born at Withernsea; she died at the early age of 32, and a museum of her life was created in Withernsea Lighthouse.

May 20th

On 20th May 1604, Jack Wright of Welwick, Thomas Percy, second cousin of the Duke of Northumberland, Robin Catesby, Tom Wintour and Guido (Guy) Fawkes met at the Duck and Drake Inn, Strand, London, and began the Gunpowder Plot, which eventually included 13 conspirators, including Jack’s younger brother Kit.

On 20th May 1816, Constable Thomas Pashby was fined 40s at the Tiger Inn, Beverley, for neglect of his duty as village constable in Ellerker, apparently for failing to bring defendants to court.

On 20th May 1910, Dora Whitehand, aged 2, drowned on a sofa when the house in Providence Place, Driffield, was flooded. A cloudburst in Cowlam sent a torrent of water down the valley, flooding hundreds of houses to a depth of 6 feet. 2” rain fell in Driffield in an hour. Bridges were damaged, and the furnaces at the gasworks were extinguished. Weaverthorpe was submerged in mud; Helperthorpe and Elmswell were also affected.

On 20th May 1917, Francis Acaster, carpenter, aged 65 of Francis Terrace, Hull, was killed by enemy action whilst a merchant seaman, returning to Hull from Bombay on board SS Tycho of Hull, off Beachy Head.

On 20th May 1941, Dr R.H. Moyes. Voluntary Medical Officer to Civil Defence was awarded the British Empire Medal for gallantry during an air raid.

SS Tycho

May 19th

On 19th May 1401, Isabel Fauconberg, of Skelton (nee Bigod at Settrington) died, and had 13 paupers dressed in russet attend her funeral.

On 19th May 1942, John William Collins, warden and Charles Andrews, soldier, were recommended for gallantry awards for rescuing horses from the LNER stables. Holderness Road, Hull, during an air raid. The raid targeted Alexandra and Victoria docks. 4 people were killed.

May 18th

On 18th May 1516, Robert Bradlay of Halifax claimed the sanctuary of St John ‘s church Beverley for debt. Fugitives from justice often travelled long distances to get to a registered sanctuary, in order to be safe for a time from their pursuers. photo shows the Frith Stool in the Minster, the innermost sanctuary.

On 18th May 1957, Queen Elizabeth II visited Hull for the day and while here visited one of the new houses on Longhill Estate. She also visited Paragon Station, Paragon Square, St Andrews Dock, St Andrews Dock Surgery, Hull University, the Sailors’ Children’s Society, Hull Royal Infirmary, the Guildhall, King George dock, East Park, Wilton House, and Corporation Pier. She had 184 people presented to her, from the Archbishop of York to Mrs Annie Nock, fish house worker.

minster - frith stool.JPG

May 17th

On 17th May 1660, King Charles II’s accession to the throne was announced in Hull; from a gallows in the Marketplace the arms of the Commonwealth and effigies of Oliver Cromwell and Serjeant Bradshaw were hanged.

On 17th May 1881, after its first year of concerts, Hull Philharmonic Society recorded a loss of £15 12s8d.

On 17th May 1943, John Pulford, DFM, 23, was flight engineer on the ‘Dam Busters’ raid which destroyed the Mohne & Edersee dams, Germany. Died when his plane crashed in Sussex 12.2.1944. (b 24.12.1919 Sculcoates)

On 17th May 1954, Arthur Lucan died in his dressing room at the Tivoli Theatre, Paragon Street, Hull, during preparations for a new revue; Lucan was famous for playing Old Mother Riley in many films and shows.

Arthur_Lucan

May 16th

On 16th May 1478, Robert Bilton, husbandman, from Hutton Cranswick, sought sanctuary in the Collegiate Church of St John (now the Minster) for the homicide of Thomas Mathyn at Cranswick.

On 16th May 1678, Christopher Richardson, Hull surgeon, apothecary and alderman, was refused permission to stand down as alderman, even after agreeing to pay a fine of £75. Aged 65, he continued to attend Corporation meetings until his death in 1702. Had previously been Sheriff of Hull (1665) and Mayor twice (1660 and 1678).

On 16th May 1917, former Reckitt’s employeed Private Thomas Samuel Taylor was killed in action, serving with 2^nd Battalion South Wales Borderers. No known grave.

On 16th May 1941, one of the worst nights of bombing saw 57 dead in East Hull, including 50 in the Ellis Terrace air raid shelter, which took a direct hit. 20 others were injured in Holderness Road, Hedon Road and Alexandra Dock.

On 16th May 1952, Hammond’s new Ferensway store opened to replace the building bombed during WW2. In the ’Celebration offers’, oak dining tables were on sale for £7 10s. photo shows the old building during the war. hammonds blitz

May 15th

Flambrough On 15th May 1498, Robert Barker of Wistow, near Selby claimed sanctuary at Beverley’s church of St John, for the murder of John Towree at Wistow on 9^th May.

On 15th May 1591, priest Robert Thorpe, and Thomas Watkinson were executed at York – Thorpe being hanged, drawn and quartered for treason, and Watkinson hanged as a felon for harbouring priests. Both were arrested at Menthorpe on Palm Sunday, when neighbours saw palms being taken into Watkinson’s house, by the local magistrate John Gates.

On 15th May 1613, Lady Grissell Clifford, Countess of Cumberland, died, aged 54 at Londesborough. She appears to have been generous to the local poor, and almost the entire female populations of Londesborough and Shipton attended her funeral. Memorial in Londesbrough church.

On 15th May 1618, Phillip Constable of Wassand Hall was killed in a duel at White Cross, Leven, by Edmund (or Edward) Percy. Constable buried in Goxhill. Difficult to verify any details, except that Philip Constable died in 1618, and that duels were considered a foreign introduction at the time.

On 15th May 1896, a temporary dam created during building work for the Fish Dock extension, Hull, burst, and the sudden rush of water smashed and sank the fishing smack Young Greg.

On 15th May 1951, motor mechanic Edward Slaughter, of the Flambrough lifeboat crew, was awarded an RNLI bronze medal and Mrs Porter’s Award (given annually for the bravest deed of the year by a lifeboat man). A boy was badly injured falling 150 feet from the Flambrough cliffs, and E.S. swam to him, got him on to a stretcher and guided the stretcher to the cliff top.

May 14th

On 14th May 1595, George Wharton, 12, left Londesborough to work at Gray’s Inn, London for 9 months; he then became a student at Caius College, Cambridge. His mother had died 3 years before, since when he had lived with his uncle, the Earl of Cumberland, at Londesborough. He never succeeded to the title, as he died in a duel aged 24.

On 14th May 1917, James Smith, 30, chief engineer of the Hull trawler Bel Lilly, was lost with all hands North East of Peterhead due to enemy action.

On 14th May 1941, Hull Municipal Kitchens ended a week in which they had served 350k meals, after Hull’s worst bombing, and this despite the destruction of all stocks of food delivered by the Ministry of Food, and of a number of Emergency Feeding Centres.

May 13th

On 13th May 1585, the Hull Mayor and aldermen ordered that the town defences be improved by erecting a mud wall on the east side of the north gates to the harbour. (near modern North Bridge)

On 13th May 1595, Richard Laverock and 2 other musicians performed for the Duke of Cumberland’s household at Londesborough, and were paid 10shillings. In his younger days, Laverock had been described as a minstrel, but the Vagabond Act 1572 outlawed wandering minstrels and masterless men, so he renamed himself a musician. photo shows medieval minstrels at Hull Hanse Day

On 13th May 1954, the University of Hull gained full Univeersity status with power to award degrees, after 26 years as a University College.