Category: death at sea

Coming up this week – 14th to 21st May

This week is the anniversary of the start of the Gunpowder Plot, highlighting this area’s major role in an attempted Catholic resurgence. The tiny village of Welwick harboured at least 3 would-be killers of kings, and shows the rebellious past of Holderness.  Post-Reformation persecution of Catholics is also reflected in this week’s calendar entries.

Local heroes in war and at sea appear again, as well as the continuing toll of lives lost at sea, and the use of sanctuary at Beverley by murderers and other reprobates.

In May each year, it seems, both in world wars, air raids were particularly heavy.  Those made homeless were fed and cared for by the Municipal Kitchens in Hull, coping extraordinarily well with the worst raids of WW2.

Other events include a duel between a Percy and a Constable (2 of the area’s major gentry families), the problem of civic duties in the 17th century, a royal visit, and the death of Old Mother Riley.

 

 

May 4th

On 4th May 1667, Hull MP William Lister wrote to the Hull Mayor about the removal of Dutch prisoners from the Hull gaol. The Dutch had attempted to invade England from the sea.

On 4th May 1882, the steam ship collided in fog with SS White Sea in the River Humber near Victoria Dock and sank in less than 5 minutes; the crew and 3 passengers were rescued but 1 passenger was lost.

On 4th May 1971, 3rd hand Terence Ledger, 30, of Bransholme, died as result of an accident on board Hull trawler Kingston Amber off the Norwegian coast.

May 2nd

On 2nd May 1632, Robert Nixon, 42, of Hull, was hanged at York Castle for coining and circulating bad money at Leeds, in January 1632.

On 2nd May 1832, 6 days after Hull whaler Shannon struck an iceberg in the Arctic, it was spotted by 2 Danish brigs, and the remaining crew rescued. 22 had died, the remainder left in a canvas shelter with no food or water, had survived by drinking the blood of a dead shipmate. The 19 survivors had frostbite.

On 2nd May 1836, Constable Patrick Coulehan was the first constable of the new Hull Police Force to be sworn in, by Chief Constable Andrew MacManus. Many of the early police officers were from the Irish community.

On 2nd May 1893, deckhand Frank Hornby, 25, was lost overboard from Hull trawler Swift in the North Sea.

On 2nd May 2016, rugby player and coach Roger Millward, MBE, died aged 68. Scored a record 207 tries for Hull Kingston Rovers, kicked 607 goals and served as club coach for 25 years. He played for Great Britain in 47 games. (b 16.91947 Castleford)

roger millward

May 1st

On 1st May 1603, surgeon Simon Crouch was admitted as a burgess of Hull free, on condition that he treat the poor at his own cost. There was an outbreak of plague that summer, and Simon Crouch was known to be still in Hull in 1610.

On 1st May 1676, Leonard Gaskill, 27, and Peter Rook, 25, of Beverley, were hanged for stealing 13 sheep from John Brown of Driffield.

On 1st May 1810, Hull gunsmith William Taylor was indicted for passing counterfeit money to Cecily Rickatson at Sculcoates and given 6 months in the House of Correction. He later set up in business in Beverley, where one of his apprentices in 1821 was Esau Akrill (the Akrill family ran a gunshop in Beverley for many years).

On 1st May 1826, Harriet Pease, wife of the banker Joseph Robinson Pease, of Hesslewood Hall, miscarried after horse riding. Medical help came from Hessle; Joseph’s  diary gave his opinion that she might have died if they had had to wait for a doctor to travel the 5 miles from Hull.

On 1st May 1877, William Pritchard, 21, apprentice of Porter St, Hull, drowned on board Hull trawler Iolanthe in the North Sea whilst boarding fish.

On 1st May 1911, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution took over responsibility for the lifeboat station at Spurn, after 3 years of acrimonious argument.

St Andrews Dock memorial
Zebedee’s Yard

April 26th

 

john-hotham-1-sized

On 26th April 1642, the Hull Mayor received a letter from King Charles (now in York) demanding admittance to the town, and confirming Sir John Hotham as a traitor, and not to be obeyed.

On 26th April 1796, Capt Metcalfe, of Hull Trinity House, assisted in quelling the second day of riots in Hull. The price of bread was high, and starvation a reality, poor people spending 60-80% of their income on food. A crowd sacked a mill outside town, seized flour and meal, and took goods being landed from Lincolnshire. They attacked market traders and insisted on paying a lower price for goods.  The Riot Act was read; 2 people were jailed.

On 26th April 1828, Matthew Harrison, 40, of Beverley, was hanged at York Castle for horse stealing, with 2 associates.

On 26th April 1867, the Hull whaler Diana returned to port after 353 days away, mostly spent trapped in ice in Frobisher Bay in the Arctic. 10 (or 13) men died of scurvy and dysentery.  Captain  John Gravill is buried in Hull General Cemetery.

 

April 19th

 

charterhouse.JPGOn 19th April 1672, Rev John Shaw(e) died aged 64 . Puritan Lecturer at St Mary’s, Hull, then at Holy Trinity. In 1651 Master of the Charterhouse, where so many flocked to hear him preach that troops kept them out.  One Sunday more than 300 people camped out at night as the soldiers had closed all the town’s gates. (b 28.6.1608 Sykehouse)

On 19th April 1689, 4 Beverley aldermen recorded that they were considering prosecuting the vicar of St Mary and St Nicholas, Rev John Brereton. Before then, the town council had recorded their thanks to him for his generous gifts to the town. They then discovered that he had purloined several church collections, as well as money collected for the relief of persecuted French Protestants. 4 days later, Brereton resigned his posts and later left Beverley.

On 19th April 1821, an Act of Parliament approved lighting the town of Hull and adjacent places with gas (replacing lighting with whale oil). Gas manufactured from whale oil was used until 1830, when it was replaced with coal gas.

On 19th April 1891, former pupil of Hull Trinity House School Frank Dick, 23, died of yellow fever in Rio de Janeiro.

On 19th April 1902, Beilby, 3rdBaron Wenlock, of Escrick, spoke at a public meeting in Beverley to recruit for an East Riding Yeomanry Regiment; the meeting was poorly attended, as it was Market day.

 

April 15th

On 15th April 1643, Captain John Hotham wrote to Queen Henrietta Maria that he had a plan involving both Hull and Lincoln, which would be a real service to the King.

On 15th April 1696, the Skipsea manor court appraised the value of timber which Stephen Grenestowe had found on the beach at 10d, which he had to pay to the Lord of the Manor, who owned all items washed up.

On 15th April 1801, James Glenmon and 2 shipmates, returning from being held prisoner in Holland,  received financial relief of 7s6d from Hull Trinity House.

On 15th April 1807, at the Humber Tavern, Paull, compensation was agreed by the Army to landowners and tenants (of at least 3 years) when land was taken to build Paull Battery to defend Hull against Napoleon.

On 15th April 1912, Joseph Groves Boxhall, 28, was 4thOfficer on the Titanic. In charge of lifeboat No.2, whose 25 passengers were the first survivors to reach the Carpathia. (b.23.3.1884 in Hull) right on photo below

On the same day, Algernon Henry Barkworth, 48, gentleman of Hessle, was a passenger on the Titanic. He survived by jumping from the ship and later climbing aboard a lifeboat. Few people in the water survived; he put his survival down to wearing a fur coat over his lifebelt and carrying a suitcase. far left on photo, taken at Tranby House, Hessle

On 15th April 1941, a heavy air raid sank a lighter in Hull’s Alexandra Dock, damaged rolling stock and warehouses, and demolished No 22 Warehouse.

 

March 13th

On 13th March 1640, on instructions from the Duke of Northumberland, Sir Edward Osborne, for the Council in the North, arranged for 2,000 horse and men to be quartered in and around Hull, together with arms for them.

On 13th March 1801, Hull Trinity House sent a further 6 North Sea Pilots to Yarmouth to support the naval attack on Copenhagen.

On 13th March 1827, Revd Richard Johnson died, aged about 71. Known as Australia’s First Preacher, he and his wife Mary joined the first Fleet, and he became chaplain to the prison colony of New South Wales in 1786. They created a school and both taught up to 200 children. He returned to Hull in 1800 and was curate to Rev Thomas Dykes at St John’s church for a time. (B Welton c1756) picture shows Australia’s first church, built by Richard Johnson in 1793

On 13th March 1942, Alexander Gallacher, 37, donkeyman, of Hull, died by enemy action, whilst a merchant seaman on board SS Destro, of Hull, off Tobruk.

first-church-Aus1793

March 10th

Holy Trinity

On 10th March 1425, Hull Holy Trinity Church, was consecrated; building began in 1291 and was interrupted by the Black Death.

On 10th March 1447, Henry VI issued a charter enlarging the county of Hull to include Hessle, North Ferriby, Swanland, West Ella, Kirk Ella, Tranby, Willerby, Wolfreton, Anlaby, the site of Haltemprice Priory and Derringham Dike.

On 10th March 1623, George Tummond, butcher, of Patrington, was found dying at sunrise in Winestead, after starting to walk home from the alehouse in Ottringham. Holderness was notorious for its floods.

On 10th March 1800, George Hudson, the “Railway King’, was born in Howsham.  He  made a great business and political career from sharp practice and bribery (was MP for Sunderland, and Lord Mayor of York). He became hugely rich, but was disgraced, and imprisoned for debt, though released when his debts were paid by public subscription. In 1845, he bought the Londesborough Estate for £470,000. D14.12.1871

On 10th March 1823, John Bacchus Dykes was born in Hull. By the age of 10, was assistant organist at St John’s Church, Myton. Became a vicar, and composed over 300 hymn tunes, including ‘Eternal Father, Strong to Save’ and ‘We plough the fields and scatter’. (d 22.1.1876)

On 10th March 1921, Mr J.H. Tate proposed a motion at Hornsea Golf Club that ’Old Jack be shot’! It is assumed Old Jack was the horse used to pull mowers and rollers on the course.

On 10th March 1954, Alex May, master of the tug Fenman, died in hospital after the tug was overrun by the ship she was towing, the Rudolf, and sank, on the way into Hull’s Alexandra Dock. 2 of the crew were swept away. There was 1 survivor.

March 8th

On 8th March 1517, Thomas Tode, cutler, of Beverley, claimed sanctuary at the church of St John, Beverley, for theft.

On 8th March 1517, Thomas Stokell, 19, boatsteerer on the Hull whaler Three Brothers, received a certificate of protection from impressment, certifying that he was a seaman having completed 3 voyages in the Greenland Trade and could not by law be pressed into the Navy.

On 8th March 1897, Kathleen Mary Margaret Bryant was born in Hull. As actor Margot Bryant, she played many parts on stage and screen, but won fame at the age of 63 in the role of Minnie Caldwell on Coronation Street (on left in photo). died 1.1.88

On 8th March 1939, George H. Newton, 2ndengineer, and 8 other crewmen, were lost when the returning Hull trawler Lady Jeanette grounded on a sandbank on her way into dock.

Margot Bryant