On 24th January 1882, Peter Hughes, 16, ship’s cook, died on board the fishing smack Gleaner on the Dogger Bank. He died at the hand of Edward Wheatfill, after two weeks of beating, starvation, and torture, including being tied naked on deck. Wheatfill was found guilty of wilful murder and executed at York on 28.11.1882.
On 24th January 1906, the name of Leona Sherman was found on the Hornsea electoral list for the General Election; there is no record whether she tried to cast her vote.
On 24th January 1937, Richard Baker, 28, skipper, of Bernadette Ave, Anlaby and all his crew were lost when the trawler Amethyst foundered off Kinnaird Head.
On 20th January 1577, John de Tradescant of Cottingham broke into the York house of John Paschal with 2 associates; they were convicted, hanged and their bodies given to the surgeons of the city to be dissected and anatomized.
On 20th January 1595, Robert Cripling and William Lucas, servants to Sir Francis Clifford, bet another Londesborough servant, George Ingmire, that they could beat him in a race on foot from Londesborough to Market Weighton; they won.
On 20th January 1652, John Rogers, Mayor, and Hull aldermen Edward Wingate, Durand Hotham, and Lance Roper, asked the Court of Chancery for help in compelling Mr Stiles and other former Masters and Brethren of Hull Charterhouse, to appear before them and produce documents to account for corruption in the management of the Charterhouse Hospital. (Things appear to have changed after this: a report in 1668 showed an increase in the number of poor cared for from 12 to 40.)
On 20th January 1782, Dr Robert Levett, or Levet, of Westella, was buried in Bridewell church yard, London. He had died, aged 79, apparently of a heart attack. He had lived in Dr Samuel Johnson’s household for 20 years. Earned a living as a servant, waiter and physician to the poor. Johnson wrote a poem ‘On the Death of Dr Robert Levet’. Tablet in Kirkella church. B 1703 Westella.
On 20th January 1968, Ross Cleveland of Hull set out from Hull for the last time for the North-West coast of Iceland.
On 17th January 1527, George Ableson, a wheelwright from Hutton Cranswick, claimed sanctuary at the church of St John, Beverley, for debt.
On 17th January 1583, William Lyon, fisherman of Yarmouth, obtained permission to move with his family to Hull, to become a freeman, to set up business as a fisherman and train others in the trade, giving a surety of £40, but also receiving £10 in expenses towards his costs.
On 17th January 1786, Capt Edward Thompson died of fever in post, aged about 48. Born in Hull, the son of a merchant. Naval commodore; he wrote an account of the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759; he was responsible for organising the government of West Indian colonies of Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo. He was acquitted at court martial of leaving his station in 1781. He published a number of satirical poems, sea songs, plays and a report of naval life. b c1738
On 13th January 1096, King William Rufus found Count Odo, Lord of Holderness, guilty of a plot to kill the King and place his son Stephen (William I’s nephew) on the throne; Odo got off lightly with loss of his lands, and Stephen went on crusade. Holderness was granted to Arnulf, son of Earl Roger of Salisbury.
On 13th January 1621, Stephen Doughton left his job as servant of the Francis Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, and received 2 years’ arrears of wages, a total of £5 6s8d. The family was short of cash, and servants were often not paid until they left the Earl’s employ.
On 13th January 1954, the crew of Flamborough lifeboat Friendly Forester saved the 3 crew of the fishing coble Silver Line.
On 13th January 1968, a liferaft belonging to the St Romanus of Hull was found.
On 9th January 1779, Morfitt Kilham, Richard Basehead, Isaac Cockshaw, John Emerson and Robt Fowler were each paid 1s for a day’s work filling the ice house on Beilby Thompson’s estate at Escrick Hall from the river, together with a share in a cheese worth 4s8d.
On 9th January 1836, Hull Trinity House provided relief to the families of men whose vessels were shipwrecked at the Davis Straits fishery.
On 9th January 1875, drivers Charles Sissons and William Jackson, and conductor Edward Read staffed Hull’s first tram when the Beverley Road line opened, and carried 1,116 passengers on the first day. The fare for the whole distance was 2d. Two trams operated a half hourly service, hauled by Flemish horses.
On 9th January 1935, Clarence Tomlinson aged 17, and 12 (some sources say 14) shipmates, died on board trawler Edgar Wallace off St Andrews Dock, Hull, when the ship foundered on a sand bank and sank, returning to home dock after trip to Bear Island. The engineer of the salvage team also died when the tug Boatman capsized. 3 survived.
On 8th January 1902, James Bell, 26, skipper of Hull trawler Jupiter was lost with all his crew when she stranded on Rumble Holm, Shetland.
On 8th January 1910, Alfred Spencer, shoemaker, was working in his shop in Marine Drive, Hornsea, during a storm when the cliff edge collapsed. As he could not get through the door he had to be rescued through a hole knocked in the wall. Only one source for this story, so if anyone can verify it, I would be grateful for a source. photo shows modern Hornsea
On 5th January 1304, Sir John de Sutton was pardoned, because of his military service to King Edward II in Scotland, for taking hares in the King’s warren of Holderness.
On 5th January 1773, Mrs Bridget Briggs of Sproatley died and left money in her will to educate 10 poor boys and 10 poor girls in the village.
On 5th January 1824, the Port of Hull Society for the Religious Instruction of Seamen set up a nautical school for seamen and apprentices to receive practical and academic instruction, open several evenings a week. Many of the early students were illiterate.
On 5th January 1836, Captain James Clark Ross left Hull on an expedition to resupply 11 whaling vessels trapped in Arctic ice. About 600 men were in the overwintering ships.
On 5th January 1941, Amy Johnson, while flying for the Air Transport Auxiliary from Blackpool to RAF Kidlington, went off course in bad weather and bailed out as her aircraft crashed. An attempt was made to rescue her, but she died and her body was never recovered. There is still, however, controversy surrounding the circumstances of her death in the Thames.
On 3rd January 1293, a jury set up by order of King Edward I found that the Abbot of Meaux owned most of the town of Wyke on Hull, with Lords Furnivall and Vescy owning smaller parts. They found 74 tenants, and that the Abbot held court there, and that there was space used for fairs and a market.
On 3rd January 1319, King Edward II issued orders at Beverley for defence against the Scots.
On 3rd January 1629, Francis Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, during a typical festive period for the Londesborough household, 84 staff were feasted, with 315 extra dinners and 251 extra suppers being served to tenants and guests during Christmas Week. The York Waits provided musical entertainment, in addition to the house musicians. photo shows the site of the house
On 3rd January 1933, Harry Anderson, age 19, deckie learner, of Edith Grove, Brighton St, Hull, died with 9 other crew of the trawler Endon (H161), after vessel found abandoned after a collision. Trawler Stronsay picked up his body, but superstition about having a corpse on board led them to return his body to the sea.
On 29th December 1594, Sir Francis and Lady Clifford began a tradition in their new house (Londesborough Hall) of Christmas and New Year feasts, entertaining 93 staff and local people, tenants from different villages on the estate on different days, to meals until 6thJanuary.
On 29th January 1611, they paid for entertainment from visiting puppeteers, 2 men and a woman, who called at the great house.
On 29th December 1817, Mary Woodall married John Lewis Friday, private in the 33rd (WR) Regiment of Foot, a Waterloo veteran, who was probably born in Mozambique.
On 29th December 1829, Hedon MP Col John Baillie informed the Mayor of Hedon that the Post Office would have a daily post from Hedon instead of 4 days a week.
On 29th December 1881, William Papper, 15, was murdered aboard fishing smack Rising Sun, in the North Sea, by Osmond Otto Brand, skipper of the boat, after prolonged mistreatment amounting to torture. Brand was found guilty of murder at Leeds Assizes and sentenced to death. Richard Rycroft was sentenced to 3 months’ hard labour for assault.
On 29th December 1898, Elsa (formerly Elfie) Gidlow was born in Hull. Lesbian poet known for On A Grey Thread 1923. Her family emigrated to Canada when she was 6 (d 8.6.1986)
Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar 