major gentry families – Page 19 – Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar

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.