Category: This week

May 9th

On 9th May 1688, Francis Reame was accused in Patrington manor court of not declaring money and a ring he found during building work; it was declared that the items were treasure trove and belonged to the lord of the manor.

On 9th May 1708, the congregation of Cottingham church gave 2s and a penny-halfpenny in a collection for building a protestant church ‘in the Duchy of Berg, within the Empire of Germany’.

On 9th May 1774, 101 Yorkshire emigrants landed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, from Hull aboard The Two Friends. Many were tenants of Beilby Thompson of Escrick, some citing rising rents as their reason for emigrating. In the years 1772-5, 1,000 people emigrated to Nova Scotia from Yorkshire.

On 9th May 1793, Rev Arthur Robinson died in Hull aged 78. He had retired 4 years before as vicar of Holy Trinity (with a gift of civic silver worth £50), but was also vicar of St Giles, Marfleet, whose parishioners said they had seen him only once in 25 years.

On 9th May 1896, Holderness Polo Club held Hull’s first game of polo at Tranby Croft. The teams were Singles and Marrieds; the Singles won 6:5. Later matches were played at a ground in Westbourne Avenue, on land now covered by Westbourne Ave West to Perth St West.

On 9th May 1930, Thomas Robinson Ferens died at the age of 83. The former East Hull MP spoke often in support of women’s rights; was general manager and joint chairman of Reckitts. In his will he left land to the city for an art gallery, for a university college, and large charitable bequests. (b 4.5.1847)

8th May

On 8th May 1660, the day on which it was proclaimed in London that Charles II had been King since the execution of his father, Hull ordered the arms of the Commonwealth removed from Hull Town Hall,  to be replaced with the King’s arms, and that the town’s maces be engraved with the King’s arms.

On 8th May 1926, mounted police on Monument Bridge, Hull, baton charged crowds trying to prevent volunteers signing up in the City Hall, on the 5th day of the General Strike. 41 people needed hospital treatment.

On 8th May 1941, Hull suffered its worst air raid on of WW2 overnight; 420 people killed, 800 injured, more than 800 fires; the Prudential building collapsed on top of its basement air raid shelter; 3,000 houses were destroyed and a further 9,000 damaged. 35 churches were hit, 2 synagogues, 14 schools; 2 million sq ft of factory space damaged or destroyed; notable buildings such as House of Powolny restaurant; extensive damage to the docks, including the destruction of Riverside Quay. 40,000 people made homeless in the month. A large number of commendations for gallantry were made this night and the following night – too many to record here.

On the same night, a German landmine fell on Magdalen Lane, Hedon, killing 12 people and destroying 2 houses.

May 7th

On 7th May 721, retired Archbishop of York John of Beverley died at Beverley. He was canonized as St John of Beverley, and this is his feast day, celebrated at his birthplace, Harpham, with a procession.

On 7th May 1798, Hull Trinity House paid £3 1s to John Cook, the master of the ship John and Mary, and to 8 of the crew, after the ship was captured by a Dutch privateer, and then recovered by the British.

On 7th May 1915, William (Ely) Taylor, 36, stoker 1st class and former Reckitt’s fitter, died at Gallipoli while serving with the Royal Navy Hood Battalion; he is buried in Lancashire Landing Cemetery.

On 7th May 1926, strikers clashed with police at Hull on the 4th day of the General Strike.

6th May

On 6th May 1331, King Edward III presented Hull with a charter replacing the post of town Keeper, appointed by the King, with the post of Mayor, elected by the town burgesses.

On 6th May 1636, William Corbett and 12 other Bridlington residents created the Lords Feoffees of the manor of Bridlington to manage the affairs of the town. They still manage a number of properties in the old town.

On 6th May 1748, Hull’s Dr Malcolm Fleming sold a patent medicine to farmers as a preventive against the rinderpest cattle plague that raged across the East Riding, and had killed 20 cows in Hull. He claimed success for his medicine, as only a further 9 or 10 cows died, although many herds were destroyed in the county.

On 6th May 1915, Albert Vine, engineer, 42, and crew of Hull-owned trawler Merrie Islington, out of Scarborough, were taken on board a British minesweeper before a German U-boat put a bomb on board and scuttled her.

May 5th

On 5th May 1683, Nathaniel Pickett, 28, of Hull, cut the brig Ararinah lying in the Humber and was later convicted at York Castle, where he was hanged on 30th July 1684.

On 5th May 1802, Beverley Corporation decided to create a lock at the junction of Beverley Beck with the River Hull; from that point, the Beck ceased to be tidal.

On 5th May 1853, 2 Langtoft ploughmen narrowly escaped death when lightning struck and destroyed their ploughs and killed 3 plough horses.

On 5th May 1863, Mr F.O. Martin inspected the management of the Leonard Chamberlain charities and concluded that the late Edward Thompson, a bankrupt, owed the charity over £700, and that there were other irregularities. The charity had then been operating for 147 years, and is still in existence today.

On 5th May 1915, a Zeppelin dropped bombs on Driffield, which smashed windows, but caused no injuries.

On 5th May 1930, Hull-born Amy Johnson set off from Croydon on her solo 11,000 mile flight to Darwin. She was attempting to beat the record of 16 days, only a year after her own first solo flight.

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 3rd

Robt Constable Lord Dunbar

On 3rd May 1671, Robert Constable, Lord Dunbar, of Burton Constable, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to an indictment charging him with the murder of one Peter Varnall, by wounding him in the head with a rapier. He had, however, previously obtained King Charles II’s pardon.

On 3rd May 1917, 2nd Lieutenant Jack Harrison single-handedly attacked an enemy machine-gun, and was listed as missing in action at the Battle of Oppy Wood. Posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross ‘for valour’.  Hull-born professional rugby player, who scored a record 52 tries in one season. Awarded the Military Cross on 25.3.1917. (b12.11.1890) More Hull lives were lost at Oppy Wood than any other WW1 battle.

On 3rd May 1917, Ronald ‘Ras’ Berry was born in Hull. Much decorated (CBE DSO DFC and Bar) Battle of Britain pilot, eventually becoming Director of National Air Traffic Control Services. Later lived in Hornsea. Died 2000.

On 3rd May 1965, the last train seen in Hedon was a goods train, the last goods service, following the closure of the line from Hull to Withernsea.

On 3rd May 1980, at Wembley, the Rugby League Challenge Cup final was between Hull KR and Hull FC. Result: 10-5 to Rovers. Attendance: 95,000.

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 30th

On 30th April 1513, Edmund de la Pole, 3rdDuke of Suffolk, 6thEarl of Suffolk, and his brother John were executed by Henry VIII. Edmund was the leading Yorkist claimant to the throne; he had sought help from the Holy Roman Emperor, who handed him over to Henry.

On 30th April 1584, Walter Peck and others were fined 2s8d for buying 200 fish in the Humber before it was landed in Hull. Robert Jackson and others were fined on the same day for the same offence, a total of 53s 4d.

On 30th April 1649, Henry Cave, 39 and William Cropper, 40, both of Hull, were executed outside Walmgate Bar, York, with 12 other ‘rebels’ from the North and West Ridings.

On 30th April 1859, Joseph Hoare was elected MP for Hull, but the election was declared void due to bribery, and a by-election was held in August. Hoare’s agent employed poor voters as runners and messengers at 3s 6d a day.

On 30th April 1877, brick- and tile-makers in the Newport area complained about the state of the Market Weighton Canal, which had carried millions of bricks in the 1820s, and was now too low for their barges. It took 4 years for any real action to be taken, due to denial of responsibility by the canal trustees, the local authority, and the North Eastern Railway. Commercial navigation on the canal did not die out until 1958.