Bridlington – Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar

May 6th

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 numerous properties in the old town.

On 6th May 1748, Hull doctor 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.

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.

April 18th

On 18th April 1801, Hull Trinity House gave financial support to 7 mariners who had returned home after being taken prisoner in the war against the French.

On 18th April 1864, Hull Mayor John Lumsden called a public meeting in Hull Town Hall, Lowgate. The topic was a petition to invite the Italian nationalist General Garibaldi to Hull. He was in England, but unable to come to Hull, and returned to fight in Italy.

On 18th April 1911, Francis Frederick Johnson, was born in Bridlington, where he lived all his life. An architect, his early work was mostly local, and he did much restoration work on country houses. His work was increasingly recognised nationally and internationally, and he worked up to his death aged 84. He was awarded the CBE, for work including St Margaret’s Hilston; St Michael & All Angels, Orchard Park; Winestead Rectory restoration; Cottingham Rectory. Many of the buildings he designed were given listed status in 2017. He is buried at Reighton with his life partner, Edward Ingram, local historian. (d 29.9.1995) photo shows Hilston church

On 18th April 1932, the Thorpe Enquiry into land deals on Hull Council reported its findings that Sir Digby Willoughby (who had committed suicide the month before), Alderman Francis Finn, and builder Robert Tarran, were involved in corrupt land deals.

hilston church & tower.JPG

April 12th

On 12th April 627AD, King Edwin of Northumbria convened his Great Council at Londesborough and agreed to adopt Christianity; King Edwin’s high priest Coifi destroyed the pagan temple at Goodmanham.

On 12th April 1748, William Kent (orig Cant) died aged 63 . This Bridlington-born architect and polymath, originator of the English style of landscape gardening, also introduced the Palladian style of architecture to England. His buildings include Treasury Buildings and Horseguards, both in Whitehall, and Holkham Hall. (bapt 1.1.1686) photo shows his house in Bridlington old town

On 12th April 1855, John Enderby Jackson’s ‘The Withernsea Quadrilles’ were played for the first time at a ball to celebrate the opening of Withernsea’s first hotel, Queens Hotel, for visitors travelling on the new Hull to Withernsea rail line. Before the railway opened the previous year, the village population was tiny (108 in 1801), with 1 inn, and farming was the main occupation.

William Kent's house

March 23rd

On 23rd March 1357, Robert de Thornton, vicar of Hessle and Holy Trinity, Hull, acquired a lane adjoining the vicarage and running from Holy Trinity churchyard to Lyle Street from the town council.

On 23rd March 1671, merchant William Bower died aged 74 at Bridlington Quay. He used his own money to build a school to educate the poor children of Bridlington Quay in the art of carding, knitting and spinning wool, and left £20 in his will for its maintenance.

March 20th

On 20th March 1735, London merchant Timothy Woolfe died aged 35, and was buried in Bridlington Priory church; he left the interest on £500 to the poor of Bridlington and area, not exceeding 5 miles distance.

On 20th March 1822, an earthquake at night shook beds, moved furniture and rang bells in Seaton Ross, Foggathorpe and Holme on Spalding Moor. It was also felt in Bielby, Everingham, Allerthorpe and Melbourne.

On 20th March 1905, Hull PC Thomas Nettleton died attempting to stop a runaway horse and van, which ran over him.

On 20th March 1947, Fred Stephenson, 36, rode the Kiplingcotes Derby course through 4-foot snowdrifts to ensure the continuation of the race since 1519. The clerk of the course, Harry Ruston, read the rules. It took 90 minutes to ride the course (it normally takes about 10 minutes).

On 20th March 1986, Deirdre Blakeston failed to win the Kiplingcotes Derby when she stopped to give assistance to Lorraine Bell, who was unconscious after her horse collapsed on the course. Horse and rider both recovered and Deirdre eventually finished the race.

Kiplingcotes

February 26th

On 26th February 1381, Archbishop of York Alexander Neville announced his intention to visit Beverley, provoking a mass walk-out of Beverley clergy, most going to Lincoln or London. Neville replaced them with vicars choral from York but failed in his power struggle.

On 26th February 1552, Sir Michael Stanhope was executed on Tower Hill, London, for instigating rebellion, and conspiring to murder John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. Stanhope was a Nottinghamshire knight, twice Governor of Hull, where the townspeople complained to the Privy Council of his high-handedness. He also acquired a great deal of land after the Dissolution, including in Sutton-on-Hull.

On 26th February 1671, Robert Constable, Viscount Dunbar of Burton Constable, was indicted at Middlesex Sessions Court with the murder of Peter Varnall and confessed. Hi accomplices were Peter Savage and John Fennick. It seems that Varnall was the innocent victim of young aristos on a drunken spree.

On 26th February 1869, Christopher Sykes, MP for the East Riding of Yorkshire, moved the Bill which later in the year became the Sea Birds Preservation Act, supported by Rev HF Barnes-Lawrence of Bridlington. Up to 232,000 seabirds and eggs were killed, often shot for sport, each breeding season. This earned Sykes the nickname ‘The Gulls’ Friend’. See cartoon below. Link is to film of ‘climmers’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5ynIfnmVK0

On 26th February 1903, Martin Samuelson, marine engineer, died at Hessle, aged 78. Owner of Martin Samuelson & Co, of Neptune Street, Hull, and later Sammy’s Point, who built hydraulic presses, steel boilers and early steel vessels, and the North Bridge. Hull councillor from 1853, Sheriff 1857, Mayor 1858, first colonel of Royal East Yorkshire Volunteer Artillery and JP. (born 2.1.1825 in Liverpool).

On 26th February 1914, the Coverdale family of Hollym played a football match against another family with 11 sons, the Charlesworths of Scunthorpe. The Coverdales won 3: 0.

On 26th February 1935, Thomas Edward Lawrence, known as T.E.Shaw, (‘Lawrence of Arabia’) left Bridlington when discharged from the RAF; he had been supervising armour-plating power launches for target practice. Whilst in Bridlington, he had lived at the Ozone Hotel, Bridlington (now Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club). There is a sundial dedicated to him in South Cliff Gardens.

On 26th February 1942, Pilot F/Sgt Reginald Francis Robb and 5 crew of Wellington bomber Z8536 took off from RAF Pocklington and crash landed at Yapham due to an engine fire. They jettisoned their bombs, but were caught in the blast and all the crew were lost. 4 are buried in Barmby Moor.

Christopher Sykes MP

February 17th

On 17th February 1646, Christopher Hildyard of Winestead was fined £109 as a former Lieut – Col in the Royalist army (a ‘delinquent’) in order to recover his goods which had been sequestered by Parliament.

On 17th February 1803, Burnett’s Daily Shipping List recorded that no ships arrived or departed in Hull on that day (apart from the ferry to Barton).

On 17th February 1821, Robert Sharp junior, an unemployed bricklayer’s labourer from Hull, gave evidence in the hearing of a petition in the House of Commons. Colonel John Baillie, MP for Hedon, was accused of bribery and corruption in the 1820 election. Sharp claimed to have spent the 2 weeks prior to election day at the Charles Saunders Inn (now the Shakespeare), eating and drinking at the expense of the candidate and finally, on election day, receiving 2 guineas from James Iveson, Baillie’s agent, for making himself ‘generally useful’. William Mason also gave evidence of being offered 12 guineas by James Iveson, political agent for Col John Baillie, if he would vote for him. Baillie’s election was confirmed.

On 17th February 1961, Angela Eagle, MP and Maria Eagle MP were born in Bridlington. The Labour MPs are the first set of twins to sit in the House of Commons.

Eagle MPs copy

February 12th

On 12th February 1519, tailor William Bowman of Sewerby claimed anctuary in Flambrough parish church after assaulting William Johnson. At a coroner’s inquest at Bridlington 2 days later, the jurors reported that Bowman assaulted and killed Johnson with a staff on the king’s road between Sewerby and Bridlington, then fled to ‘Flaynburgh’. The King’s Bench declared Bowman an outlaw on 27.12.1519.

On 12th February 1556, in evidence given in court at York, Thomas Carter of Helperthorpe, 40, herdsman, made the first recorded reference to England’s oldest horse race, Kiplingcotes Derby.

On 12th February 1644, Sir William Constable of Flamborough led Parliamentary troops to capture the Royalist garrison at Bridlington, and took 159 prisoners. On their way back to Hull, they won a skirmish against the Royalists at Driffield.

On 12th February 1687, John Johnson, Rector of Cherry Burton recorded in his diary an earthquake at 3.45 on a Sunday afternoon.

Kiplingcotes

February 10th

On 10th February 1644, Sir William Constable of Flamborough led Parliamentary troops from Hull in routing the Royalists at Kilham.

On 10th February 1801, Sir Samuel Standidge, aged 75, died at Thorngumbald. He was born at Bridlington, and at age 19 was taken prisoner by privateers and taken to Rhode Island. Later in life he traded goods to Rhode Island and bought lands in Holderness, building New York Farm, Preston, to mark his financial success in New York. He is credited with restarting the Hull whaling industry, acting as master of his own whaler. Sheriff of Hull, Mayor, and warden of Hull Trinity House 5 times. His memorial is in St Mary’s Lowgate, Hull.

On 10th February 1866, 6 days after running aground on the Isle of Juist, Germany, 15 people were rescued from the rigging of the ‘Excelsior’ of Hull, where they survived without food and water. Mrs Newton was considered a hero for her support of her fellow survivors.

On 10th February 1871, at least 70 mariners lost their lives in Bridlington Bay in the Great Gale, including 6 lifeboatmen. 23 vessels were lost. There is a mass grave in the Bridlington Priory churchyard, and an annual Fishermen’s Service was held for 100 years.

On 10th February 1893, Revd Francis Orpen Morris died aged 82 at Nunburnholme. Vicar at Nafferton 1844-1854, rector of Nunburnholme to 1893. Irish-born naturalist and author of children’s books, and books on natural history and architecture. Anti-feminist, anti-hunting and opposed to Darwinism. (b25.3.1810)

On 10th February 1898, Commander Cave, of Humber guard ship Galatea, rescued the crew of SS Marbella in the River Humber, near Humber Dock, Hull. The Marbella had problems with its steering gear, and almost collided with 2 ships before hitting the Galatea. The only passenger had to swim to safety, and the Marbella’s cargo of 41 horses were all lost. The Galatea was itself later stranded on the Hebbles sandbank, but refloated later.

Saml Standidge memorial