December 18th

On 18th December 1594, Katherine Johns, chambermaid to the Clifford family, on behalf of Lady Grissell, paid 2s to the Beverley waits, presumably for performing at Londesborough House.

On 18th December 1612, Sir Francis Clifford bought 30 young elm trees to enhance the woodland of the house; it took 3 men with a cart and 5 horses to transport them.

On 18th December 1745, Thomas Owst of Halsham, a ‘popish recusant’, was given licence to travel to Drax to see his wife, who was ill. Catholics were forbidden to travel more than 5 miles from home without permission.

On 18th December 1824, Sir John Hall was born in Hull. Emigrated aged 27 to New Zealand, where he became the 12thPrime Minister, and moved the Parliamentary Bill that gave women the vote in 1893. (d 25.6.1907, Christchurch NZ) see photo

On 18th December 1919, the Clerk to the Hull Local Profiteering Committee, wrote to the Board of Trade, suggesting that an inquiry be held into possible profiteering by Hammonds Ltd. They had sold to Mr E.R. Kidby of Plane Street, 4 knitting needles for 1s 01/2d, on which Hammonds said they made 1 1/2d profit. The complaint was not upheld, as the needles were bought before the Profiteering Act 1919 came into force, but the BoT suggested making another purchase, and they could then investigate.

Sir John Hall

 

November 18th

On 18th November 1620, the son of Thomas Peirson of Shipton (now Shiptonthorpe) hoped for a post in the kitchen at Londesborough House, the seat of Francis Clifford, Earl of Cumberland. Either he was not suitable, or there was no post available. He was given 12d costs as compensation. Posts were usually filled by personal recommendation, often from families who had worked in the house in the past.

On 18th November 1910, Benjamin Bolton, aged 48, of 5 Suffolk Terrace, Hornsea, died after falling from a moving train near Brough.  A prominent Hornsea citizen, member of the Conservative Party and member of Hornsea Music Union, he played cricket for Hull, Hornsea & Yorkshire and bowled out W G Grace. The inquest returned a verdict of accidental death. (b23.9.1862 Cottingham)

On 18th November 1938, Sir Henry Joseph Wood, founder of the Proms, resigned as conductor of the Hull Philharmonic Society after 15 years. The committee considered Sir Malcolm Sargent as his replacement, but he was not available. Basil Cameron was engaged. photo shows the orchestra in Hull City Hall

hull-philharmonic-orchestra-lst198215

October 22nd

On 22nd October 1517, John Cook, yeoman of Sewerby, claimed sanctuary after assaulting labourer Thomas Stowpes and fled to Flambrough church.  This was not a registered place of sanctuary, but was called ‘taking church’. At a Coroner’s inquest at Sewerby on 5.11.1517, the jurors reported that Cook assaulted Stowpes on 22 Oct, giving him a wound from which he died 3 days later.

On 22nd October 1611, Lady Margaret Clifford, daughter of the Earl of Cumberland and Thomas Wentworth, future baronet, were married at All Saints, Londesborough. The Earl’s finances were not healthy, due to a protracted legal dispute with Lady Anne Clifford over his inheritance, so the celebrations were low-key, with only 40 in attendance, and a simple dinner of pasties, mince pies and turkey, a speciality of the estate. The artist Augustine Harrison was present, so that the Earl could present his 2 daughters with identical portraits of himself. photo shows Londesbrough church

On 22nd October 1882, William Butler, 16, 4thhand, was lost overboard from Hull trawler Sportsman in the North Sea.

On 22nd October 1972, the new Queen Elizabeth Dock container terminal was opened.

 

Londesborough

 

July 20th

On 20th July 700 AD, St Osanne (or Osana or Osmanna) died aged 30 (at least, this is her saint’s day). Sister of Osred I, King of Northumbria (or daughter of Aldfrith), she was a nun at Jouarre, France. Her miracles are recorded: when a concubine of the Howden rector was so impious as to sit upon Osana’s tomb, Osana stuck her to it so that she could not be removed.

On 20th July 1332, Edward Balliol gathered a fleet of 88 ships in the Humber, and joined by a number of other Scottish nobles, set off for Fife to claim the Scottish throne from the Bruce family.

On 20th July 1413, Pope John XXI wrote to residents of West Hull villages, solemnly reminding them of the judgements to come if they did not maintain the water courses providing fresh water to Hull.

On 20th July 1495, John Halyday, carrier, of Watton, claimed sanctuary at the church of St John, Beverley, for the murder at Watton of Agnes Lathe.

On 20th July 1631, Henry Lord Clifford made the first payment to Dutch painter Hendrick de Keyser the younger, following a fashion for painting set by Charles I; de Keyser was employed for 7 years, unusual for a great house in the North. No work attributed to de Keyser has survived.

On 20th July 1662, Rev Nicholas Osgodby was reinstated as vicar of St Mary’s after being removed from his post during the Commonwealth.

On 20th July 1798, press gang officer Lieutenant Loten was attacked in the street in Hull by a sailor with a Greenland knife, and escaped to his house. A riot began which took the militia 3 hours to quell.

On 20th July 1934, the crew of Hull tug Autocrat were rescued when she was pulled over and sank near Whitton, in the Humber, while helping the Goole tug Salvage to refloat the SS Ouse. The tug was raised and returned to service.

St Mary's Beverley

 

June 7th

On 7th June 1614, Francis Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, of Londesborough House, paid for the apprenticeship of his scullery-maid Grace. He trained in London as a barber-surgeon for 7 years, and the Earl continued to support him when he had to transfer employers, as his first employer killed a man (perhaps in the course of treatment).

On 7th June 1672, the residents of Sister-Kirks (Owthorne and Withernsea) reported hearing the sound of the naval battle of Solebay, off the coast of Suffolk. A fleet of 75 Dutch ships surprised a fleet of 93 Anglo-French ships at anchor.

On 7th June 1796, Sir Henry Etherington laid the foundation stone of Hull Anti-Mill, to provide cheaper flour. An early co-operative, it was funded by subscription by poor residents finding the price of flour beyond their reach.

On 7th June 1837, the Union steam packet was in the Humber basin, Hull, Preparing to cross the Humber, when it exploded. 3 other ferries were next to it; 23 people died. The engineer was later charged, but not convicted.

On 7th June 1915, Vere Campey Marshall made a statement to police, stating that he witnessed a 1,000 strong crowd outside the premises of Kress and Wagner, 163/5 Spring Bank, throwing stones, and a girl using a hammer to break a window. Police and military were sent to guard the premises. Anti-German feeling was strong during WW1.

June 5th

On 5th June 1618, ‘Blind Richie’ (Richard Graham of Millhill) had walked from the Scottish borders to seek help from Francis Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, at Londesborough, and was given a pension of 10s a year. It is not known what his relationship was to the Earl, who had lands on the Scottish border.

On 5th June 1778, Beilby Thompson of Escrick created a deer park, and demolished most of the village houses, rebuilding them out of sight of the Hall, and recycling the bricks; he paid 5s to Mr Scott the millwright for demolishing the horse mill.

On 5th June 1854, Dr Playfair, from the Dept of Science, reported on the teaching at Hull Trinity House School that no geometry or algebra was taught; geography was badly taught; no empirical data given on laws regulating winds, currents and weather.

On 5th June 1915, German Lieut-Capt Boemack made the first Zeppelin air raid on Yorkshire, dropping bombs on Driffield and Hedon before aborting the mission. There were no casualties, although house windows were broken in Beckside, Driffield, and crops were damaged. Crowds of people flocked to Driffield the following day to view the damage.

 

beilby thompson

May 15th

FlambroughOn 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 9th 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.