Watton – Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar

March 19th

Rose Ellen Carr

On 19th March 1293, only 5 days after his valuation of Myton, King Edward I had new records of tenants drawn up, and ordered the improvement of roads to his new town of Kingston on Hull. The roads to Hessle, Beverley and York already existed.

On 19th March 1913, Rose Ellen Carr died at Hornsea aged 70. Although illiterate, and facially disfigured, probably as the result of a kick from a horse when she was a child, she was ran a success business as a carrier and taxi owner, and was reputed to be able to carry a 16-stone sack of grain under each arm. She was also a passionate Primitive Methodist preacher.

On 19th March 1941, 92 Hull residents died in an air raid; 70 people were seriously injured. This was the 12^thraid since the beginning of the year. The National Picture Theatre on Beverley Road was hit; they were screening Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Great Dictator’ at the time. photo below shows ruin of the cinema

On the same day, Mr & Mrs Severs and their 2 children were killed by a land mine at Highfield Farm, Hutton Cranswick. Other damage nearby probably intended for Hull included 70 high explosive bombs and incendiaries at Watton Abbey Farm, mostly in the fields, the destruction of Mrs Arnell’s grocer’s shop, and a fire in Hutton church. Arthur Swift of Wawne Common Farm recorded a land mine, incendiaries and high explosives, which blew out all the windows and tiles off every building in the farm. The ghost of a Watton Abbey monk was said to have been seen that night.

nationalpicturetheatre

February 23rd

On 23rd February 1643, Queen Henrietta Maria was woken at 4a.m. in Bridlington Quay by a bombardment of the house by Parliamentary ships; she sheltered in a ditch until the ebb tide moved the ships out of range.

On 23rd February 1724, William Mason was born at Holy Trinity vicarage, Hull. A poet, biographer, composer and garden designer, in 1785 he was William Pitt the Younger’s choice as Poet Laureate, but he refused the post. He is commemorated in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey, and in Hull with a cream plaque. (d 7.4.1797) see picture below

On 23rd February 1830, a report in the Hull Packet said that Revd John Earle’s boarding school at Driffield had been relocated to Watton Abbey, the stately home of the Legard family. It remained there for 10 years, and Earle took on the living at Watton church.

On 23rd February 1919, Company Sgt Major Kelly died of flu in Hull Royal Infirmary. He had been discharged from the East Yorkshires a week before, after serving in WW1 from September 1914. He is buried in Hedon Road cemetery.

Wm Mason

January 30th

Mary Ward

On 30th January 1499, Robert Colstone of Hull and Marmaduke Pateson of Flambrough claimed sanctuary at the church of St John, Beverley – Colstone for debt and Pateson for the murder at Flambrough of John Mottows.

On 30th January 1645, Mary Ward died aged 60. A cousin of the Wright brothers of Welwick, she spent 5 years living there with her grandmother and spent a further 6 years at Osgodby. She founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and championed women’s education. She was declared Venerable in 2009. (b23.1.1585 Mulwith Yorks) see photo

On 30th January 1901, Beverley Mayor Elwell proclaimed the accession of King Edward VII to a large crowd at the Market Cross, despite bitterly cold weather and a snow storm.

On 30th January 1913, Harry Houdini, escapologist, performed at the Palace Theatre, Hull. He escaped from a canvas sea bag and straps; the challenge was signed by seamen Dan Morris, Tom Carr and Robert Mason.

On 30th January 1983, Captain Derek Wharton of North Sea Ferry Norland spent the day sailing back and forth in Bridlington Bay, having arrived back from service in the Falklands War a little too early for the homecoming celebration planned for 1^stFebruary.

Houdini copy

January 10th

st mary's sculcoates.JPG

On 10th January 1308, Ivo de Etton of Temple Hirst, near Selby, and William de la Fenne from Faxfleet had been preceptors (heads) of local houses of the outlawed Knights Templar order, when they were arrested and imprisoned by Henry II on instructions of Pope Clement V. Also arrested were Richard de Ryston, chaplain, Thomas Tyeth, claviger (or warden), and Roger de Hugunde or Hogyndon, a brother in residence at Faxfleet, and Adam de Crake, claviger, at Temple Hirst.

On 10th January 1511, Richard Elynor of North Cave claimed sanctuary at the church of St John, Beverley, for a felony, but the register does not give any detail of his crime.

On 10th January 1537, Sir Francis Bigod, of Settrington, and John Hallam, of Cawkeld near Watton, met to discuss rekindling the Pilgrimage of Grace, which had ended in December with promises to restore the monasteries and hold a Parliament at York. They planned to seize Hull and Scarborough before they could be fortified.

On 10th January 1646, Stephen Thompson of Humbleton was fined £400 as the owner of Scarborough Castle and a Royalist (a ‘delinquent’) in order to recover his goods which had been sequestered by Parliament.

On 10th January 1761, Mrs Jane Delamoth died in Hull. Her memorial in St Mary’s Sculcoates may be the only memorial written in shorthand in the world. It says: ‘In the vault beneath this stone lies the body of Mrs Jane Delamoth, who departed this life 10^thJanuary 1761. She was a poor sinner, but not wicked without holiness, departing from good works, and departed in the faith of the Catholic Church, in full assurance of eternal happiness, by the agony and bloody sweat, by the cross and passion, by the precious death and burial, by the glorious resurrection and ascension of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’. see photo

On 10th January 1783, Rear Admiral John Storr died in Hilston. He is buried in Westminster Abbey. (b 18.8.1709) He commanded the Revenge at the Battle of Quiberon Bay 20.11.1759. His father Joseph built Storr’s Tower at Hilston in 1750. It served as a hospital for troops camped on the coast in 1794–5 and later as a cottage, but was disused in 1990. His memorial is in Hilston church.

On 10th January 1849, Cottingham land agent Thomas Spenceley reported that he had measured the distance from the Spa Inn, Aldbrough to the sea in 1832 and again in 1848 and the loss of land due to coastal erosion was 28 yards in that period. On 6.8.1832 the distance was 160 yards; on 11.8.1848 it was 132 yards, an average loss of 5ft 3” per year.

On 10th January 1952, Madame Clapham (Mrs Emily Clapham) died aged 96, the former Court Dressmaker of Kingston Square, Hull. Her fashions for high society made Hull ‘the rage’ according to Sir Osbert Sitwell.

On 10th January 1968, Hull trawler St Romanus left port and made radio contact with the owners that evening. A Mayday call was heard, but not passed on. The official enquiry concluded ship probably lost on 11^thJanuary, reason unknown.

On 10th January 1968, Hull trawler Kingston Peridot of Hull left port and was not contacted until after 26 January. The enquiry concluded she probably capsized on 26th or 27th January, due to extreme weather.

December 22nd

On 22nd December 1530, Beverley draper William Leryfax wrote his will, and appointed as guardians for his son Robert the priors of Watton Abbey and Meaux Abbey. In 1539, both abbeys were dissolved, and the subprior of Watton had been hanged in chains in 1537 for his part in the Pilgrimage of Grace.

On 22nd December 1580, the Hull Mayor and aldermen set the price of ale at a penny for a quart and a pint outsales, and a penny a quart and a gill in the alehouse.

On 22nd December 1802, George Knowsley of Cottingham Grange held a meeting at the Duke of Cumberland, Cottingham, to propose the building of a canal from Cottingham to Hull; the aim was to reduce transport costs and establish a local grain market. The Napoleonic Wars caused the project to be shelved, and it was never revived.

August 30th

Brid Priory church On 30th August 1510, Bridlington tanner Henry Braderig claimed sanctuary at the church of St Cuthbert, Durham, for killing Robert Lelome in the grounds of Bridlington Abbey. With 2 other tanners, Roland Hall and Robert Yong, he had struck Lelome with a dagger, and he died 2 weeks later. The attack happened 11 months earlier, in September. photo shows Bridlington Abbey church today

On 30th August 1767, James Savage was born in Howden. Journalist, printer and bookseller, librarian, antiquarian, and newspaper editor. Wrote ‘A History of Howden Church’ 1799 and a history of Wressle in 1805, and a number of other books. (Died Taunton 19.3.1845). (Suggestion, unverified, that he was Howden town clerk, was accused of claiming excessive expenses, and left Howden 1801 with the parish records, refusing to return them until the town paid him monies due; the books were not recovered).

On 30th August 1854, Robert Wilberforce, rector of Burton Agnes and Archdeacon of the East Riding, resigned after leading a doctrinal controversy which raged in the Hull newspapers for many weeks. Shortly after this, he joined the Catholic church. He died before he could be ordained. He was a son of William Wilberforce.

On 30th August 1913, Elizabeth Barr, 25, was shot at Watton by former partner and the father of her child, Henry Moore of Kelk, who then shot himself. A letter from Moore to his father indicates his action was premeditated. Barr died 2 days later, and Moore the following week. A coroner’s jury found Barr’s death was due to wilful murder.

On 30th August 1940, Abdo Nassa, age 50, fireman, died by enemy action whilst a merchant seaman in Atlantic convoy, on board SS Chelsea of Hull.

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

July 10th

On 10th July 1157, Eustace FitzJohn, Lord of Alnwick, died this day. He acquired substantial lands in the north, and married into the ER family of de Vescy. Fought on the Scottish side in the Battle of the Standard in 1138. Founded priories in Bridlington, Watton and North Ferriby.

On 10th July 1508, John Tod of Swine claimed sanctuary at the church of St Cuthbert, Durham, for the theft of a horse and 5 marks from chaplain N. Dale, the steward of the Lord of Hastings, and also for debt. As he claimed the theft happened 10 years earlier, presumably the debt concerned him more.

On 10th July 1642, Sir John Meldrum arrived in Hull by boat with 500 Parliamentary troops, and money, to support the town being besieged in the 1st siege of Hull. A further 1,500 troops were sent later.

On 10th July 1869, Mr Tasker of Sheffield was found guilty at Bridlington of shooting 28 protected seabirds, and fined 2s6d for each bird killed, plus 9s costs.

On 10th July 1931, Paul Robeson, singer, actor and political activist, performed at Bridlington Spa Royal Hall on his first trip to Yorkshire, receiving several encores; when the Royal Hall re-opened after refurbishment in 1933, he returned to Bridlington.

gannets