Withernsea – Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar

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 28th

On 28th March 1783, Alexander Cavalie Mercer was born in Hull. He was a British artillery officer who served at Waterloo and wrote a journal of his experiences. Also a painter of merit. (died 9.11.1868)

On 28th March 1854, Joseph Rank was born in Holderness Road, Hull. His father was Hull miller James Rank. Joseph built his own mill and came to automate the flour milling process. He set up the business which became Rank Hovis McDougall. He set up a number of charities. Father of J. Arthur Rank.(d 13.11.1943)

On 28th March 1864, the first train of the Hull & Hornsea Railway left Wilmington Railway Station, Hull, at noon. Financial problems caused the company to be taken over by the North Eastern Railway Company 2 years later.

On 28th March 1882, the head of Withernsea pier and the saloon were washed away in high seas, as the damage done in 1882 was cheaply repaired with timber, not iron. They were never replaced.

On 28th March 2011, Dave Foster and Mick Bateman bought Bettison’s Folly, Hornsea, for £1 plus legal fees. The tower was built in the 1850s by brewer William Bettison, supposedly so that his servant could watch for his return home and have his meal ready as soon as he arrived. A siren was put on the tower during WW2, when it was also used as an air-raid lookout.

Bettison's Folly

March 18th

On 18th March 1293, the name ‘Kingston upon Hull’ was first used by a jury called to value land in order to improve roads in the town which King Edward I had just purchased.

On 18th March 1708, the Hull Mayor and Chief Magistrates received a letter from the Council in the North instructing them to get all ‘dangerous or disaffected persons’ to sign an oath of allegiance to Queen Anne and to swear that Charles (Bonnie Prince Charlie) had no claim to the throne.

On 18th March 1859, John Sanderson was recruited to ‘work the Force Pump when necessary for the water closets’ at the Ladies Hospital, College St, Sutton-on-Hull. It seems the elderly residents found the pump too difficult to operate.

On 18th March 1924, Sir James Reckitt died in Hull aged 90. A businessman, JP, politician and philanthropist, he joined his father’s business, and created Garden Village as a model village for the company’s workers. Amongst his charitable works were contributions to Hull Royal Infirmary, Newland Homes for Seamen’s Children, the building of the city’s first public library, donated to the city, and the donation of Withernsea Convalescent Home to the Infirmary. He established the Sir James Reckitt Charity. (b 15.11.1833)

jamesreckitt

March 1st

On 1st March 1384, Michael de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, left in his will instructions to found the Charterhouse Hospital which his father had begun, and endowed it with land, nominating Sir Richard de Killing as the first Master, and left money to support 13 poor men and 13 poor women, feeble and old.

On 1st March 1838, the steam packet ferry services from Hull to Selby, Goole and Gainsbrough were restored, after severe frosts disrupted them from the 2^ndweek in January.

On 1st March 1916, a new Royal Flying Corps Squadron, the No 47 Home Defence Squadron, was formed at Beverley, on the racecourse site.

On 1st March 1921, Kenny Baker was born in Withernsea. Musician and composer, considered the best British trumpeter, 3 times winner of best jazz trumpet player award, he played for Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, the Beatles, and on TV and film soundtracks, including James Bond scores, The Muppet show, and ‘The Beiderbecke Trilogy’. (died 7.12.1999) see photo

On 1st March 1990, Sister Agnes Walsh was recognised by Yad Vashem as one of 27 British people known as Righteous Among the Nations for her part in protecting Jews during the Holocaust. Trapped in France when the country was occupied by the Nazis, she gave refuge to a local Jewish family in spite of being in grave danger herself as a foreigner. She was born Clare Walsh in Hull in 1896 (died 1993).

Kenny Baker

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 14th

On 14th February 1763, Mr Newmarch, lighthouse keeper at Spurn Point, reported to his employer that the low light had ‘washed down wholly all together’.

On 14th February 1792, Thomas Wilson, son of a lighterman, was baptised at Dagger Lane Independent Chapel, Hull, He became a clerk, then salesman, set up a business importing iron, and eventually became owner of Thomas Wilson, Sons & Co, the beginning of the Wilson Line, a multi-national business; his son Charles became Lord Nunburnholme.

On 14th February 1803, Burnett’s Shipping List reported the departure of the first whaler leaving for the fishing grounds that season: the Adventure, captain’s name Gibson, headed for the Davis Strait, got into the roads, but it was a week before it got under way. 5 other whalers left in February, followed by 33 in March. 2 other Hull whalers, the Thomas and the Lynx, appear not to have sailed that season.

On 14th February 1927, 12 Rail passengers died in a head-on rail collision near Hull Paragon Station; 40 others were injured. The outgoing Hull to Scarborough train was put on the same track as the train arriving from Withernsea.

TrainCrash1927

November 9th

On 9th November 1309, King Edward II visited his Royal park in Burstwick, his main residence in the north. Piers Gaveston was Lord of Holderness.

On 9th November 1487, John de la Pole senior, Duke of Suffolk, was stripped of most of his property and estates as a result of his son’s rebellion (the Earl of Lincoln) in support of Lambert Simnel.

On 9th November 1488, John Fernell, yeoman, of Asselby, killed Thomas Rodley with a staff, and then made his way to Beverley, where on 17.11 he claimed the sanctuary of the church of St John, and admitted the homicide.

On 9th November 1906, Capt Stensen and 5 crew of a Norwegian schooner carrying timber stranded at Withernsea in a gale. There were no casualties.

On 9th November 1916, Private Herbert Neal, 24, former Reckitt’s employee in the lead mill was killed in action with the East Yorkshire Regiment and is buried in Bazentin-le-petit, Somme, France. 2 of his brothers also served in the war, and only 1 survived to return home to Church St, Hull.

On 9th November 1923, Sir Henry Wood, originator of the Proms, made his first appearance as conductor of the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra, originally for one concert only. He stayed for 15 years, travelling from London to work with amateur musicians for a considerably reduced fee. An earlier contact with Hull was 1906 when Ethel Leginska performed for him in London.

Sir Henry Wood

October 28th

On 28th October 1451, the Mayor and town of Hull and the Prior and Convent of the Charterhouse reached agreement on 8 areas of dispute between them, chiefly relating to ownership of land and streets between the town walls and the Charterhouse, including the Trippett and the northern part of Pole Street, the rent due for them, and garden fences of the Charterhouse encroaching on the public highway.

On 28th October 1510, William Sedyngton of Flambrough claimed sanctuary at the church of St John, Beverley, for debt.

On 28th October 1880, during a storm, the Saffron, Jabez, and Earl of Derby separately crashed into the piers at Withernsea and Hornsea, 2 at Withernsea and 1 at Hornsea; both piers were substantially damaged. The Hornsea pier had only opened 5 months before, and was completely demolished in 1897. The Withernsea pier had been open 2 years, and was to have several more ships crash into it before being demolished, apart from the 2 remaining towers.

On 28th October 1910, the Aldbrough Rocket Brigade rescued the crew of the trawler Castor of Grimsby, which ran aground on Aldbrough beach, whilst the Hornsea Lifeboat crew took an hour against high winds to row to the site. Later the Secretary of the Hornsea branch of the RNLI said that Hornsea did not have strong men like they had in Bridlington and it was the worst place on the coast to get a lifeboat.

October 20th

On 20th October 1536, Sir Robert Constable of Flamborough took command of Hull after a siege lasting 5 days, by the East Riding rebels of the Pilgrimage of Grace. The only condition the inhabitants made was that no-one would be forced to take the pilgrims’ oath.

On 20th October 1580, Rowlande Burton was called before the Hull mayor and aldermen to answer a charge of dealing in hops without paying a customs charge. They agreed that he would pay the charges due.

On 20th October 1586, Luke Fox (or Foxe) was born in Hull. He explored much of the Hudson Bay in search of the Northwest Passage. Later became a brother of Hull Trinity House and in 1635 published ‘North-west Fox, or Fox from the Northwest Passage’. Died approx 15.7.1635.

On 20th October 1749, a ’sudden and dreadful’ fire broke out at night when the Stamford Bridge Mills machinery overheated.

On 20th October 1890, Withernsea pier was damaged for a third time since its opening 12 years before, when an unmanned Grimsby fishing smack, the Genesta, smashed into it, and destroyed half of the remaining pier (see 19.10). Another boat, the Henry Parr, smashed into it in 1893, leaving only 50 feet, which remnant was removed in 1903 during work on the sea wall.

On 20th October 1958, the Malton to Driffield Railway closed to freight traffic, passenger traffic having ceased in 1950.

W'sea pier

October 19th

On 19th October 1469, John Fisher was born in Beverley, the eldest son of Robert and Agnes Fisher. Chancellor of Cambridge University, Bishop of Rochester, and chaplain to royalty. He was executed for treason 22.6.1535 on Tower Hill, for speaking out against Henry VIII’s divorce, and refusing to acknowledge the heirs of Henry and Ann Boleyn as legitimate successors to the throne. A Catholic martyr, he was canonized as St John Fisher.

On 19th October 1781, Rev George Lambert reported in his diary on a very high tide which inundated many houses in Hull.

On 19th October 1826, a Huggate parish jury of 12 men, 2 affearers (assessors of fines) and the pinder, set penalties for anyone allowing cattle into public lanes at night at 2s6d per head, for the first offence, and 5s per head for every offence afterwards; for allowing pigs in the streets without a ring between May Day and Michaelmas 3d per head; for allowing geese in the streets between Old Mayday and Old Lammas, 1s; for allowing anyone to stay who does not have a certificate allowing them to settle, £1 19s 11d.

On 19th October 1890, John Connell, boatman, of Waxholme, in the Coastguard Service, took part in the rescue of crew from the Grimsby vessel Genesta when it ran aground. All were rescued, except the captain, who died of exposure. Connell went on to the vessel as it was breaking up to rescue a man too weak to help himself. Connell was awarded the Humane Society Silver Medal. The unmanned vessel broke free the following day and travelled to Withernsea.

On 19th October 1964, rail passengers took their last trips on the Hull to Withernsea and Hull to Hornsea rail lines, which closed as a result of the Beeching Report. Goods services to Withernsea continued to 30.4.1965, to Hedon 3.5.1965, and to Marfleet to 1972. photo shows part of Hornsea Rail Trail today.

Hornsea Rail Trail