Part 1

Transcriber’s Note:

This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. Bold and blackletter fonts, used for inscriptions, are delimited with ‘=’.

Illustrations and maps are indicated as [Illustration: caption], and have been positioned to fall between paragraphs. On several occasions, the order of the illustrations is reversed, to better follow the text.

The footnotes, which were marked using the typical symbols (e.g., asterisks), have been numbered consecutively for uniqueness, and placed following the paragraph where they appear. On several occasions (44.8, 48.10, 59.13, 259.59), a single footnote is referenced multiple times in the text.

Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation.

THE STORY OF THE EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE

_A COMPANION VOLUME._

_304 Pages, Crown 8vo, with 56 Illustrations._ _Cloth Boards_, =1/8= _net_.

YORK IN ENGLISH HISTORY

BY

J. L. BROCKBANK, M.A.,

AND

W. M. HOLMES.

_A typical Press Opinion._—"We have nothing but praise for this charming book. It has well been said that ‘to master thoroughly the story of the city of York is to know practically the whole of English history,’ and the authors of this new history have demonstrated the truth of this opinion. No pains have been spared by the publishers to give the letterpress a perfect setting; binding, paper, illustrations, and general finish are alike admirable."

LONDON: A. BROWN & SONS, Ltd., 5 Farringdon Av., E.C. And at Hull and York.

THE STORY OF THE EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE

BY

HORACE B. BROWNE, M.A.

_WITH ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ILLUSTRATIONS_

LONDON

A. BROWN & SONS, LTD., 5 FARRINGDON AVENUE, E.C. AND AT HULL AND YORK

---

1912

PRINTED AT BROWNS’ SAVILE PRESS, SAVILE STREET AND GEORGE STREET, HULL.

TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF THE EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE,

IN THE HOPE THAT THE STORY OF THE LIVES OF THEIR FOREFATHERS MAY INSPIRE THEM TO HELP IN ROLLING ONWARDS THE WHEELS OF PROGRESS THAT HAVE BEEN IN MOTION EVER SINCE THE FIRST LIVING BEING CAME INTO EXISTENCE.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author wishes herein to acknowledge his indebtedness:—

(1) To the published works of local historians, and to the publications of local learned societies, into all of which he has delved, and from many of which he has ‘lifted’ such local records as it served his purpose to use.

(2) To MR. JOHN BICKERSTETH, of the East Riding County Council, for valuable help in the chapter on _How the East Riding Governs Itself_, and in the general planning of the book; to MR. JOHN SUDDABY, for much information that is embodied in Chapters XXIV.-XXVII.; to the WARDENS OF THE HULL TRINITY HOUSE, and MR. E. J. HESELTINE for extracts from the records of the Trinity House; to MR. J. H. HIRST, Hull City Architect, for the draft of the illustration on p. 167; and to MR. W. G. B. PAGE, for revising the proofs of _The East Riding Roll of Honour_.

(3) To COL. MARK SYKES, M.P., CANON GRIMSTON of Stillingfleet, ALDERMAN JOHN BROWN, DR. J. WRIGHT MASON, MRS. WATSON, of Hedon, MR. W. MORFITT of Atwick, the CURATOR of the Hull Museums, and others, for permission to take photographs of objects in their possession.

(4) To the EDITOR of the Transactions of the East Riding Antiquarian Society, the Hull Scientific Club, and the Hull Museum Publications, for the loan of several blocks; to PROFESSOR COLLINGWOOD and the EDITOR of the ‘Yorkshire Archæological Journal’ for the loan of blocks for the illustrations on pp. 55, 63, 64; to MR. T. A. J. WADDINGTON of York, and the EDITOR of the ‘Port of Hull Annual’ for that of the blocks used on pp. 236 and 248; and to the HEAD-MASTERS and HEAD MISTRESSES of the East Riding Schools for that of the blocks used in Chapter XXX.

(5) To his friend, MR. E. HAWORTH EARLE, and to his colleagues, MR. C. BAZELL and MR. J. V. PUGH, for reading the proofs of the entire book and correcting many errors that would otherwise have escaped detection.

(6) To his friend and old pupil, MR. C. W. MASON, for the great amount of time and care which he has bestowed upon the taking of special photographs.

(7) To the PUBLISHERS of the book, who have placed in his hands every possible facility for enriching its pages with whatever illustrations they thought would prove of interest, and who have thereby produced a book which it is hoped will reach the high-water mark of excellence in artistic production.

HYMERS COLLEGE, HULL,

1912.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. WHAT THE EAST RIDING IS 1

II. HOW THE EAST RIDING WAS MADE 3

III. MEN OF THE STONE AGE 8

IV. MEN OF THE BRONZE AGE—THE ANCIENT BRITONS 20

V. MEN OF THE IRON AGE—THE ROMANS IN EAST YORKSHIRE 29

VI. OUR ANCESTORS 40

VII. HOW THE MEN OF THE NORTH BECAME CHRISTIANS 47

VIII. THE COMING OF THE NORTHMEN 56

IX. IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 892 65

X. TWO FAMOUS BATTLES OF LONG AGO 74

XI. HOW THE NORMANS CAME TO YORKSHIRE 85

XII. HOW OUR ANCIENT PARISH CHURCHES WERE BUILT 95

XIII. THE BIRTH OF HULL AND THE ROMANCE OF THE DE LA POLES 111

XIV. MONKS, NUNS, AND FRIARS 123

XV. SAINT JOHN OF BEVERLEY AND HIS MINSTER 135

XVI. SANCTUARIES 145

XVII. HOW TWO KINGS OF ENGLAND LANDED AT SPURN 155

XVIII. LIFE IN A MEDIÆVAL TOWN 162

XIX. THE TRADE UNIONS OF THE MIDDLE AGES 179

XX. THE SUPPRESSION OF THE MONASTERIES AND THE PILGRIMAGE 188 OF GRACE

XXI. HOW THE GREAT CIVIL WAR BEGAN AT HULL 202

XXII. HOW HULL WAS TWICE BESIEGED 212

XXIII. SOME ANCIENT EAST RIDING FAMILIES 223

XXIV. STAGE COACH AND RAILWAY 238

XXV. ENGLAND’S THIRD PORT—THE MODERN GROWTH OF HULL 253

XXVI. FAMOUS SONS OF THE EAST RIDING 269

XXVII. SHIPS OF THE HUMBER 284

XXVIII. FOLK-SPEECH OF THE EAST RIDING 301

XXIX. HOW THE EAST RIDING GOVERNS ITSELF 311

XXX. EAST RIDING SCHOOLS 321

XXXI. THE EAST RIDING ROLL OF HONOUR 344

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

THE PRIDE OF THE EAST RIDING _Frontispiece_

THE THREE RIDINGS OF YORKSHIRE 2

ONE OF THE FIRST INHABITANTS OF THE EAST RIDING 4

RELICS OF THE ICE AGE 6

SKULL AND ANTLERS OF A RED DEER 7

BONE IMPLEMENTS AND WEAPONS FROM BARROWS ON THE WOLDS 9

SECTION OF HOWE HILL, DUGGLEBY 12

POLISHED FLINT KNIFE FOUND IN DUGGLEBY HOWE 14

FLINT IMPLEMENT AND WEAPONS 15

UNFINISHED STONE ADZE HEAD AND WHINSTONE AXE HEAD 16

FOOD VESSEL FROM A BARROW ON ACKLAM WOLD 17

THE RUDSTONE MONOLITH 18

THE EARLIEST KIND OF AXE USED IN EAST YORKSHIRE 19

BRONZE CELT OR AXE HEAD FOUND AT SWINE 21

PLAN OF A BARROW ON CALAIS WOLD, AND IDEAL RESTORATION OF THE SITE OF BURIAL 23

BRITISH GOLD COIN FOUND AT ATWICK 24

HOW A BRITISH CHIEFTAIN’S WIFE WAS BURIED IN GARTON SLACK 25

A BRITISH WAR CHARIOT 26

EARTHWORKS AT SKIPSEA BROUGH 28

STATUE OF A ROMAN SOLDIER IN THE YORK MUSEUM 30

SECTION OF A ROMAN MILITARY HIGHWAY 31

ROMAN ROADS AROUND THE HUMBER 35

ROMAN PIG OF LEAD FOUND AT SOUTH CAVE 36

ROMAN ‘PENS’ FOUND AT BROUGH 36

RELICS OF ROMAN FEASTS FOUND AT EASINGTON 37

A ‘SAFETY-PIN’ SIXTEEN HUNDRED YEARS OLD 38

DESIGN OF THE PAVEMENT OF A ROMAN VILLA AT HARPHAM 39

IRON KNIFE AND BRONZE SPOON FROM AN ANGLIAN CEMETERY 45

CHILD’S TOYS FOUND IN A BURIAL VASE AT SANCTON 45

‘FINDS’ IN AN ANGLIAN CEMETERY NEAR GARTON GATEHOUSE 46

GOODMANHAM CHURCH (From an Old Engraving) 52

TWO SIDES OF AN ANGLIAN CROSS SHAFT AT LEVEN 55

DANISH SETTLEMENTS IN A PORTION OF NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE 60

DANISH CROSS HEAD AT NORTH FRODINGHAM 63

DANISH SUN-DIAL BUILT INTO THE WALL OF ALDBROUGH CHURCH 64

PLAN OF THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE 81

HOLDERNESS IN THE DOMESDAY BOOK 93

A NORMAN FONT IN KIRKBURN CHURCH 96

A PISCINA IN PATRINGTON CHURCH 97

PART OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE TOWER OF HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, HULL 99

FILEY CHURCH, SHOWING THE LINES OF THE ORIGINAL ROOF 100

THE ‘BEVERLEY IMP’—ST. MARY’S CHURCH, BEVERLEY 101

DIFFERENT FORMS OF ARCHES 103

‘NORMAN’ AND ‘EARLY ENGLISH’ SOUTH DOORS 105

PART OF THE SOUTH WALL OF THE CHURCH AT GARTON-ON-THE-WOLDS 106

‘CHURCHWARDEN’ RESTORATION AT WELWICK CHURCH 108

A GROTESQUE ‘POPPY-HEAD’ AT HOLY TRINITY, HULL 109

BRASS OF THOMAS TONGE, RECTOR OF BEEFORD 110

ARMS OF KINGSTON-UPON-HULL 111

SILVER PENNY COINED AT HULL IN THE REIGN OF EDWARD I. 112

PHOTOGRAPH OF THE HULL CHARTER 113

EFFIGIES OF SIR WILLIAM AND DAME KATHERINE DE LA POLE 117

ARMS OF THE DE LA POLES 118

COMMON SEAL OF THE CORPORATION OF KINGSTON-UPON-HULL 119

SEAL OF EDMUND DE LA POLE 121

PEDIGREE OF THE DE LA POLES 122

ARMS OF BRIDLINGTON PRIORY 123

A CISTERCIAN MONK 124

A BENEDICTINE NUN 125

PLAN OF THE CISTERCIAN ABBEY OF KIRKSTALL 127

THE PRIORY CHURCH, BRIDLINGTON 129

A CORNER OF THE CLOISTER COURT AT KIRKHAM PRIORY 131

THE BAYLE GATE, BRIDLINGTON 132

A WHITE FRIAR IN HIS STUDY 133

ARMS OF BEVERLEY MINSTER 135

BEVERLEY MINSTER IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 137

‘EARLY ENGLISH’ DOORWAY IN THE SOUTH TRANSEPT 138

SMALL ‘DECORATED’ DOORWAY AT THE WEST END 139

PART OF THE ARCADING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE NAVE 141

‘HEY-DIDDLE-DIDDLE, THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE’ 142

PLAN OF BEVERLEY MINSTER 143

SANCTUARY CROSS AT BISHOP BURTON 147

THE BEVERLEY FRITH-STOOL 150

SANCTUARY KNOCKER AT ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH, YORK 151

HENRY OF LANCASTER’S CROSS 161

PRESENT SEAL OF THE BOROUGH OF HEDON 162

NORTH BAR WITHOUT, BEVERLEY 163

PART OF A FOURTEENTH-CENTURY PLAN OF HULL 165

HIGH STREET, HULL 166

SECTIONS OF A MEDIÆVAL AND A MODERN STREET 167

PARISH STOCKS PRESERVED IN BEVERLEY MINSTER 169

ARMS OF THE HULL TRINITY HOUSE 172

A MIRACLE PLAY IN THE OLDEN TIME 174

NOAH’S ARK 175

A FOURTEENTH-CENTURY ‘SHOW’ 177

BEAR-BAITING 178

THE BEVERLEY MINSTRELS 185

ARMS OF THE HULL MERCHANTS’ COMPANY 186

THE GATEWAY OF KIRKHAM PRIORY 190

RUINS OF THE EAST END OF THE CHURCH 191

BADGE OF THE PILGRIMAGE OF GRACE 193

HOWDEN CHURCH FROM THE SOUTH 196

HOWDEN CHURCH—RUINS OF THE CHAPTER HOUSE 198

ALL THAT REMAINED OF MEAUX ABBEY IN 1900 201

A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF KYNGESTON-VPON-HVLL, A.D. 1640 206, 207

KING CHARLES I. AT THE BEVERLEY GATE, KINGSTON-UPON-HULL 211

SIR JOHN HOTHAM 216

MEDAL STRUCK IN MEMORY OF SIR JOHN HOTHAM 219

HULL’S WATER GATE 221

WRESSLE CASTLE 225

THE PERCY TOMB, BEVERLEY MINSTER 230

BURTON CONSTABLE HALL 232

BRASS OF SIR THOMAS DE ST. QUINTIN IN HARPHAM CHURCH 233

BURTON AGNES HALL 234

EFFIGY OF A KNIGHT IN PLATE ARMOUR AT SWINE 235

EFFIGY OF A KNIGHT IN CHAIN ARMOUR AT HOWDEN 236

COAT-OF-ARMS OF THE STRICKLANDS 237

ON THE ROAD IN 1812 238

HULL AND YORK COACHING BILL, A.D. 1787 241

COACHING ROADS AND EARLY RAILWAYS 243

PISTOLS AND HOLSTERS FORMERLY USED ON THE HULL AND PATRINGTON COACH 245

THE FIRST TIME-TABLE OF THE HULL AND SELBY RAILWAY 248

THE HULL AND BEVERLEY STAGE COACH 251

ON THE ROAD IN 1912 252

WHITEFRIARGATE BRIDGE AND THE VICTORIA SQUARE, HULL 255

PLAN OF DOCKS WEST OF THE RIVER HULL 258

PLAN OF DOCKS EAST OF THE RIVER HULL 259

THE WILSON LINER ‘ESKIMO’ GETTING UP STEAM 260

GRAIN SHIPS DISCHARGING THEIR CARGOES 261

AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY ON THE WAY TO RUSSIA 264

A STEAM TRAWLER 265

N.E.R. RIVERSIDE QUAY 267

THE GARDEN VILLAGE, HULL 268

JOHN ALCOCK, BISHOP OF ELY 270

JOHN FISHER, BISHOP OF ROCHESTER 272

ANDREW MARVELL 273

BIRTHPLACE OF WILLIAM WILBERFORCE 275

WILLIAM WILBERFORCE 277

SIR TATTON SYKES 281

CHARLES WILSON, FIRST BARON NUNBURNHOLME 282

ARTHUR WILSON 283

AN ANCIENT ‘DUG-OUT’ FOUND IN NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE 285

A VIKING SHIP ON A CHURCH DOOR 286

ANCIENT SEAL OF THE CORPORATION OF HEDON 287

ENGLISH WARSHIPS IN THE TIME OF THE ARMADA 289

A NEWS SHEET OF 1837 291

THE HULL WHALER ‘TRUELOVE’ 293

THE FIRST STEAMSHIP BUILT ON THE HUMBER 295

A HUMBER PILOT BOAT 297

SHIPS OLD AND NEW—THE ‘SOUTHAMPTON’—‘BAYARDO’ 299

ENTRANCE TO THE OLD HARBOUR 300

ANCIENT ARMS OF BEVERLEY 311

MODERN ARMS OF BRIDLINGTON 313

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS IN THE EAST RIDING 314

THE HEDON MACE—THE OLDEST CIVIC MACE IN BRITAIN 316

CREST OF THE EAST RIDING COUNTY COUNCIL 318

COUNCIL CHAMBER AT THE COUNTY HALL, BEVERLEY 320

ARMS OF BEVERLEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL 322

ARMS OF HOWDEN GRAMMAR SCHOOL 322

ARMS OF BRIDLINGTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL 323

ARMS OF HULL GRAMMAR SCHOOL 324

ARMS OF POCKLINGTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL 325

AT SCHOOL IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY 325

PART OF THE SEAL OF A LINCOLNSHIRE GRAMMAR SCHOOL 326

ANCIENT COCK-FIGHTING BELL OF POCKLINGTON SCHOOL 328

A BOYS’ PLAY-GROUND IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 330

THE OLD GRAMMAR SCHOOL, HULL 333

THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, BRIDLINGTON 335

SEAL OF THE GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL, HULL 336

BRIDLINGTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL 339

ARMS OF HYMERS COLLEGE 340

HYMERS COLLEGE 341

A TYPICAL SCHOOL ON THE YORKSHIRE WOLDS 342

A MODERN CITY COUNCIL SCHOOL 343#

MAP OF THE EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE _End Cover_

THE STORY OF THE EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE.

I. WHAT THE EAST RIDING IS.

That an English county which is nearly as large as the ancient kingdom of Wales should become divided into separate portions for the purposes of local government is only what one would expect. But it is not obvious why the number of these portions should be three, and there is even an air of mystery about the name given to them. ‘North Riding,’ ‘West Riding,’ ‘East Riding’—what is this word ‘Riding’?

For the answer to this question we must go back many centuries, to the time of the hardy Norsemen who, as we shall see, settled in such large numbers in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It was common among the Norsemen of old to divide lands into three portions for the purposes of government, and their name for each portion was _thrithjungr_.[1]

Footnote 1:

_Thríth-yunger_

This mysterious word means in our tongue ‘a third part,’ and from it arose the English word THRIDING as companion to _feorthing_, another word which we use to-day in a very slightly altered form. But the difficulty of pronouncing distinctly and easily the combination ‘North Thriding’ is evident, and the troublesome word suffered the same fate as commonly then befell the troublesome man—it got, quite naturally, beheaded.

* * * * *

A glance at the small map on this page will show how the county of Yorkshire is divided. By no means are the three Ridings equal in area, the East Riding being far the smallest. In order of size they stand as follows:—

West Riding 2,766 square miles. North Riding 2,128 " " East Riding 1,172 " " —-—-—-—-—-—-— 6,066 square miles.

The map shows another point of contrast between the three Ridings. Whereas the West and North Ridings have numerous ranges of hills and correspondingly numerous water-channels, the East Riding is, with the exception of its northern extremity, an eastward extension of the ‘Vale of York’ and very nearly as flat as the proverbial pancake. Its only rivers are the Hull and the Derwent, and the latter for more than half its course forms the boundary of the Riding.

An uninteresting part of the county it looks to be, does it not? But, nevertheless, it has an interesting history behind it, and men and women have been born and bred in it—men and women who have helped to make our country what it is to-day. Who they have been, how they have lived, and what they have done in the ages before we ourselves were born, it is the purpose of the following pages to show.

II. HOW THE EAST RIDING WAS MADE.

Stand on the very highest point of the white limestone cliffs that stretch northwards from Flamborough Head, and realise that you are standing on what was once the bed of the sea.

Strange though this be, it is nevertheless true. Countless ages ago what now towers up 450 feet above sea-level had over it the ceaseless rolling of the waters of the ocean, and during countless ages it was slowly formed out of the shells and teeth and bones of the creatures that lived in these waters.

Men who know tell us that the layer of chalk at the bottom of the ocean to-day is composed principally of the remains of creatures so minute as to be visible only by the aid of a microscope, and that this layer grows in thickness at the rate of not more than one-tenth of an inch per year. They tell us also that the layer of chalk which extends under our county is not less than 1200 feet in thickness, and thus a simple calculation will help us to form some idea of the extent of time necessary for its formation. But however long this time actually was, it came to an end with a tremendous upheaval of a portion of the ocean bed, and the formation of a new area of ‘dry land.’