Howden area Quakers

I have been looking this week at Quaker history and specifically at some of our local families who emigrated in the late seventeenth century.

The Quaker movement was founded by George Fox. Early Quakers (or Friends) stressed the importance of a direct relationship with God through Jesus Christ and a belief in the universal priesthood of all believers. They emphasised a personal experience of Christ acquired through both direct spiritual experience and the reading and studying of the Bible.

Their beliefs meant that came into conflict with the 'establishment' and were often imprisoned for non-payment of tithes, for simply attending their meetings as the law then forbade religious gatherings of more than five people outside the Church of England, or for not taking an oath of allegiance to the king. Quakers did and do not agree with swearing oaths.

In Yorkshire there were many Quakers and several local men and women spent long periods in York Castle, several of them dying there. This took place mostly in the reign of Charles II.

Meetings of Friends were held at Elloughton, North Cave, Shipton, Barmby, Ferriby, Hotham, Sancton, Metham, Brantingham and Sandholme.

Meeting-houses were later erected at North Cave and Elloughton and records of their meetings survive including their minute books and records of suffering. These two local meetings later became incorporated into the Hull monthly meeting

At Sandholme there is still a Quaker farm, once owned by Sebastian Ellythorp who died in York Castle in 1695. 

Cornelius Empson was another local Quaker and member of the landowning Empson family of Goole Hall, where there is still a private burial ground. This is referred to in 1673 when Katherin Empson, wife of James, was buried as a Quaker in "Rich[ar]d Empson’s ground, Gowle".

On the 24th of the 6th month 1680 (the Quakers had their own dating system, beginning with March as month one), the Hull Monthly Meeting of Friends registered the birth of a son to Cornelius Empson. He was named Richard and was the eldest son of four born to Cornelius and his first wife Mary.

Cornelius Empson emigrated to America in 1684. In 1685 he was described as living on Shellpots Creek, a small stream in Brandywine Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware.

On the 12th December 1710 his will was proved. He was then described as Cornelius Empson, gentleman, of Goal [sic - Goole] Grange, New Castle County, Pennsylvania, later Delaware.

Some records suggest that Cornelius Empson was born at Booth. There were at least two Quaker families in the  nearby Knedlington area. I am not sure where they lived in Knedlington, which now consists of only a few houses, but early maps  do show a Quaker burial ground there.

The Wright family

Another local Quaker family were the Wrights of Howden and Knedlington. Robert Wright, a butcher in Hailgate, Howden and his wife Alice Lawtie had at least three, possibly four sons who all emigrated to America.

The eldest son was Thomas Wright. In 1677 he emigrated to the Jersey shore of the Delaware river on the "Flie Boat Martha" from Hull. Thomas Wildbuys or Wildcup was the master. The Martha arrived "at the end of Summer 1677" carrying "114 passengers" for the Yorkshire Tenth in Burlington. Thomas Wright wrote home to his wife on October 28th 1677, having just arrived. His family followed him. He died in Burlington County, New Jersey 1706.

The second son was Joshua Wright. Joshua married on June 10th 1669 Elizabeth Empson of "Gowle Field House", Goole. I am not sure how she was related to Cornelius Empson, but she was possibly his sister.

Joshua obviously had a 'falling out' with the local Friends around the time of his marriage. The Friends records of 1669 (which are hard to decipher) for the South Cliffe meeting state that,

"Joshua Wright of Howden, having been convicted of frequenting friends meetings, denied the worlds went from it, paid tithes, forsooke ... and ... he being admonished and warned faithfully by friends, and afterwards proceeded ... world, and ...  marryed by a drunken priest."

Joshua was disowned in 1669 by the Cave Monthly Meeting for marrying Elizabeth Empson on 4 mo. 10. 1669, contrary to Discipline.

Joshua Wright, along with his wife and children Elizabeth, Joshua and Robert, seems to have left the area and eventually emigrated from Ashford-in-the-Water near Bakewell in Derbyshire. The family embarked for West New Jersey at Hull, in August 24, 1679 on the same ship as Joshua's brother Samuel (see below) and arrived at the falls of the Delaware, now Trenton, about December 20th 1679.

Joshua's will, which was written in 1690 although he  died in 1695, includes bequests as follows which show he was Samuel's brother.

"I give to Mary, late widow of my brother Samuel Wright, that farm or plantation whereon she now dwells during her life and to Samuel Wright her son to him and his heirs forever.

 I give to Peter Fretwell, my son-in-law, and Elizabeth his wife, my only daughter, our lot in the town of Burlington, belonging to the first part---------to them and their heirs forever.

 I give to Robert Wright my son - 100 acres of land and 30 pounds to him and his heirs forever. I give to Thomas Wright my son - 350 acres of land and 30 pounds to him and his heirs forever.

 I give to Joseph Wright my son - 350 acres of land and 30 pounds to him and his heirs forever.

 I give to Samuel Wright my son - 350 acres of land and 30 pounds to him and his heirs forever.

 I give to Elizabeth my wife one half of the farm or plantation whereon I now live during her natural life and after to my son Joshua with all the rest of my lands and herby give to him and his heirs forever. And the rest of my goods to Elizabeth my wife and Joshua my son, whom I make executors of this my last will and testament."

The third of the Wright sons was Samuel Wright, yeoman of Knedlington, who was born about 1645. He married Mary Starkey, daughter of John Starkey of Knedlington, on the 1st July 1671.

In 1675 Samuel Wright, of "Nedlington", grassman, was imprisoned for refusing to pay a demand of 4d for the wages of the parish clerk.

The Elloughton monthly meeting minutes of 1676 show that Friends of the Howden meeting were ordered to "enquire into the present condition of Samuel Wright's family (he being prisoner at York for the truth sake) and to bring in account the next meeting".

It was also minuted that "considering the condition of Samuel Wright of Knedlington, he being straitly kept prisoner and his wife great with child, and his estate but small; [they] sent her by Christopher Graves 10 shillings".

In 1677 another 10s was sent to Samuel's wife as she was "in weakness and her husband in prison, by a Capias Writt persecuted by the wicked Bishop's Officers".

Samuel Wright emigrated to America with his brother Joshua Wright, leaving Hull in August 1679 with his wife and children, Alice and Samuel. His daughter Mary was apparently born at sea on October 25th 1679. Samuel Wright settled in Burlington Co. along the south side of Crosswicks Creek. He died Burlington Co., New Jersey before 25th March 1690, when his wife was described as a widow in his brother's will. 

A fourth Wright son, Richard Wright, born in 1651, may have emigrated and lived at Cooper's Creek, Gloucester Co, New Jersey.

The Goforth family

William Goforth was born in 1631 at Knedlington. His father Miles had three known children, William,  George and Elizabeth.

Miles Goforth died in 1674 at Knedlington. William, who may have been married before, married Anne Skipwith in 1662 in the Friends meeting house in Hull. Anne's mother Honora Skipwith, wife of Willoughby Skipwith, was also a Quaker and died in 1679 in York Castle.

William and Anne and their family emigrated to  America on the Martha in 1677. Thomas Wright, also of Knedlington (mentioned above) was a fellow passenger. Sadly, William died in Burlington the following year. Ann remarried to another fellow passenger, William Oxley.

I am sure that there is much more to discover about the Quaker families in this area of East Yorkshire. I briefly mentioned Sebastian Ellythorp of Sandholme earlier in this blog piece. The Ellythorps are a fascinating local family and I researched them in greater detail for my book about Eastrington.

When I have time I will have a more detailed look at some of the other local Quaker families and their 'sufferings' which are available to read in the archives at Beverley.

Charles Crump and his memories of Reedness

Some years ago whilst reading the old files of the Goole Times for 1937 I came across some articles entitled 'Marshland of 70 years ago'.  They were written by an anonymous author who recalled his childhood in Reedness when he was aged 6 in 1867.

His recollections were very detailed and the Marshland Local History Group have recently incorporated them into a beautifully produced book entitled Memories of Reedness . The book also includes the memories of present day Reedness residents - and former residents - including my friend Bill Wroot whose memories are included on my Howdenshirehistory.co.uk website.

Bill Wroot and his wife Gudrun at the launch of Memories of Reedness

The group has used censuses and maps to trace the history of Reedness people and houses in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

There are enough clues in the memories from 1937 to trace the author. He was, I believe,  Charles Crump who was born in Upper Peover in Cheshire. His parents were Samuel Crump born in Warwick and his wife Ann [ Hannah, Anna], formerly Reynolds of Packington in Warwickshire.

They married in 1843 and spent several years in Over Peover in Cheshire where their children were all born. Samuel was the  village schoolmaster and his wife Anna was schoolmistress. In February 1866 they moved with their two youngest sons, James and Charles to Reedness.

Charles and James grew up in Reedness. Charles followed in his parents' footsteps and was a pupil teacher on the opening day of Goole Alexandra St schools on 17th January 1876. From 1880 when his father became ill he took over the school at Reedness until his father died in 1883.

He later was headmaster at Little Harrowden, Northamptonshire where he lived with his family.

He died, I believe in 1942.

If anyone has family connections with the Crump family I would be pleased to hear from them and confirm that the memories were indeed written by Charles Crump.

Goole family history day and new Howden book

Just a reminder that there is a family history day in Goole library on Saturday 3rd November from 10am to 4pm. I shall be there, as will the Boothferry History group, the Goole First World War research group, the Marshland history Group and, I think, the Isle of Axholme family history society.

We all have lots of indexes and information and will try to help anyone who needs help with their family history.

I am relieved this week to have taken my new book on Howden to the printers. I hope to have it on sale by mid November.

In 1994 I wrote a book on the history of Howden [ Howden an East Riding Market Town] with my fellow local historian Ken Powls. This book told the story of Howden from its earliest beginnings to 1900. It has long been out of print and so I decided to continue the story into the twentieth century.

This new book is a pictorial history of the town and contains 88 pages of old photographs as well as a detailed text describing how Howden developed from late Victorian times.

I have been lucky to talk to many local people who have both loaned me pictures and shared their memories.

Now I can perhaps spend a bit of time in the garden before it gets too cold. The leaves are coming down fast and our lawn is a beautiful orange carpet. There are far too many to collect and so I shall just enjoy looking at them.

Front cover of new history book about Howden

Beverley local history book fair

It has been a busy week for local history. On Wednesday I attended the Howden Civic Society awards evening. The room was full as Mike Smith presented Tom Asquith awards to Howden Junior school pupils who had made superb pencil drawings of Howden's heritage.

The head teacher of the school then explained to us how the school was celebrating its  centenary in  2013 - previously I had always believed the date to be 1912, but this was when the school was being built and it did not open until April 7th 2013. She asked for our help to gather photos and memories for an exhibition. Can you help? Please do get in touch if you can.

On Friday I gave a presentation at Newport Wesleyan chapel to celebrate its opening in May 1812. I began by playing the 1812 overture and explaining how Europe was at war whilst in Newport they were peacefully opening their new and impressive chapel. I showed pictures of many of the 48 villages who had had grazing rights on the old Wallingfen Common before it was drained and the settlement which became Newport grew up where the road crossed the new canal.

I always enjoy giving talks at such community events as the atmosphere is so friendly and I often learn a lot from listening to the audience.

Don't forget that October 20th 2012 is the local and family history book fair at Beverley in the Treasure House. I shall be there with the Gilberdyke Local History stall. If you are coming and have any particular photograph requests then please do let me know in advance (you can contact me through my website) and I can have a look for you:

howdenshirehistory.co.uk

I have hundreds of old photos of the East Yorkshire, Howdenshire and Goole areas - most of which haven't made it onto my website so do ask. There will also be our Gilberdyke Remembered book on sale and my books on Eastrington and Goole.

Do come and say hello.

The Pepper family of Goole

Yet again it has been cold, wet and grey. There has been flooding in West Yorkshire and a local gardener I talked to said all his vegetables were just sitting in the soil, not growing and looking a bit yellow. So my garden is not alone in looking very sorry for itself.

The poor weather has meant I can spend more time on the computer. I have been researching a Goole family called Pepper who spent much of their life on Goole barges and billyboys.

George Pepper was born on a canal boat and after his marriage to Emma Ward in 1880 he worked variously as a boatman and as a dock labourer. The family were living at The Barracks on the road to Swinefleet in 1911.

George had a few brushes with the law being summonsed for poaching and for salmon fishing without a licence.

At least two of George's sons, Paul and John Henry, served in the army in World War One. Paul survived but John Henry was killed in 1918, just before the end of the war. He was awarded the Military Medal.

Chris, who has recently set up a blog on Goole men who were killed in the war, provided the following entry from the Goole Times.

Taken from ‘Goole Times’ Thursday November 1^st, 1918.

SERGT. J.H. PEPPER KILLED.

            Official news has been received of the death in action on September 18 of Sergt. John Henry Pepper, Manchester Regiment, of 21, Antis Street, Plymouth, son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Pepper, of 23, George Street, Goole.

            Sergt. Pepper, who was 36 years of age and was well-known in Goole, had left the town some two years before he enlisted at the beginning of the war, and he had been out in France some three years. He leaves a widow and six young children.

            Writing to Sergt. Pepper’s widow, his officer, Lieut. J.A. Corley, says:- “Please let me offer you my deepest sympathy in your sad bereavement in the loss of your husband. I saw him a few moments before he was hit. A more gallant or brave soldier I have never commended for his bravery. I had already mentioned him to my Commanding Officer, who promoted him to the rank of Sergeant and recommended him for a decoration. His death is a loss to the company and myself; we greatly appreciated his services, and his cheerful disposition was a magnificent example to us all.”

            A brother of Sergt. Pepper, Pte. Paul Pepper, has just been discharged from the Army after being wounded five times and gassed twice. A brother-in-law, Mr. Chas. Abson, of 32, Gordon Street, is a minesweeper, and is at present in Russia.

In 1911 John Henry Pepper was in Dartmoor prison but nothing is known of why that was or indeed what happened to his family after the war.

George Pepper survived until his early 90s and in 1930 was featured in an article in the Hull Daily Mail as 'England's oldest boatman'. He claimed to have fathered 20 children and to have 100 descendants.

If you are one of them please get in touch!

Samuel Shirtcliffe/Shetliffe

Well, I did go to Eastrington show yesterday but as the field was so wet the horse and cattle classes had been cancelled. It was not actually raining when I was there and there was a good entry in the handicraft section in the village hall but it must have been disappointing for the organisers who had put so much work in.

On a completely different topic I have been contacted by David Shetliffe from Australia whose ancestors came from Goole. He is hoping to visit Goole later this year and would be delighted to meet any relatives. He has sent me details of his ancestor Samuel Shirtcliffe/ Shetliffe which have been passed down through the family and is happy for them to appear on my blog in the hope that he can find some Yorkshire relatives!

Samuel was born on 29th September 1816, one of five children of Thomas Shirtcliffe (the 'e' on the end of the name comes and goes) and Grace Clayton. Thomas was originally from Deptford in Kent and Grace was from Cowick.

Samuel married Ellen Rimmington at Snaith on July 14th 1838. Samuel was a seaman and  on one occasion brought his wife Ellen a silk shawl home from China in 1840 after a voyage on the Alexander Baring. He afterwards captained local vessels Bessie and Margaret and Sarah. 

Samuel and Ellen's first son, another Samuel, was born in 1846. In 1848 Samuel and the Margaret and Sarah were caught in a terrible storm in the North Sea and afterwards Samuel decided to stay nearer home and worked as a river pilot.

Their second son Joseph was born on December 1848 at Selby. The following year in September 25th 1849 the family sailed on the barque the Douglas for Australia and arrived at Port Adelaide on January 11th 1850. They then travelled by bullock dray to Burra Burra where Samuel worked in the copper mines. In February 1852 they moved to Goolwa where Samuel had heard news of shipping developments. Initially they lived in a tent.

Samuel worked for a time building the horse drawn railway between Goolwa and Port Elliott. Around this time the Shirtcliffe name began to be written as Shetliff[e] as this was in line with the way that it was pronounced by Samuel's workmates.

On March 6th 1854 Samuel and Ellen's daughter Amelia was born, the first white girl born in Goolwa.

Samuel put his shipping background to good use and went into business building ships, particularly paddle steamers which sailed along the River Murray. One wonders if he ever returned to Goole to get a few ideas!

If you can trace your ancestry back to the Shirtcliffes and Rimmingtons David would like to know. We do know that there is a connection with the Goole Hopley family. Robert Hopley married Mary Rimmington in 1827 at Hook.

Ellen Shirtcliffe

Samuel Shirtcliffe

Samuel [jnr] and Joseph Shirtcliffe/Shetliffe

Family history day

I spent yesterday at the family history day at Goole Waterways Museum. Sadly we did not have many visitors. Some people, who had come for a boat ride round the docks, wandered around the stalls but, along with the Boothferry History group, the Isle of Axholme family history group and the Marshland history group, I was in a room down a short corridor and so few general visitors  found us.

This, we all felt, was a pity as there was a lot of information on display and we were all there keen to help family historians but there had not been much publicity for the event and I do not think local people knew it was taking place.

Those of us manning the stalls in the main already knew each other and so we had some pleasant conversation but looking out at the sunshine I felt I might have been more profitably been doing some gardening!!

I had my new DVDs on display - 5 compilations of Goole pictures [ about 30 on each disc] covering the shipyard and launches, ships visiting Goole, the docks, the railways and the town. I shall be putting more information about them on my website.

Below is  one of the more 'modern' pictures from the ship disc showing the paddle steamer Lincoln Castle visiting Goole in, I think, 1976. I remember going on the trip and looking at the engines as they thudded their way along the Ouse.

Lincoln Castle visiting Goole

New Year's Eve 2011

It is the end of another year and as far as the weather is concerned the contrast with last year could not be greater. It is very mild and I noticed that a lone geranium which I had not lifted in still looks quite healthy.

Molly is peacefully asleep in her bed, having consumed breakfast and also a small shrew-like creature which the cat had left outside the back door. Daffodils are well up and it is tempting to go outside and do some gardening. My three chickens are enjoying pecking for grubs. I am hoping to get some more soon to replace those lost to the fox.

My local history classes resume the week beginning 9th January in Howden, Eastrington and Goole. It will be nice to see everyone again and perhaps welcome new students.

I have enjoyed researching some interesting families this year. It is always rewarding to find that missing link for someone or to trace changing fortunes of a family through the generations.

Many of those for whom I have carried out research have become friends via the medium of email and it is particularly interesting to find out about the lives of those who left the local area and became pioneer settlers in USA, Canada and Australia.

I also have enjoyed finding old pictures for those who are searching for a photo of their ancestor or where they lived. It is frustrating that many of our forebears did not write on the back of their old family photos - but do we?

I have a large collection of  football team pictures from Goole from the 1890s-1920s and these are wonderful as they are mainly all named. If only school pictures had been named too.

Mystery picture - Williamson family of Marske and Watson family of Eastrington

Christmas is over, the duck has been eaten, presents exchanged and we have had a traditional long Boxing Day walk.

I have a new computer and am spending some time sorting out my old photos. It is wonderful to be able to see them all in an organised way but there are some which I need help with.

This lovely old photo was loaned to me by the family of Tom Watson of Eastrington who was killed in the Second World War. He was the son of Maud Watson of Eastrington who was, for many years, the Eastrington post lady.

The information I have about this photo is that it is the Williamson family of Marske and that the lady was Tom's great aunt. Does anyone know any more about the Williamson  family? I have more about the Eastrington  end of the family but hope the picture may help someone with family in Marske.

Howden in wartime

One of the projects which the Howden WEA local history group which I teach has worked on is how Howden was affected by the Second World War. Although we have not yet published the work, it seems appropriate on this Remembrance Sunday to make some of it available for people to read.

This is also in memory of Jane Pulleyn who was an enthusiastic member of the group and who typed much of the material including the article below. Jane died recently and we shall miss her.

The people of Howden 

In the first hours after the declaration of war the country was shocked by the sinking of the passenger liner S.S Athenia en route to America.  On board was Mrs. Esther Sellers, a Howden resident formerly employed at Goole Isolation Hospital, who described the sinking followed by twelve hours spent in a lifeboat.  A Howden man, Mr. C. Kirby, was on one of the ships that rescued survivors:  the captain of this vessel had a premonition that someone was trapped on the sinking ship, sent a boat alongside and brought off an unconscious woman who was successfully revived.

On the ‘home front’ Mr. W. Kirby left the Hull Cooperative Society shop where he had worked for 21 years to take up a commercial position elsewhere.  In October Howden had its first service casualty of the war when Gunner Arthur Watson was killed in a fall when on guard duty at an East Coast site: before the war he was a Post Office messenger, later a postman.

Shipping losses made an early impact.  Mr. R. Thornton of Hailgate was lost when the Goole steamer S.S. Corea was sunk, and Mr. W. Thornton, many years resident in Howden was lost in the destroyer H.M.S. Duchess.  In January 1940 the Union Castle ship ‘Dunbar Castle’ was mined and sunk: George Edward Snarr the assistant ship's butcher was rescued, his parents learning by telegram that he was safe.

In February the town’s medical services were depleted when Dr. Wigglesworth’s assistant Dr. Perry joined the forces.  He was replaced in May by Dr. Morley.  The war effort at home sometimes caused casualties as when George Anthony McKimm was trapped by the neck between tractor and plough, and died.

Two Howden sailors were reported missing believed killed when the destroyer H.M.S. Glowworm was sunk on 8^th April.  They were Frank Lightowler aged 20 and James Arthur Pittock aged 41.  As part of the Norwegian campaign Glowworm was escorting HMS Renown when she stopped to find a man washed overboard: detached from the group she was engaged by German destroyers who led her within range of the heavy cruiser Hipper.  Badly damaged and on fire, Glowworm’s last act was to ram the German ship, which had to return to port for repairs.  Only one officer and 30 ratings were rescued, becoming prisoners of war, the full story emerging only after their repatriation to this country.  Both Howden men died during the action.

The evacuation of troops from Dunkirk and other French Channel ports dominated the country’s thinking at the end of May.  One survivor was driver Kenneth Powls who came home on two days leave.  Reluctant to speak of the experiences he described them as ‘only those of many thousands of others who were thankful to escape with their lives’.  Later in  June Second Lieutenant J.E. Cooke, aged 19, returned to Howden having escaped from Dunkirk.  Using a rowing boat he relayed his men to an abandoned barge which he then sailed to England, a journey taking 15 hours.

In July leading seaman George Claydon was confirmed to be a prisoner of war, but there was no news of the sister of Howden resident Mr. S. Rutter of Flatgate who had married a Belgian.  Their letters addressed to her as Mrs. Lowyck in Bruges had all been returned, but in a time of complete cross-channel turmoil this is perhaps not surprising.  The services continued to take Howden’s men, Mr. W.W. Kellington joining the Royal Army Service Corps.  Having survived the earlier sinking of Goole’s S.S. Lowland merchant seaman Alec Coulson survived the sinking of another vessel in September.

Trooper R. Danby, of South Howden station was reported as a P.O.W. in October, whilst in November Mr. Gus Phillips of the Howden Fire Brigade joined the Royal Air Force.  The Civil Defence lost another member when the ARP Sub-Controller Mr. J.S. Heald was called up in July 1941.

Many of the survivors of the Dunkirk evacuation would not return to full fitness and some had protracted illness.  In September 1941 the death was reported of one such survivor, Private E. Lawrence aged 23 of Skelton.  He died in Raywell Sanatorium and is buried in Howden cemetery.

The German hold on the Balkans was extending into Greece and the Aegean  Islands: Eric Birks of Hull Road was captured in September during that campaign.  North Africa was the major theatre of war for the British Army at this time: former Howden man, Driver Arthur Thompson, RASC died in March 1942 in that region.  He was 28 years old, a former pupil of the Grammar School and chorister in the parish church.

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and Britain’s entry to that theatre of war our possessions in South-East Asia were quickly over-run.  Bombardier John  Snarr who was stationed at Singapore was officially reported missing in May 1942.  Another Howden man in North Africa, Lance-corporal Raymond Roginson, was able to send greetings to his family in a radio programme ‘Greeting from Cairo’.  He had survived the fighting in Crete and declared himself fit and well despite the heat and sand, and longing to see his parents, Emily, Dorothy and Cyril.

There were occasional opportunities to celebrate as in August 1942 when Dr. & Mrs. Wigglesworth attended Buckingham Palace for the investiture of their son-in-law Pilot Officer W.E. Newnham, RNZAF, with the Distinguished Flying Cross.  The following month news came to Mrs. Vera Proctor of the death of her husband Trooper William Proctor, aged 23 when serving with the Royal Tank Corps in North Africa.  His tank was hit during a bitter battle that blocked the German advance on Cairo, all the crew being killed or wounded.  In a letter to Mrs. Procter the commanding officer described William as one of his best and most experienced drivers, calm and courageous in the hottest of actions.

The second, and decisive, Battle of Alamein was fought in November, and that month two Howden men were reported wounded in action in the Middle East.  They were Gunner Arthur Hopkinson and Lance Corporal Harry Willingham.  The latter wrote to his parents to say he had been lifted from the battlefield by another Howden man, ambulance driver A. Bovill.

Early in 1943 Sergeant Gunner George Axup RAF was reported missing (later confirmed killed), and Ship's Officer Harry Boyes, Merchant Navy was a prisoner of war in Japan.

In March Robert Aske was promoted to the rank of Captain in the East Yorkshire Regiment.  

Engaged as a Royal Navy gunlayer serving on merchant shipping  Herbert Harrand was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his part in sinking a U-Boat.  Unfortunately the troopship in which he was sailing home was sunk by torpedo, and he spent many hours in the sea fighting off sharks.  Hospitalised in South Africa he was cleared to return home to Howden.  His investiture was in July 1945.

May saw Sergeant H. Tipping repatriated from a prisoner of war camp in Italy.  He had received a very severe thigh wound and was placed in Goole Hospital.  A former resident of Bridgegate, Major Leslie Douthwaite died of wounds on Easter Sunday.

Some casualties were not a direct result of enemy action, one such being Lance-Bombardier Harry Sweeting who died in Southwold Hospital after an accident.

Returning to this country in November was Sergeant Ken Powls, son of Mr. & Mrs. F. Powls of St. John St.  In civilian life a Relieving Officer employed by the County Council, he joined the Territorial Army two weeks before war was declared.  Evacuated from Dunkirk he had subsequently served in major operations in the Middle East.

 The same month a letter reached Mrs. Watson in Howden from her husband, Sgt. W.F.Watson in which he described an Allied landing in Italy. ‘We arrived off shore in the light …. I don’t mind the strafing so much when ashore, but I don’t like going in once the enemy starts slinging stuff about.  I was glad when our ramp went down and we got off.’  Sgt. Watson had volunteered soon after the outbreak of war and was one of the last British soldiers to escape from Boulogne in 1940.

Some British servicemen were welcomed and cared for when thousands of miles from home.  The mother of Stoker Clifford Smith received a letter in December from an American lady who had effectively ‘adopted’ him while he was in the States.

Good news of another kind reported that Private James Watts, aged 33, of Northolmby St, captured at Tobruk in June 1942, had escaped from a German P.O.W camp in Italy; a note to his wife said ‘safe and sound, back with the lads’.  On Hailgate one family had a very special Christmas when Corporal Harry Willingham, his ATS wife, and his brother Fred with the RAMC were all on home leave together.  Two more Hailgate men with home leave were Gunner Arthur Hopkinson and Craftsman Eric Shirbon; Hopkinson had been in the front line in the battle of El Alamein.

The early months of 1944 brought unwelcome news. Mr. & Mrs J Wain of Hailgate were notified that their son, Lieut. Peter Wain (23) had been killed in action in Italy, and Mr. & Mrs. A. Gamwell of Thorpe Rd. Avenue heard that their second son, Private Harry Gamwell aged 19, had died from wounds received in Italy after the landing on the Anzio beachhead. Before joining the Army in 1943 he had been a porter at North Howden station. A letter from a P.O.W to his mother said that his Christmas parcel had been robbed of its warm clothing and contained only bars of chocolate:  other prisoners were having similar experiences.

In March Signaller P. Roantree of Batty Lane was wounded in Italy, now the principal sphere of operations for the British Army in the West.

Seaman Joseph Naylor, son of Mr. & Mrs. H.C. Naylor of Bridgegate, had joined the Royal Navy at 18 and after training served as a gunner on the frigate HMS Gould.  His ship took part in a successful attack which sank a U-Boat, and less than a week later he survived the sinking of his own ship.  The U-Boat responsible was sunk by accompanying frigates, but the lifeboat with 30 men lowered from Gould overturned in rough seas.  They then climbed on to a float and were eventually rescued.

April emerged as a bad month for Howden families with sons in Italy, the latest casualty being Lance Corporal Eric Featherstone (28) son of Mr. & Mrs. J. Featherstone of Marsh End who died of wounds while serving with the Scots Guards.  After Easter came news that George Henry Newman (46) of St. John St. had been killed in Australia whilst engaged on unspecified government work.

Although as great a success as could be wished the D-Day invasion of Europe on 6^th June brought inevitable casualties.  Corporal Harry Willingham was killed near Caen six days after the landing and Gunner J. Heald (late of Howden ARP) was wounded and back in an English hospital.  In August Corporal Harry Eastwood (24) of Hull Rd. Avenue died of wounds in France: he was serving with the Reconnaissance Corps in the 49^th West Riding Regiment.  Wounded in Normandy was Sergeant Ronald Pridmore, the fourth time he had been wounded during the war.  Other local men in D-Day action were Sergeant Arthur Brown and Petty Officer Roy Thompson.

Two Howden men are known to have taken part in the airborne assault on the Rhine Bridge at Arnhem in September.  In his role as glider pilot Sergeant Arthur Brown landed his craft and became part of the attacking force.  He survived nine days of bitter house-to-house fighting before the order to withdraw was given and he escaped across the Rhine.  Jack Hewitt was one of the paratroopers, saw many of his colleagues killed, and reached safety by swimming across the Rhine.  Sergeant Brown was later wounded in Germany a few weeks before the war ended, and in February 1945 Private Charles Cameron was wounded in Europe serving with the Pioneer Corps.

A casualty of the Italian campaign, Corporal Jack Carrington was placed in a Leeds hospital in March, when the story of Bosun Norman Montell of 78 Hailgate also emerged.  After his ship had been torpedoed, bombed and sunk he spent 42 days in an open boat before being rescued.

The advancing allied armies began releasing prisoners of war.  One of the first was glider pilot Lieut. Peter Scott, captured at Arnhem in Sept 1944: his telegram with the good news reached Howden on 10^th April. Captured in Southern Greece in April 1941 Corporal Eric Birks returned to Howden after captivity in Yugoslavia, Austria and Germany.

The invasion and advance into Germany was not a ‘men-only’ operation as shown by Sergeant Eleanor Tasker of Howden who in February, with four years service, was in North West Europe with a heavy Anti-Aircraft battery.  She said ‘the Belgians are very kind, but there is a shortage of soap’!

The month of May saw further repatriations. Leading seaman George Claydon was serving on HMS Vandyck when lost at Narvik, and paid tribute to the Red Cross for their parcels, and Private Claud Tipping (Flatgate) of the KOYLIs was captured in Norway.  Both had been PoW’s for 5 years.

The final months of the war saw promotions for Howden servicemen.  Jack  Holiday and Eric Connor gained commissioned rank, Eric Rutter became a captain and Sergeant Frank Leeman gained his wings as a glider pilot.

The continuing war in the Far East continued to make Howden-related news. A copy of the ‘Goole Times’ found under a tree in the Burmese jungle – (!!) was given to a Howden man, Major O’Hara, better known as Dr. O’Hara. The source of the copy was eventually discovered, it had been sent to a soldier by his family.  The abrupt end of that war found allied warships moored in Tokyo Bay: serving on the British flagship HMS Duke of York was Petty Officer Horace Newman of Howden.  The consequent release of PoW’s was good news for Mr. & Mrs. Amos Snarr in a letter from their son Bombardier John Snarr (aged 33).  After more than three years as a prisoner he told them he was safe and well and had reached India.  A few days later a Howden couple, Mr. & Mrs. E. Steel learned that their son-in-law, Second Officer Harry Boyes was free .  His ship the S.S. Gemstone was sunk in June 1942 and his fate remained unknown for many months.  He had been rescued and imprisoned in Japan. He returned to the UK via the USA

After a long silence Mr. S. Rutter of Flatgate had received news in 1944 of his sister Mrs. Lowyck in Belgium.  In July 1945 she wrote to say that her son Harry had returned home from four years of Gestapo custody, a grim reminder of the sufferings of civilians during that war.

The roll of honour for those service personnel who lost their lives in the Second World War is inscribed on Howden’s War Memorial in St. Helen’s Square.

...

If you can add anything to this article we would be pleased to hear from you.




Updated January 2012: I have been contacted by a former Howden resident who wished me to add that another Howden man killed in the war was Sgt Clifford Moore Brewster. He was an air gunner in the RAF and died on 30th January 1944. Clifford was the son of Thomas and Annie Brewster (formerly Moore) of Howden. By the time of the war Mrs Brewster had died and Clifford and his sister Pauline (who worked on the Hull and Barnsley station) were living with their aunts on Hailgate.

Captain John Moody

I am always amazed at the connections which the internet enables us to make in matters of local history. 

I recently received an email from Keith Johnson in New Zealand. He had come across the obituary on  my website for Captain Samuel Wright of Goole who died in 1897:

www.howdenshirehistory.co.uk/goole/captain-samuel-wright.html

The obituary includes a mention of Captain John Moody. John Moody had married, as his first wife, Rebecca Lubbock, the only daughter of John Lubbock, a shipbuilder of Great Yarmouth.

Keith is a descendant of one of the sons of John Lubbock and  he has in turn been in touch with Harriet,  a descendant of another son, who lives  in California. She passed on to him a biography of Captain Moody which has come down through her family. She has given permission for this to be published.

Keith has written much more about the Lubbock family connection and Captain Moody on his blog:

www.kjohnsonnz.blogspot.com

However, he has kindly allowed me to include a copy of Captain Moody's life story here as well. He would be pleased to know anything else about Captain Moody's Goole connections.

John Moody's first wife, Rebecca [Lubbock] died and he married again, in 1848, to Matilda Duckels / Duckles, daughter of Thomas Duckels of Old Goole.

THE STORY OF COMMODORE CAPTAIN JOHN MOODY (1801 – 1872)

 [by his grandson Arthur Russell Emerson (1866- 1947), with permission from the family]

Captain John Moody was born on December 13, 1801 in the City of York, York, England, where he attended school.  When he was about 15, he apprenticed as a sailor for 6 years.  At the age of 21 he became Captain.  On occasion, his ship needing repairs, he put in at the Port of Wells, Norfolk, at the shipyard of John Lubbock. 

While there, he became acquainted with Rebecca Lubbock, only daughter of John Lubbock, to whom he became greatly attached, and in January, 1826 they were united in marriage.  In 1828 he took charge of numerous canal passenger boats sailing from York to Selby, John Lubbock, his father-in-law, having constructed these boats. 

Afterward moving to Yarmouth, he became Captain of a schooner running to London called the Lawther ??[ Lowther].  In 1831 they moved to Wells, Norfolk and  he took charge of the “Good Intent”, a ship also constructed by John Lubbock and presented to his children, six sons and one daughter (the wife of Captain Moody). 

In 1837, Queen Victoria’s Coronation Year, the family moved to London.  From 1837 to 1845, he captained deliveries of new ships to various overseas governments and colonies (e.g. Russia, Spain, Jamaica, Italy, China etc). 

He then took charge of the “Prinsula” for the precursor of the Oriental Steam Navigation Company (in part as a shareholder). 

From 1844 to 1846 Capt. Moody supervised the construction of 3 steamers for the Spanish Government in the Philippine Islands (based in Manila) of which he became Commodore, again delivering them to the buyer. Leaving the ships, he returned home, visiting China, crossing the desert through the Suez Canal. 

The camphor-wood trunk that is still owned by the family was brought from China through the desert on this voyage.  After reaching home, he again took ships to Russia and other countries.   When he was in Russia, Prince Gemticoff(?) gave a banquet in his honor. 

He was the father of 10 children – 2 boys and 8 girls. In 1846 his wife died, leaving him with nine living children, one Robert having died in childhood.  His daughter Mary, the eldest at 17, took charge of the house, the youngest being 6 months old.  The other children were Rebecca, John, Ann, Grace, Hannah, Elizabeth, Julia and Matilda.

All lived under Mary’s care while her father was engaged in shipping and in foreign countries.  During his absence, his family took a house adjoining their Grandfather Lubbock at Wells, Norfolk, and upon Captain Moody’s return, they moved back to their London home. 

His two little daughters, Hannah and Grace, died while he was abroad.  Later his daughter Elizabeth died, also his son John, after growing to manhood and becoming married in 1851.  His daughters Mary and Rebecca married.  Mary (Mrs. R. H. Emerson) went with her husband to America while Rebecca married Thomas Fryer

He then retired for a time to private life at London and Goole. 

Not content with retirement, he constructed and commanded the “Empress” and “Majesty” steamers running from Hull to Goole.  He then developed new designs for several ships, including the lifeboat “Sea Refuge” and other ships that were commissioned by the US Government. 

He then received a substantial order from the French Government to build 14 ships of his own design and construction.  When the government of France changed from a Kingdom to a Republic the order was canceled. 

In 1852 he settled in America and invested in farming land in Wisconsin – Oshkosh, Elk Grove and surrounding countryside, also at Oberlin and Chicago, Illinois. 

He then returned again to Goole, supervising the construction of more ships.

Captain Moody died at his house in Bridlington where his ironworks were situated, on March 5, 1872.

Captain  John Moody

Rebecca Lubbock was  born in Yarmouth, Norfolk March 12 1807.

Rebecca Lubbock, only daughter of John Lubbock, shipbuilder and owner of shipyards at Wells.  She was the only daughter with six brothers.  She was married at Norwich Cathedral to Capt. John Moody Jan. 18, 1826.  Most of her married life was lived in London.  On Aug. 7, 1846 she was taken suddenly with erysipelas on on her face and died  on August 9, after 2 days illness, being 39 years of age. 

Great Grandfather Lubbock was engaged in shipbuilding as was also Great Grandfather Moody, as well as being Captain.  Great Grandfather Lubbock lived to be 97 years old. (?)  One of his sons, Robert ), kept a boarding school for boys at Snettisham.   Also Ann Potter  kept a finishing school for young ladies at Harrogate, England.'

Hannah Calvert of Goole

Here is a fascinating piece of Goole's history which was written when Mrs Hannah Calvert died in 1934.  Mrs Calvert lived in Goole at a time when the town centre was in Aire Street and when Boothferry Road was a lane leading to the ferry over the Ouse at Airmyn.

Hannah Calvert

Death of Mrs Hannah Calvert

Goole’s oldest inhabitant Mrs Hannah Calvert of 32 Carter Street Goole died on Monday evening at the age of 96.  Until a short time before her death Mrs Calvert enjoyed fairly good health and was in possession of every faculty. Her husband the late Mr Henry Calvert died nine years ago ---five years after he and his wife had celebrated their diamond wedding. They had a family of seven sons and two daughters of whom three sons and one daughter are living.

Before her marriage Mrs Calvert was Miss Hannah Drury daughter of Mr and Mrs George Drury of Swinefleet, and she was born in a house near the old mill at Swinefleet field. Her husband was born at Hailgate, Howden being the son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Calvert.

They were married at Whitgift parish church and first came to Goole seventy two years ago. At that time there was only one house west of the site where the market hall now stands and what is now the Stanhope dock was then a brickyard owned by Messrs Abel and Sutcliffe, the latter being the father of Mr John Sutcliffe, a former licensee of the Crown Inn, Ouse Street.

The docks were confined to the Barge dock, the Germany dock, the Ship dock and the Basin. so that vessels had to in and out through the old locks. Lock hill in those days was occupied by cottages while the railway station was in Aire Street.

Mrs Calvert’s husband who retired 33 years before his death occupied the position of stevedore, a position now filled by his eldest son Major T. Calvert M.B.E.. On his retirement the late Mr Calvert took his wife to Garthorpe where they farmed for three years and then to Reedness where they lived for the next fifteen years. In 1909 however they came back to Goole.

Mrs Calvert christened the S.S Faedreland at Hook shipyard in the year of her diamond wedding, and as a souvenir she was presented with a silver tray and tea service which bore the following inscription;-'Presented to Mrs H Calvert by the Ouse Shipbuilding Company Ltd Hook nr Goole, a memento of the launch of the S.S. Faedreland September 30^th 1920'   Mrs Calvert’s second son, Mr Alfred Calvert, was managing director of the Ouse Shipbuilding company.

The funeral

The interment took place at Goole cemetery yesterday afternoon, the Rev H. Ogden officiating. The mourners were Major and Mrs T Calvert, Mrs Whitty, Mr and Mrs Arthur Calvert (sons and daughter in law) Mrs Alfred Calvert and Mrs J W Calvert daughters in law, Mr J S Calvert, Mr Henry Calvert, Mr Nigel Calvert, Mr Raoul Calvert, Mr Arthur Calvert, Mr Hereward Calvert, Mr W Shipley, Mrs Lazenby, Mrs Shaw (grandchildren), Mrs Drury, Mrs Smith Mrs Rus---  Mr and Mrs R Longhorn and Mr and Mrs Goulden (nephews and nieces).

Floral tributes were sent by the following – Daughter Polly, Tom, Mary, Ellen and family.  Arthur, Clara, and family, Sarah, Ethel, and family, Willie, Edie and family.  Tom, Mary, Vera,  Hereward Frances and family  Harry and family Bradford, Gladys and Bill, Mr and Mrs T Shaw and Ruby, All at Southport George and Matilda Philadelphia, Mr and Mrs Longhorn, all at Rawcliffe, all at Clifton Gardens, Mr and Mrs Larson, Hull, Mr and Mrs R Cooper and family, Mr and Mrs Maddick, The neighbours at Carter Street .

Barmby on the Marsh history - 2

Soon after writing about the mills at Barmby I had a message from Stuart whose ancestors were in fact the millers there at one time. His 3x great grandfather was John Cook who was a miller at Barmby. John's daughter Sarah married John Fox in 1856 whose father, Joseph Fox, was a miller at Airmyn.

Joseph Fox had moved from Airmyn to Brumby (Lincolnshire) where he was unfortunately killed on the 7th January 1839 during the great storm when he went out to inspect the mill and a large wooden spar fell on him.

Stuart is happy to share this information and I too would be happy to put any other interesting bits of family history on this blog for others to read.

I am continuing my researches into the village and have just obtained a copy of an 18th century Barmby inventory for a weaver who left a loom in his (work) shop.

Barmby on the Marsh history

I am finding the history of Barmby on the Marsh fascinating at the moment. Whilst I have quite a lot of information on the village already, I am looking at it again and finding new material. 

Situated as it is at the end of the road from Howden, not too many people nowadays know the village - but in earlier times most of those who lived there benefited from being both on the banks of the Ouse and at the start of the Derwent navigation. 

There was a large weaving industry making sailcloth for the visiting vessels and many families were watermen, making their living from the river. There were ferries to both Drax and Hemingbrough and regular 'market boats' to both Hull and Selby.

The land around the village was not enclosed until 1853 and before this villagers had rights to graze on the Marsh - 'marsh gates' - and annual  horse races were held.

I have been looking at the mill or mills - I think there were two: a post mill outside the village and a smock mill in the village centre. I would like to know more of them.

So far I know that in January 1839  both Barmby mills were  blown down in a storm and that in 1851 Alexander Bell from Gilberdyke, John Cooke and Thomas Collins were millers. By 1861 Joseph Wood was a miller.

Barmby also had an inn called the Windmill kept by Thomas Johnson in the 1850s and in 1864 by William Jackson, who was fined that year for staying open too long.

In 1870 Joseph Fenton was refused a spirit licence for the the Windmill beerhouse as it was said that there were already four public houses for the 330 inhabitants in the village.

An advertisement for the sale of the Barmby on the Marsh windmill from 1834

The last public execution at York

While researching the village of Barmby on the Marsh I came across an interesting, if rather gruesome, piece of information.

One of the village families in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was called Brooksbank. In the mid-nineteenth century William Brooksbank of Barmby married an Ann Parker. Her brother, 21-year-old Frederick Parker of Hemingbrough, was apparently the last person to be publicly executed at York Castle.

He was executed on 4th April 1868 having been found guilty of murdering another young man, Daniel Driscoll, at Hemingbrough on 1st March 1868.

Joseph Rank family history

I had an interesting visit this week from a descendant of Joseph Rank, the miller. The gentleman and his wife were tracing Joseph's Yorkshire roots and visiting places where there was a family connection.

Joseph was born on Holderness Road in Hull in 1854. His father was James Rank who had married Mary Ann Parrott in Hull in 1851.

However, the reason that my visitors were in this particular area of East Yorkshire was that Mary Ann was born at Saltmarshe in 1825, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Ann Parrott. She was christened at Laxton and came from a long-established Saltmarshe family who were sailors and boatbuilders.

By 1841 the family had moved into Hull, where Joseph continued to build boats and sail them and where young Mary Ann eventually met James Rank. Sadly, Mary Ann Rank died in 1858, having never recovered from the birth of her fourth child. Joseph, although only four when his mother died, apparently had very clear memories of her.

Another local connection is that Joseph Rank later attended a small private school at Swinefleet run by Rev Edward Cragg Haynes, believed to be Yorkshire's first black vicar. I was able to show my visitors a  photograph of Rev Cragg Haynes with some of his pupils and they tentatively identified one little boy as Joseph.

I find family history and the connections it throws up, such as this, endlessly fascinating.

Emigration from East Yorkshire to Ontario

This week I had a visit from John and Sue from the US who were staying in Saltmarshe whilst tracing their family history.

Sue's great great grandfather Thomas Tomlinson had emigrated from Saltmarshe near Howden in 1826, sailing from Hull like so many other young men and making a new life for himself in Ontario.  They were hoping to find a record of Thomas' birth and although the date was not exactly right I think we found his baptism in the Howden parish records in 1803.

Sue is lucky as her great grandfather, Richard Tomlinson, wrote out an account of his ancestry which gave her some clues - and maybe a few red herrings - to follow up. She has given me permission to reproduce a little of the information here.

            Richard H. Tomlinson,  a history of his life

I believe it to be the duty of every head of a family, no matter what his station in life may be, to leave behind him some sort of a history of his life and doings not necessarily for publication but for the purpose of saving trouble and perhaps expense.  Altho I have no diary or record of my own life and so far as I am aware none of the family have kept any I am the more desirous that my children shall have all the facts before them imperfect as those facts may be and (was?) able as I am at this time to place them on record.

Parentage

My father was an English immigrant coming to this country about the year 1826.  I am unable to give the name of the vessel but I have heard him say it was by a sailer and that it took them about 13 weeks to cross from Hull to Montreal. 

There being no canals at that time the journey from Montreal had to be made in Durham Boats, a sort of scow, in which the goods were placed and the passengers were obliged to assist in propelling up the rapids.  However, they reached their destination – Port Hope – Smiths Creek as it was then called – in due time and they at once proceeded to transfer their luggage to row boats in waiting, to the shore.

  My father came from a place called Saltmarsh near Howden in the East Riding of York.  The estate belonged I believe to Sir Titus Salt.  At all events my father was born and brought up as a farmer upon the estate and until he migrated to America was not off it.

  Coming as he did at that early date he brought little with him and so far as I am aware there is but little left of what he did bring.  A few books, amongst them a Prayer Book of the Episcopal church to which to which he belongs and some other books all of which have disappeared or are in possession of my sister Lizzie now Mrs. Albert Webster of Oshawa except a box which he brought with him now in our farm at Howden Holm.   I would like very much that this box be preserved it must be nearly 100 years old and the only article in our possession that Father brought with him from England. 

Saltmarsh is beautifully situated on the right hand or west side of the river Ouse a tributary or branch of the Humber about 4 miles from Howden and about 8 or 10 miles from Goole, the head of navigation in a beautiful farming or agricultural country.  There is also a church and grave yard, in which latter many of my ancestors lie. 

My mother

 Soon after landing at Port Hope or Smiths Creek as it was called, my father proceeded to Bletchers Corners, a considerable town in those days, where he got employment and met my mother Miss Gitty Gosling (daughter?) of John Gosling who came from Dutchess Co., who was a seamstress and worked for a Mr. Walton a tailor in Port Hope.

 From here they were married and went to Rochester NY by a sailing vessel.  Upon their return, they went to live on the Ashford farm about 2 miles east of Bletchers Corners.  I think it must have been Mr. Olney Ashford’s father, he of Hawaiian notoriety, be that as it may here on this farm, me and my oldest brother were born,  I understand, and we lived there for a year or two, perhaps longer I cannot say just how long.

 The Ashford farm was in the Township of Hamilton but Port Hope and Cobourg were the principal market towns.  Bletchers Corners however continued to be quite a busy place.  I have often heard my father speak of  Esq. Sowden(?) and I am inclined to think that he must have worked for the Squire when he came to this country or soon after it.

I found it fascinating to talk to John and Sue as my own relative, Robert Nurse from Eastrington, emigrated to Port Hope, as did other Eastrington families including the Bletchers and the Ainleys. I am sure they must all have known each other.