Selby history

One of my projects this week has involved looking in more detail at the history of Selby. It has a beautiful abbey and stands on the River Ouse which has played such a large part in its development.  I remember in earlier days queueing to pay 4d [I think] to cross the toll bridge by car although today it is toll free. The bridge always felt very fragile and rattled horribly as you crossed.

Selby had the earliest railway station in Yorkshire, built in 1834 and was also a prosperous port until the opening of the Aire and Calder canal to Goole eventually took much of its river trade.

This charming drawing dates from 1842 and shows a train crossing the newly opened [in 1840] bridge across the Ouse, linking Selby by rail to Hull.

The re-naming of Staddlethorpe station

I have been looking through some files and have come across  a song, written by Gilberdyke teacher Mrs Jean Sellers on the occasion of the change of station name from Staddlethorpe to Gilberdyke in 1974.

To the tune of the Vicar of Bray, the Gilberdyke schoolchildren sang the following:


In Queen Victoria's golden reign
This station was first opened
And all the population round about
Approved the innovation.
For Goole, for Hull, for Doncaster
The people congregated
From Staddlethorpe they travelled far
With freedom long awaited.

But from this day, by one and all
Re-named shall be this station
As Gilberdyke it shall be known
Hurrah for this grand occasion.

But since these days now long far off
This village has seen changes
And British Rail's passed this decree
To suit the situation
That from this day by one and all

Re-named shall be this station

As Gilberdyke it shall be known

Hurrah for this grand occasion.

After the singing, a contemporary newspaper report (February 1974) says the new sign was unveiled by local councillor Lewis Clayton and the old sign was presented to the parish council. Here is part of the cutting (click to view larger). I do have also some photos of the event which I shall eventually put onto the old photo section of my website but in the meantime if you were there singing, let me know!!

Goole Times weddings - Robert and Elizabeth Harland

Another in the wedding series - this time a diamond wedding.

Robert John Harland married  Elizabeth Broadbent on October 8th 1889 at Old Goole Wesleyan Chapel.

DIAMOND WEDDING CELEBRATION

MEMORABLE EVENT FOR GOOLE COUPLE

To-morrow is an important day for Mr and Mrs Robert John Harland of 16 Weatherill Street Goole - the day when they celebrate the 60^th anniversary of their wedding which took place on October 8^th 1889 at the Old Goole Wesleyan chapel  in Couper Street. They will spend their day quietly at home.

Both are well known over a wide area. Mr Harland was born at Staddlethorpe and worked as a youth in the Marshland area while Mrs Harland was born at Whitgift and later lived at Swinefleet.

Mr and Mrs Harland are both octogenarians (Mr Harland is 82 and his wife 80) but they look many years younger. In the words of Mr Harland “we are only young yet”. They have lived in the town since they were married, moving to their present house in Weatherill Street 40 years ago; previously they had resided in Humber Street and Beverley Street.

During their married life Mr and Mrs Harland have watched the growth of Goole, both as a port and a town. They can recall the days when Aire Street and Ouse Street formed the main shopping centre of the town, while the present shopping centre consisted of residential houses; when Pasture Road was a country lane and the town west of the level crossing did not exist.

They both enjoy good health and are still very active. Mr Harland goes for a daily walk while Mrs Harland continues to do most of her own housework and cooking.

Early days

The son of the late Mr and Mrs Robert Harland, Mr Harland spent his early days at Staddlethorpe, where his father was farm foreman for a Mr Jacques. Later he moved with his family to Swinefleet Common and worked for about eight years as a farm labourer on farms in the Marshland area.

In 1889, the year he was married he came to Goole, working on the docks and at the old malt kiln, before joining the old Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway company later the same year. He worked as a shunter and guard and retired from the company's service in 1931 having spent the last ten or eleven years as goods foreman.

Mrs Harland formerly Miss Elizabeth Broadbent, third daughter of the late Mr and Mrs John Broadbent, spent her early life at Swinefleet, where her parents were licensees of the Ship Inn. Later she moved to Goole.

Mr and Mrs Harland have a family of one daughter, two grand children, and one great grandchild. Their other daughter died some years ago leaving two children.

Mr and Mrs Harland have been regular readers of the “Goole Times” ever since their marriage. In the words of Mr Harland, "I don’t think we have missed a single issue during the whole 60 years".