Christmas Past

It seems appropriate as we approach Christmas to have a look back at how the season was celebrated locally in times past. We are at present having wet weather but it is not too cold.

However in December 1878 the York Herald reported that it was well below freezing and the rivers were frozen. It is interesting in these days of a long Christmas break to read that on Christmas Day the businesses were closed - which suggests that they were probably open on all other days. The report begins with what was happening in York and then moves to Goole and Howden.


From the York Herald, Saturday 28th December 1878

"Those who have sighed for a 'good old-fashioned' Christmas have at length had their wishes realised to the full, for the weather is of a more severe character than any that has been experienced for many years.

In York Christmas Day was observed in the orthodox fashion, the various places of business being closed, and services held in the different churches and chapels.

The hallowed day was ushered in by a gladdening peal on the Minster bells, and as soon as the day was fairly born the waits awoke the stillness by their carols and hymns. The Ouse and Foss being frozen, hundreds indulged in the exhilarating and healthy exercise of skating, of which for several seasons they have been deprived.

The inmates of the York Union Workhouse, numbering about 60 more than last year, were supplied with a substantial Christmas dinner, consisting of roast beef, potatoes, and plum pudding. To supply such a large number of appetites 67 stones of beef, 10 bushels of mashed potatoes, and 55 plum puddings, were called into requisition. The plum puddings were made up of 210lbs of currants, 70lbs of brown sugar, 40lbs of ground lump sugar, 120lbs of moist sugar, 13lbs of sultana raisins, 33lbs of lemon peel, and 60lbs of suet.

At tea, currant cakes, baked out of 20 stones of flour, were served up with as much of the "cup that cheers but not inebriates" as the inmates desired. Various parts of the house were decorated with evergreens and mottoes, and everything was done to render those to whom the institution afforded shelter from the cruel blast of poverty, contented and happy.

Goole
 
For the first time for several years, Christmas Day has come with the river blocked with ice, and with consequently a large number of men unemployed. The companies, in whose hands the steam trade of the port rests, have made strenuous efforts to keep the channel open, but the great block of ice in Goole Reach has baffled their efforts, and their steamers have had to return to Goole after a struggle of an exciting nature, in which the ice was the victor.

The river now presents a very picturesque appearance. Blocks of ice, stranded on the shoal sands, rise to a height of 10 or 12 feet out of the water, dotting the river for miles, while portions of the channel are covered with great sheets of ice closely heaped together, over some of which men and youths have crossed.

The Aire, the Dutch river (or Don), and the Derwent, are all blocked. On Christmas Day the thermometer was 22 deg., or ten below freezing, but until noon the weather was fine and bright. After that hour it clouded over and became very foggy. The parish church, which was very prettily decorated by the ladies of the parish, was well attended, the Christmas sermon being preached by the Rev. Dr. Bell, vicar of Goole.

At Snaith, Rawcliffe, Hook, Airmyn, and the other parishes round, the churches were suitably decorated. To meet the needs arising out of the distress, coals were distributed on Christmas eve, and on Wednesday, at the Market Hall, there was a soup boiling, tickets being given by the committee to those persons suffering from the present stagnation of trade or by the frost.

At the workhouse the usual treat was provided for the inmates by the Guardians, and a number of ladies and gentlemen attended to assist. The guardians present were Mr Huntington, Mr Bromley, and Mr Gleadow, and, notwithstanding the extra number of inmates, the house being full, there was enough and to spare. The visitors included Mrs and the Misses Wells, of Boothferry House, the Rev. T. Dickin, &c. At the close the usual speeches were made, and a very pleasant afternoon was passed.

Howden

The usual services were held at Howden Church, which was tastefully decorated, and a service was also held in connection with the Wesleyan body. The inmates of the workhouse had their accustomed treat in the shape of a dinner of roast beef and plum pudding, with other little luxuries for the inmates after dinner. The ice was the centre of attraction in tbe afternoon, and skating was indulged in by a great number of people both down the Selby-road and at the Kilpin Brick-yards."

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A later newspaper report comes from the Hull Mail in 1936:

"HOW GOOLE SPENT CHRISTMAS"

"Goole spent a cheerful Christmas, reflecting the recent improvement in trade of the port, and family parties, football and dancing were the chief attractions.

The aged, the sick, and the poor were not forgotten, and there were the usual festivities at the hospitals and institutions. The Mayor and Mayoress (Alderman and Mrs S. G. Bevan), with a number of other guests, attended the Christmas dinner at the Poor Law Institution, where an original note had been struck in the decorative scheme, the dining hall being bedecked to represent a cruise on an ocean liner.

The Christmas fare included beer provided by Mr Fred Taylor. In the evening a concert organised by Alderman and Mrs Ernest Johnson was given by Mr Geo. Waud (tenor), Mr E. Walker (baritone), Miss D. Bullock (elocutionist), B. Fish (ventriloquist), Mr Harold Dodson (piano accordion), Mr G. W. Jennings (piano), the Cliftonians Mandolin Band, and the pupils of the Bradley School of Dancing.

At the Bartholomew Hospital, each patient received a present and was allowed two visitors to tea. The Mayor and Mayoress toured the wards, and Father Christmas (Dr. K. Barrett) handed gifts from the Christmas tree to the patients and visitors. In the evening Mr H. Dodson entertained with his piano accordion, and on Boxing Day a cinematograph show was given by Mr H. Kay.

Nearly 300 poor children of the town were present at the annual Christmas Day breakfast organised by Carlisle Terrace Church Christian Endeavour Society. The Mayor and Mayoress also attended this effort, and Mr Sam Lister, acting as Father Christmas, distributed toys and sweets to the boys and girls."

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I hope all readers of this blog have a merry Christmas and enjoy their Christmas dinner. I hope too that the rivers are not frozen and the weather clement!

Churchyard visits

Today has been a day of churchyard visits. I had been asked to take pictures of gravestones at both Snaith and Howden and travelled from one to the other. In many ways they are similar towns - both market towns with many impressive houses built in the eighteenth century and both with interesting religious connections.

Snaith is historically linked with the Abbey at Selby and was the centre of a parish which reached as far as Whitgift and included Hook, Goole and Airmyn.

Howden is linked to the bishopric of Durham and Howdenshire reaches from North Cave to Barmby on the Marsh. Both towns are surrounded by rich agricultural land.

This is shown by the size of their respective churches which still dominate their towns.

It might be thought to be slightly depressing, peering at gravestones on a dull summer day. But there was a sense of peace and calm and we were not the only visitors. While standing in a light drizzle at Howden I looked down and saw I was being watched by a small hedgehog happily snuffling in the long grass for slugs. It seemed quite unbothered by my presence.

The priory church of St Lawrence at Snaith

Old postcards

This weekend I visited a postcard fair at York racecourse. There must have been thousands of old postcards to look through and it was sometimes quite difficult to find which boxes to search. Goole, for example, is now in the East Riding of Yorkshire but for most of its existence it was in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Some stallholders put all Yorkshire postcards together and I now feel an expert on pictures of obscure North and West Yorkshire villages.

But I managed to find and buy some nice pictures of Howden, Bubwith, Blacktoft and Snaith. I was particularly pleased with an advertising card from Joshua Barrett who moved to Snaith in the 1890s. He sold embrocations and tonics under the name of Mandrake and his house is still known as Mandrake House. His trade mark was a strange amalgam of man and drake, the man supposedly being Joshua himself.

Of course, Mandrake root has long had associations with fertility and witchcraft and JK Rowling in her Harry Potter books makes use of the belief that the root screams as it is dug up.

Joshua was a farmer's son from Bluntisham near St Ives who had formerly lived in London. One wonders why he settled at Snaith.

[The motto beneath the Mandrake logo is a Latin phrase which translates as "Life is more than merely staying alive".]

Old photos of Goole people

I have in my collection of old photos many of Goole people who have in the past served as local councillors, town officials, ministers etc. I am publishing some of them here in the hope that I can find out a little more about them and their contributions to Goole's history. Do please add your comments.

I already have information about some of them and would like to acknowledge the contributions of Gilbert Tawn, a keen local historian, who has provided reports from the old files of the Goole Times newspaper.

Mr A Kirby

Cllr Edith Maud Burniston

Marriage of Mrs Burniston in 1934

The vicar of Snaith (the Rev C.H. Moxley) was married in his own church on Tuesday to Mrs Edith Maud Burniston of The Lodge, Snaith. The wedding took place at 8am and was very quiet. The Rev R.N. D----e (vicar of Pollington) officiated.

Few people of Snaith knew that the wedding was to take place on Tuesday. When the engagement was announced on February 22^nd last it was said that the wedding would take place during the summer.

Mrs Burniston has been a well-known public figure in the Snaith and Goole districts for a number of years. Her first husband Mr James Burniston died three years ago after practising as a solicitor for many years in Goole, Snaith and Thorne.

Mrs Burniston is perhaps best known locally for her work as an entertainer and in politics she is an elocutionist of considerable ability and in this direction has helped many local charitable organisations. Politically Mrs Burniston is a Conservative. In 1930 she was adopted as prospective candidate for the Pontefract division, but withdrew before the last general election. Her political activities are still however extensive, and she has been in great demand in various parts of the country, as one of the speakers attached to the Conservative Central Office.

The bridegroom has been vicar of Snaith since 1924 before which he held appointments in Doncaster, Leeds, and Sheffield Mr Mosley’s first wife, who died two years ago, was an invalid for many years     

Fred Kitwood

F H Ellicott

Goole Times weddings - Plowes and Ounsley weddings

Here is an account of two golden weddings of Old Goole couples to add to the series of wedding reports which appeared in the Goole Times.

James William Plowes married Helen Wood on January 18th 1881 at Goole.
William Ounsley married Hannah Jane Armitage on January 17th 1881 at Snaith.

Both celebrated their golden weddings in  January 1931, as reported in the Goole Times:

GOLDEN WEDDING

TWO CELEBRATIONS AT OLD

GOOLE

Two Old Goole couples will celebrate their golden weddings during the week end. They are Mr and Mrs James William Plowes of 72 Swinefleet Road, and Mr and Mrs William Ounsley of 48 Moorland Road.

Mr and Mrs Plowes were married by the Rev Dr Bell at Goole Parish Church on January 18th 1881. Both are natives of Goole, and Mr Plowes who is 75 claims to be the oldest man in the South Ward.

Mrs Plowes is 72 and is the daughter of the late Captain Wood of Goole. They have had nine children three sons and six daughters (eight of whom are living) and six grandchildren. A tailor by trade Mr Plowes retired five years ago. He is a keen sportsman and takes a keen interest in cricket and football.

Above are  Mr James William Plowes and Mrs Helen Plowes, nee Wood

Mr and Mrs Ounsley were married at Snaith Parish Church on January 17^th 1881 and at the time they lived at Swinefleet. Mr Ounsley was born at Weeton Lock [Weighton Lock], and has been employed as a docker by Messers France Fenwick for nearly 45 years. They have five daughters and two sons living, 28 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. They have lived in Old Goole for 45 years Mr Ounsley is 70 years of age and his wife, who was formerly Miss Anna Jane Armitage is 69.

Mr Ounsley recalls that the day before his wedding he walked across the Ouse which was frozen and the next day the ice broke after many weeks of frost.