EYLHS Newsletter 20 Winter / Spring 2009 newsletter of the East Yorkshire Local History Society Front cover: Sketch of Spurn Point by RG showing both Smeaton lighthouses and a swape. Swapes were used before permanent lighthouses and as a replacement when either of the lighthouses were not functioning. (Hull Local Studies Library) Contributions Based in Hull it is not always easy to keep track of events in other parts of the Riding; news that members could contribute on their town or village should be sent to the editor. Short articles, illustrated or unillustrated, news on libraries, archives, museums, societies or education, queries other people may be able to answer, etc. for inclusion in future news- letters should also be sent to the editor. Newsletter edited by Robert Barnard 825 Anlaby Rd, Hull, HU4 6DJ Telephone 01482 506001 e-mail [email protected] published by the East Yorkshire Local History Society Secretary David Smith 114 Telford Street, Hull, HU9 3DY Telephone 01482 706902 e-mail [email protected] printed by Kall Kwik, Hull News from the Society As in the previous year apologies for Speaker: Neville Holgate of the Bever- the late appearance of this issue. ley Barge Association Time: 1.30pm Programme Cost: £2.50, includes refreshments. Maximum number 30 As usual, the Society has arranged a full programme of lectures and excursions SATURDAY 14 MAY 2009 for 2007. Please support the events Venue: Full day coach excursion (Ellie and bring along your friends. Please do Rose) - to celebrate St John of Bever- not hesitate to ask for lifts; you will be ley birth at Harpham and see the Well expected to contribute to petrol. we are visiting the group of churches between Driffield and Bridlington; St PLEASE NOTE: Please make all cheques Nicholas, Burton Pidsea.; St Martin’s, payable to the East Yorkshire Local His- Lowthorpe; lunch at Harpham (own tory Society. All cheques and booking packed meal or St Quinton Arms (de- slips (which are on a separate insert tails later) own cost); The Well and St with this newsletter) should be sent to John of Harpham; St Martin, Burton the relevant named individual at the Agnes. Afternoon refreshments at Bur- address on the booking form. ton Agnes Hall cafe (own cost). Pick-ups: approx. SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2009 St Michael’s Church, Holderness Rd, Venue: WISE, Oriel Chambers, 27 High Hull, 8:45am Street, Hull Willerby Square, 9:15am Topic: The Guildhall collection Cottingham Green,9:30am Speaker: Michelle Day Beverley, Wylies Rd, 10:00am Time: 2.15pm Leaders: Pat Aldabella and Geoff Bell Cost: £4 Cost: £10.00 Please note: Anyone not able to reach SATURDAY 28 MARCH 2009 AGM these pick-up points please let Pat Ald- Venue: Beverley Minster Parish Hall abella know who may be able to ar- Topic: “A load of all bollards” range an extra one or transport. Speaker: Chris Mead Anyone north of Driffield, let Pat know Time: 2.15pm so a meting place and time can be ar- ranged. SATURDAY 4 APRIL 2009 A comfort stop will be arranged before Venue: The barge Sytan, round the cor- visiting the churches. ner from Forester’s Arms on Beverley Beck SATURDAY 13 JUNE 2009 Topic: A talk on the barge and Beverley Venue: Holmpton Bunker, Rysome Beck; optional walk to lock Lane, Withernsea 3 Leader: David Smith Cost: £2 Time: 10.15am at the bunker Meet at Market Green Cost: £5, includes admission RAF HOLMPTON started life in the SATURDAY 22 AUGUST 2009 1950s as an Early Warning Radar Sta- Venue: Shandy Hall, garden and tion and by the 1970s it had gone on to church, Coxwold, York become a major hub in the UK’s Air De- Leader: Patrick Wildgust fences. In the 1980s it was extensively Time: 2.00pm refurbished and became the National Cost:£6 War HQ for RAF Support Command. In Meet at the church the 1990s it underwent a major rebuild to become an Experimental Electronic Warfare Operations Centre. In 2003 it Participation in events became home to a new Public Exhibi- As reported in previous years, it has not tion set in the 35,000sq ft command been possible to arrange group insur- bunker some 100ft beneath the York- ance for events. We therefore strongly shire countryside recommend that members and their friends take out personal accident/ SATURDAY 4 JULY 2009 loss insurance, or include this in their Venue: Holy Trinity Church, Hull households policies. We would also Leader: BBC - Who Do We Think We stress the need for suitable clothing - in Are? particular, sturdy footware and water- Time: . 10.30-4.30 proofs - for outdoor events. Cost: .Free A series of mainly family history talks Please note and events. For further information, There is usually a waiting list for most when available, contact Nicholas Evans of the Society’s events. If you book an 01482 305187 event and then find you cannot attend, please inform the Secretary. Please do FRIDAY 17 JULY 2009 not transfer your booking to a relative Venue: Bishopthorpe Palace, York or friend without first consulting the Leader: Sandy Reynard Secretary, whose telephone number Time: 2.00 pm can be found on the inside of this Cost: £5.50 per person; £4.50 conces- newsletter. Thank you. sion for over 60’s Meet at road side of Clock Tower Subscriptions 2009 WEDNESDAY 5 AUGUST 2009 Just to remind you that all subscrip- Topic: “Changing Cottingham”, a walk tions fall due for renewal on 1 Janu- around central Cottingham ary 2009. Rates remain unchanged at Leader: Pat Elliott £10.00 for individuals and £12.50 for Time: 2.00pm UK family and all overseas member- 4 ship. Unless already paid, or arranged legal term for a woman who has never by banker’s order, please mail remit- been married, but unmarried does not tances as soon as possible to the Mem- necessarily mean celibate; nor margin- bership Secretary at 5 John Gray Court, alised. Marriage (“for the procreation Main Street, Willerby, E Yorks, HU10 and education of children; to avoid for- 6XZ. If a receipt is required please en- nication and for mutual support and close a SAE with your payment comfort”) was important, as women were considered in danger of the fatal Review of EYLHS Events “green sickness” when deprived of sex. In the 17th century marriage declined Lincolnshire spinsters, Judith Spicks- because of economic difficulties and ley, Oriel Chambers, Hull female preponderance within the pop- 6 September 2008 ulation (war and migration denuded This was one of those serendipity days the male population: war deaths paral- that make local history such fun. 6th leled those of World War I). This led to September was one of those typical “marriage overdrive” – single men were end-of-summer Saturdays – cold, wet taxed, charities provided dowries for and overbooked. Options included a women under 40 and “old maids” be- market fair in Beverley, the Sea Shanty came stock comedy figures. Marriages Festival around Hull Marina, bus day increased, the population grew and at the Hull transport museum – and economics boomed. a talk on Lincolnshire spinsters in the Oriel Chambers. Like several people But what was the reality for many spin- at the talk, I had booked to attend in sters? The very poor and very rich ex- the spring, and then spent the morn- isted like all their class, single or mar- ing wondering if this was what I re- ried. A spinster cottager had rights to ally wanted to do: Lincolnshire spin- common land (pre-enclosure); with sters sounded as dull as the day, and stock (cow, pig, hens) she had extra in- the venue was not one I knew. How come. Fathers often left land / property wrong – and pleasantly surprised – one / stock to their sons and cash to their can be. Not only was the talk most in- daughters, thus some women became teresting, but the building in which it money-lenders. was held was a bonus. And outside one could see the old buses too! After this fascinating talk Chris Mead gave us a tour of the Oriel Chambers, Dr. Spicksley specialised in the social once busy solicitors’ chambers in the and economic role of spinsters and, for heart of Hull’s High Street, now the this talk, focused on those in Lincoln- Wilberforce Institute for the study of shire up to the 19th century. The talk Slavery and Emancipation. Another ex- gave colourful and fascinating insights cellent EYLHS day. into women’s lives, especially those who were unmarried. Spinster is the Liz Grove 5 Greetings Cards M arjorie Salkeld Liz Grove has produced a range of cards Mrs Marjorie Salkeld was our Honorary featuring a variety of local photograph- Secretary from 1988 until she retired ic views for the Society. These are still from the office in 2004. She is now liv- available direct from Liz, 5 Long Lane, ing in a residential home outside Bir- Beverley, HU17 2NH and previews of mingham near to family. the photographs are on the Society’s website, http://www.eylhs.org.uk. Mrs Salkeld worked from her home an- swering telephone queries, research- BALH Conference ing the answers with the help of the very efficient Beverley Local Stud- The first in a series of British Associa- ies Department staff and sorting out tion for Local History conferences to our members’ problems. We used her be held in Hull took place on the first house to prepare your newsletters and Saturday in November in Ferens Art publications for post in the years be- Gallery. Attended by about 70 people, fore the present printers took on the mainly from the East Riding but a good task.