Fact 63. Land of Green Ginger is in Hull.

The Land of Green Ginger is an actual place although I never believed it when I was small. I put it in the same category as the Land of Nod! Then I saw both places and came to realise what a special place Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire is. The Land of Nod is an actual hamlet near Holme on Spalding Moor in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It is little more than a sign post though.

Signpost to Land of Nod from the A614.

However the Land of Green Ginger is a much more  concrete place and lies in the middle of the City of Hull. It is in the middle of the Old Town and so was enclosed within the walls of the old centre of the town. The name conjures up all sorts of Oriental pictures, spice markets, souks and bazaars with camels and monkeys etc but unfortunately it isn't anything like that .

Street sign.

It is thought that the street was originally was called Old Beverley Street. It still leads to the north in the direction and although the remains of Beverley Gate are to the north west corner of the the old walls there may have been a postern gate for access to the north. It is said that the name changed around the end of the 1600's by a Mr. Richardson.

Green Ginger is root ginger that has been cured using lemon juice so must have been a very exotic thing in those days so it may have been named after the area where spices imported up the River Hull were stored but there are several competing explanations of the name.

Land of Green Ginger seen from the corner of Bowlalley Lane.

There has been along history of Dutch folk residing in Hull. perhaps it is as it is a home from home with regard to the huge skies that can been seen from such a vertically challenged city. One such family lived in the area of the Land of Green Ginger called 'Lindegreen'. This translates as green lime trees! The family were in the area at the start of the 19th Century. It has been suggested that the modern name could be a corruption of 'Lindegroen Jonger' or Lindegreen Junior!  

Land of Green Ginger looking north.

Another theory is that in around 1880 a family called Landgrave had a house in the area. There is an old English word granger meaning walk so Landgrave Granger could have become Land of Green Ginger. I still like the idea of the smells and sites of spices pervading the atmosphere of the old town.

The George Hotel, Land of Green Ginger.

On of the highlights of the street is the smallest window in the country that can be seen above the red sign by the arch way of the George Hotel. More about this can be read on Fact 5.

The name has been a source of inspiration to writers through the years. In 1927 Winifred Holtby who was born a few miles away on the Yorkshire Wolds wrote 'The Land of Green Ginger'. In 1937 Noel Langley wrote a children's book called the 'Tale of the Land of Green Ginger' and Alan Plater also wrote a 'Play for Today' with the name in 1973. It has also been used for a collection of poetry and for music tracks.

The Blue Plaque associating the street with the novel by Winifred Holtby.

Although you may not think that in reality the street does not live up to that conjured up in the imagination it is at the heart of the Old Town and is an area full of reminders of times past. Where ever you are in the area I would recommend looking up as there are many more clues above street level to the past history and glories of times past that are not seen when looking down at today's modern times.

Fact 62. Reckitts started making starch in Hull.

The founders of Reckitts came from strong stock. Issac Reckitt was the founder of the business but his grandfather reveals the determination of the family. His Grandfather was called William and was born near Gainsborough in Lincolnshire. He became a Quaker Minister and after preaching all over England and Ireland was called to do missionary work in America when he was 50. He set sail in 1756 and when just clear of land his vessel was captured by French Privateers. England was at war with France and William was imprisoned for six months before being exchanged. This experience did not deter him and a month later he set off again. After safely making it to America he traveled over 6000 miles in the space of  three years including areas where Indian wars were underway. In 1759 he decided to continue his preaching in Barbados and was again captured by French privateers. This time he was only held a few weeks before been landed. He then made his way back to Wainfleet where the family had moved in 1760. He went back to America  between 1764 and 1766 and one of his sons settled there. William died at Wainfleet in 1796.

One of Wiiliam's sons, Thomas, took over the farming near Wainfleet and he had a son called Thomas and  'our' Issac. Issac was born in 1792 and was later apprenticed to a corn factor in Bury St. Edmunds. We had come out of his time in 1814 and returned to Wainfleet to help hos Father and set up in business for himself. The first entry in his account book shows that he bought 7lb of wool from his elder brother, at 1/6d per lb, for 10/6d! Despite working hard and even having a partner for a time they never made much money trading in wool, corn, muslin and linen and even investing in lead mines in Derbyshire. His elder brother Thomas had moved to Boston and the two brothers, with financial help from family and friends built the Maud Foster Mill in 1819 that is still there today.

The Maud Foster Mill in Boston built by the Reckitt brothers Thomas and Issac in 1819.

Here Issac married Ann Coleby and this was a crucial factor the in the future company. Ann was steadfast in her help and assistance to her husband but also her sisters had married well which meant that there was financial support available when required. Most of their seven children were born in Boston. The mill did well for a few years but the harvests failed for several years and prices were adversely affected. Issac left the partnership in 1833 and by 1835 Thomas became insolvent and sold the mill. By this time Issac had tried his hand at being a corn factor again, this time in Nottingham and despite hard craft and lean times they never made any capital from 1833 to 1840. He was searching about for business opportunities around the country. One of his other brothers, John had moved to Hull and told him the place was booming and there were many openings such as opening up as a broker or commissioning agent, in the whalebone or colour business. There was a chance for working with his brother Thomas again but he moved to Manchester and opened a school. By July 1840 Issac had settled on buying a starch manufacturer and the family moved form Nottingham to Hull. He had no capital and at the age of 48 had a young family. To his credit he had an abundance of hard work and good family connections. 

Reckitts Starch works at Stoneferry, courtesy of Ron Turner.

The new project was a starch works that was been sold by a Charles Middleton who was allegedly leaving Hull to get away from his father-in-law! The starch works were built in 1835 to the east of Sutton Drain in an area that had housed windmills with seven in the area. Issac rented the works but purchased the stock from money lent to him by family members. His first sales were made on 15th December 1840. Things didn't go well and the works were flooded in 1841.  Issac's son managed to persuade his father to allow him home from school in Newcastle to assist. The sales were carried out through agents and their commission meant that he made little profit. To eke out a leaving he fed pigs on the wheat by products of the starch making and sold 45 in 1842. The eldest son, Charles, died of consumption at the end of 1842 adding to the stress on the family.

Issac Reckitt.

The family fortunes started to swing into profit when George came out of his apprenticeship at 18 and started with the business as travelling salesman. He had no salary and he saved the agents commission. He worked tirelessly around the company. Another good fortune was receiving the formula for making starch from sago in place of a bad debt. They also realised that concentrating on selling soluble starch was where the profit was. Starch had been made from wheat but as the price became very high been able to use sago flour meant that they could maintain their profits without raising their prices. The business was nearly curtailed when it was discovered that the starch works and the land were to be sold in 1847. Issac had no money to purchase them outright at the time. However negotiations dragged on and as Issac had managed to start paying off previous debts and that business had picked up he was able to secure the works and land for the sum of £1125 in August 1848.

In 1848 George was made a partner and son Francis came out of his apprenticeship and started as a traveller. George looking after the Midland and the south and Francis the north. Frederic, another son was experimenting with starch and was using arrow root to make drinks and different flours and formulas to make starch. At this time there were perhaps 25 girls working in the factory mainly packing etc. By 1849 business was doing so well that George was suggesting that they install gas and machinery to pack and label the packets. The youngest son James joined the business in 1850 and shared the north of England as a commercial traveler The sons had realised that advertising their products helped enormously to open doors for them so Reckitt and Son were early user of the media. In 1851 they managed to obtain recommendations from Louis Napoleon III and The Emperor of Russia to use.

All the time the company had dealt in other articles such as matches, candles, bath brick, glue and even cranberries. The big breakthrough came in early when they traded in some Ultramarine for laundry blue. Also in that year they started selling black lead for polishing fire grates and hearths that they bought from a company in London. It was to be 1855 before Reckitt  and Sons started making it for themselves. (As Francis had also become a partner in the business it had now become Reckitt and Sons!) However it wasn't to be until 1857 before these products matched that of starch. Business was doing well. George had been elected to the Hull City Council and the brothers were at head office having recruited and trained new salesmen. Numbers at the starch works had also increased. In March 1862 Issac died and a new era for the company began.

A biscuit factory had been built and provided a large turnover for the company but very little profit so it wasn't replaced when it burned down in 1866. The good name was sold to Peek Frean and Co and the biscuit invented by Francis appears to have been the Osbourne biscuit that is still made today. At around this time starch and blue were equal in sales for the company and black lead the same as them both together and contributed profits in the same proportion. The total profit was £4298. In 1868 a young man of 21 joined the company as private clerk to James Reckitt. He was to make a big impression on the company and in the City of Hull as a whole. In 1879 the partnership of of Issac Reckitt and Sons was dissolved and a private joint stock company started called Reckitt and Sons Ltd. The stock was all held by the family with Directors being Francis, James and George. The first Chairman was Francis and this was to alternate yearly with James as George had left the company earlier to move to London and no ran the London office. Sales were starting to be made overseas with the first to Montreal in 1864. They ventured into the making of ultramarine for the laundry blue in Hull and buying a pit in Germany to supply special earths for their polish, a graphite mine in Ceylon and a factory making methylated spirits in Ipswich. Everything was going so well that they needed more capital to expand so the decided to form a public company in 1888. The new company was valued at £450,000. T.R. Ferens was added to the board as were the works manager and some third generation of the family. By 1895 the company was valued at £1,326.670 which was a growth of approx nine times in 15 years. In 1894 James Reckitt accepted a baronetcy mainly for his services to the Liberal Party. Also as he had fought hard to provide free libraries for the public. Having lost he gave a libray from his own pocket for east Hull that still bears his name. James and Francis bought the railway hotel in Withernsea that had failed and gave that as the Hull and East Riding Convalescent Home. T.R. Ferens also bought and gave a plot of land near to the factory on Dansom Lane as a children's playground.

Sir James Reckitt.

At this time the 'power brands' we coming to the fore. Robin Starch, Reckitt's Blue, Zebra Black Lead. Brasso was added in 1905, Cherry Blossom shoe polish was added to the portfolio around 1912. Expansion abroad was also rapid. Being a Quaker family they had the welfare of their staff at the front of their minds and had started an early non contributory pension scheme in around 1920 and welfare for the workers was prominent with above average wages, rest breaks and rest rooms along with many sports and social groups and day and evening classes for them after work. In 1907 James Reckitt showed his concern for his workers by setting up a private company to buy a small estate to the east of the city to build houses for the workers along with facilities for them. This became known as the Garden Village. It had 600 houses and to this was dded almshouses, recreation grounds and hostels for girls etc. The Garden village still exists. Cadbury's Bournville is well known about but the Reckitts Quaker Garden Village are little known outside of the area. I aim to blog more about this in the future.

WWI passed with slight damage to the factory in Dansom Lane following a Zeppelin raid in 1915. Profits remained good and although a Quaker family they turned a blind eye to some of the ware work the company undertook such as making petrol cans for the War Office. They did provide two hospitals one in Hull and one in France. By the end of the war they had 1100 employees in the Forces and 153 had lost their lives. Sir James Reckitt may have been the instigator of the National two minutes silence on Armistice Day as he inaugurated a five minute break at work in their factories for silent prayer.

The interwar years were a search for new products and by 1933 Bath Cubes and the still famous brands of Windowlene (window cleaner), Karpol (children's medicine), Harpic (toilet cleaner) and Dettol (disinfectant) had been released on the market. Reckitts were enthusiastic users of advertising so as well as introducing new brands maintained there older brands. The pension was enhanced for the workers and a bonus linked to the dividend on the shares, so linking the bonus to the performance of the company. The bonus was shared out on the basis of length of service and remuneration. A swimming pool was built along with a laundry, a men's club a garage and another 56 houses. Money and land were donated for the building of Sutton Annex Hospital and also a large sum for Hull University College. At this time the relationship with Colman's was cemented as in South America the sales teams worked together to promote both companies products. Factories were set up all over. This was forced upon the company as many countries imposed punitive import taxes so exporting from the UK would have been impossible. Arthur Reckitt and T.R. Ferens were joint Chairmen but Arthur stopped standing as an MP in 1919 and died in 1927. Ferens passed away in 1930 and another generation started at the helm. The Prince of Wales visited Kingston Works in 1926 and King George VI and the Queen visited in 1937. For many years there had been pooling of effort with J & J Colman, and amalgamation had been talked of for many years. It had been agreed in 1931 but failed as the proportions for each company could not be decided. Finally agreement was reached in 1938 and Reckitt and Sons Ltd became Reckitt and Colman Ltd.

The factory in Dansom Lane was heavily bombed in WWII but work continued at sites that had been found around the country. After the war the company continued acquiring business and products until in the 80's it was realised that the company was so huge and diverse that it was not able to be managed effectively and several no core products and companies were hived off. This led to the selling of the Colman's food brands and the concentration on the household products side of the business. This meant that 80% of revenues were now from this sector rather than only 50% ten years before. The majority of sales, 36%, came from North America and 31% from Europe at this time. By the end of the 90's costs were rising and markets were difficult in Latin America and Asia where another 30% of sales derived. Pre-tax profits fell 25% and management were in the firing line. They turned to a merger with a Germany company Benckiser that had started in 1823 making industrial and household chemical products. The company was now called Reckitt Beckinser and continued to buy new brands and products but sold off those that did not fit in their five core areas of surface care, fabric care, dish washing, home care and health and personal products. In 2014 the name was changed to 'RB', making one wonder where it can go in the future. The company is huge  with around 36000 employees world wide and a revenue of £8.8 billion. 20 million of its products are sold world wide, every day!!

Just a few of the products that the company now make and market.

Although the company headquarters is now in Slough it has recently been announced that Hull 's 1200 jobs on the Dansom Lane site will be secured with the building of a Centre of Scientific Excellence for research and innovation. It should be open in 2018. I'm sure that it will not be lost that such a benefit to Hull is only the latest in a long line of  advantages that the Reckitt family and their business has bestowed on the City. It is a great example of a person persevering in their aims and believing in themselves and their family.

Fact 61. Pickering; Dark horse of philanthropy in Hull.

In 1842 Christopher Pickering was born. His father was also Christopher and his mother was Jane (nee Gibson). His father followed the trade of a tailor but this was not for young Christopher as by 1861 he was living in the Old Town at Hales Entry and working as a fish curer. At the next census he was  married to Rachel (nee Blakestone) and living off Hessle Road at Marlborough Terrace. This was the heart of the growing fishing industry and he was now a fish merchant.

Christopher Pickering.

The fishing industry in Hull really developed in the 1840's after the Silver Pits were discovered. these were rich fishing grounds out in the North Sea, not too far from the Humber Estuary. Fishermen from Devon and Kent would come to the area for the summer and often bring wife and family to stop in the area during the season. By 1850 they were staying in Hull permanently and the ports of registry were also being changed to Hull. These wooden fishing smacks started to be built in the area also. By 1885 iron smacks were common but at this time the introduction of the steam engine was changing things rapidly. In 1866 at the age of twenty four Christopher Pickering bought his first fishing smack.

By 1881 he was living at 114 Coltman Street that was a very good address. He had set up a business with one Samuel Leeman Haldane who had been born in Wakefield in 1837 and had started out as a fruit and fish merchant.

Newly restored 114 Coltman Street.

By this time they had about thirty fishing smacks, so called apparently due to the noise made by the sails. They realised quickly that the introduction of the marine steam engine and the use of trawling instead of drifting to catch fish was the way forward. In 1886 they started to sell their wooden smacks and by steam trawlers. In 1889 he was a rags to riches self made man and moved out to Hornsea to enjoy his money in the country. There he would have been just a name of one of the many ship owners and fishing industry magnates. By now he was the Chairman of Pickering and Haldane Fishing fleet and the Pickering and Haldane Ice Company as well as the chair of many of the industries companies.

In 1908 he built six almshouses for the poor of the town to be administered by the Vicar and Churchwardens of the local St. Nicholas Church. We will never know what made him turn into a benefactor but he must have been pleased with the results as in 1910 he donated £6300 to build twelve almshouses for the benefit of ex fishermen in west Hull, not far from the heart of the industry at the docks. This block of houses was to form part of a 'new model village' that was to include a church and vicarage, a children's home for girls and a museum of fishing.

 

The first twelve almshouses were built on a crescent. Over each block is an inscription saying 'These alms houses were erected, endowed and presented to the Hull Corporation for the benefit of person's previously engaged in the fishing industry or such other deserving inmates as the Corporation may from time to time appoint by Christopher Pickering Esq. JP of this City'. They were probably designed by the City Architect Joseph Hirst.

Next to the almshouses was built at small museum called the Museum of Fisheries and Shipping. I remember visiting it when I was very small and seeing the skeleton of a whale suspended from the ceiling. It moved to the present Maritime museum at the Town Docks Office building in 1974 and amalgamated with other collections. However the skeleton is still on show. The old building is still there and used as a boxing club. It would have been a handy site for the the inmates of the almshouses to act as guides or help.

Steve Pollard of Kingston Boxing Club outside their gym that was the old Museum of Fisheries and Shipping.

 A little down the road was built St Nicholas Church and vicarage. It is strange that the church was dedicated to the same as that in Hornsea. I wonder if it was due to a 'road to Damascus' event that started his good works there, or just that St Nicholas is the patron saint of seamen.

Pickering Home for Girls. The home was run by the Church of England Waifs and Strays Society!

The foundation stone was laid by Rachel Pickering on 30th May 1914. It was run by the Waifs and strays Society and had room for 40 orphaned and destitute girls. There is an inscription above the door that may have been laid by the Society's founder Edward Rudolph. The home finally closed in 1983 ans is now converted to flats.

Maybe the centre piece of the 'model village' is the park. It is said that this was an idea put to her husband by Rachel Pickering. The site had been originally common land with  rights of grazing for the locals. The build up started in 1909 when plans were drawn up and then they had to go through planning etc. The park finally opened on 13th July 1911. Pickering was to donate 30 acres of land and sold twenty more to provide the cash to build the almshouses and other buildings. In the end he gave 50 acres and sold some other land to raise money. He gave another £1000 to have ornamental gates made for the entrance. They were lucky to survive WWII as the Corporation said they were too important to use in the war effort. The park had a lake with duck houses, rock gardens and terraces and room for a band stand. Sports grounds with pavilions were separated from the park by a sunken fence.

The ornamental gates to Pickering Park.

Pickering Park Lake.

The Pickering crest and motto on the gates; 'Vincit omnia veritas', or 'Truth will conquer all'.

Christopher Pickering rose up from poor beginnings and grasped opportunities that came his way. He was one of the few who made lots of money from the fishing industry and put some of it back into the community. His names lives on in the park, almshouses and in Pickering Road that borders one edge of the park. My wife went to Pickering School that is no more, but there is a Christopher Pickering Primary School. As a lasting memorial to the man it seems much better than a statue somewhere.

The beautiful park gates survived WWII but are now looking somewhat fore lorn. To show gratitude for his donation to the people of Hull and to have a truly imposing centre piece to the park and almshouses it would be good if they could be fully restored. The Friends of Pickering Park are trying to raise funds to achieve this. It would be great if this could receive impetus from the Year of Culture 2017, so if you can please log on to  http://www.friendsofpickeringpark.org.uk/ and donate what you can.

Fact 60. Girl from Hull was first UK Eurovision entry.

The UK did not enter the very first Eurovision song contest that was held at Lugano in Switzerland in 1956. They did however participate the the following year when it was held in Frankfurt with ten entrants. The UK tune was sung by Patricia Bredin from Hull. She still holds several remarkable records from then. Not only was it the first UK entrant but it was the first entrant sung in English and it is said to still be the shortest song entered at only 1 minute and 52 seconds long. Patti as she was known scored 6 points with 2 from Switzerland and one each from Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium. The winner was the Netherlands with 31 points. The UK were 7th. The UK missed the next year but have participated ever since.

The song was called 'All', music by Reynell Wreford and lyrics by Alan Stanks.

It seems that the song 'All' was chosen following a contest held by the BBC.

Patricia said that she was surprised at the event as other entrants had an entourage of make and hair and costume people and she was just her self and loads of BBC executives!

Patricia Bredin was not really known as a recorded singer, in fact I can only find one other record from 1959 with the songs 'Til the right time comes' and 'I live to love you', but she did sing in musical theatre. She was born in Hull in 1934 and first came to attention when she appeared in a musical 'Free as Air' in 1957 which may have been when she was 'spotted' for what became the Eurovision Song Contest. By 1959 she had appeared in British films. The first was 'Left, Right and Centre' with another Hull born actor Ian Carmichael (see Fact 16.) Also 'The Bridal Path' with Bill Travers and 'Make mine a Million'. This film was with Arthur Askey, Sid James and Bernard Cribbins and she appeared as herself. These parts lead her to be voted one of the promising new stars along with Peter Sellers and Hayley Mills.

Patricia Brendin, 1957.

In 1960 she had a leading part in 'The Treasures of Monte Cristo' and again with Sid James in 'Desert Mice' where she played an ENSA singer in the desert during WWII. In 1962 she appeared on Broadway when she took over the part in Camelot from Julie Andrews. Then in 1963 she made what I think may have been her last film 'To have and to Hold', a murder mystery.

In 1963 she married the Welsh singer Ivor Emmanuel. He was well know for playing Private Owen in the 1964 film 'Zulu'. It  was he who sand 'Men of Harlech' to rouse the troops. Unfortunately the marriage didn't last and they broke up after two years with not children. Emmanuel went on to appear and host many programmes on Welsh language television and on the stage.

Ivor Emmanuel as Private Owen in the film 'Zulu'.

Patricia Bredin seemed to find love when she married a Canadian businessman Charles MacCulloch in 1979. MacCulloch's was a real rags to riches story. Born in Nova Scotia his first job was as a rock crusher. He went through evening school and eventually earned a degree in Architectural Design. With this he started a building and construction company. By 1937 became the largest shipper of  sawn timber in the Canadian East. The emphasis of his business had shifted by 1956 and was concentrated on buildings supplies and real estate. He managed to buy 100000 acres of timberland around metropolitan Halifax and started a commercial development company. becoming a multimillionaire. They were married in 1979 but tragedy was to strike on their honeymoon on a cruise in the South Pacific when he had a massive heart attack and died aged 67.

Patricia Bredin-MacCulloch, as was now known retired to the family estate and ran the cattle there for a decade and later wrote a book about that period. He was a member of several arts bodies and charities in East Canada and in his youth was a keen sportsman.

Her book about her time on the farm after the death of her husband.

A few years ago she was coaxed out of retirement aged 73 to help funds for the Scotia Arts Festival were she sang some show tunes to great acclaim. She also donated the piano used at the event. 

Local newspaper article about her fund raising appearance.

A real unsung hero of Hull with many 'firsts' in the Eurovision Song Contest to her name.

Fact 59. First dock to the east was Victoria Dock.

The last of the town docks which followed the old line of the city walls, was Junction Dock that opened in 1825. Trade continued to increase and soon after there was a need for more dock space. By 1838 an independent dock company had come up with a plan to build a dock to the east of the River Hull.They got as far as promoting a bill through Parliament in 1838. The current dock company got interested and the new company withdrew when they also drew up proposals. In 1839 James Walker was engaged to draw up plans and a bill started through Parliament. The plan was to use the dock mainly for the timber trade as this was clogging up the rest of the dock estate and would have more room in a new dock. In 1840 the bill was withdrawn again due to local opposition. By 1844 the dissenters had fallen by the way side and the bill was passed.  At the same time the plan to build Railway dock that extended off Humber dock to the west was passed.

In 1845 construction started and the plan was almost the same as those of James Walker. There was to be a large entrance of 60' from the Humber and a smaller one 45' from the River Hull. Each entrance was to have a half tide basin. Having half tide basin means that although ships can only enter from the river at higher states of the tide vessels can be assembled in the basin and move in and out of the dock at most states of the tide so having craft assembled means that many more can transit the lock when the levels are correct. J.B. Hartley was engaged as the engineer. The foundation stone was laid on 5th November 1845.

This map of 1853 shows the Town Docks, with Railway Dock completed, along with the original Victoria Dock. The Citadel Fortress can still be seen to the west of the new lock.

The dock was formally opened 3rd July 1850 at a cost of £300000. It was named Victoria Dock in honour of the Queen. The dock itself was 12.8 acres and the half tide basins were 3 and 1 acre. The depth of water held in the dock was between 27.5 and 22 feet at spring and neap tides. It soon became apparent that storage space was required and a timber pond was soon built  to the east of the Humber entrance. Timber was stored wet here to prevent it warping. By 1863 the dock was extended to the east a further 8 acres and another timber pond added further to the east again. No.1 timber pond was extended out into the Humber on reclaimed land and by 1875 No.1 was 14 acres and No.2 8 acres.

In 1864 the Citadel was sold to the Dock Company and demolished to make way for more timber storage on hard standing. Part of the site was taken by Martin Samuelson and Co. for ship building. This later became the Humber Iron Works. The point of land now has the Deep Submarium built on it and is still known as Sammy's Point. To the east C and W Earle had started a shipbuilding operation in 1851. Their first ship, the 'Dido' was launched in 1853 and they went on to build over 700 hundred ships here. (See Fact 46.)

An insurance plan of 1893 shows the extent of the dock and timber ponds. It can also be seen that the railway was linked with the dock. On the Humber bank can be seen various berths cut in to the bank that were the building yards. In 1865 South Bridge, or Ha'penny Bridge opened just north of Sammy's Point. It was built to give access for the dock workers. It closed in 1934 and was demolished in 1944 but can be seen on the plan above.

Victoria dock worked other cargoes than timber and in this photo from 1910 can be seen a steel structure that was a coal loading rig that tipped railway wagons of coal into ships from the Yorkshire coalfields. Another cargo was the import of live cattle and to the west of the Humber lock were abattoirs and cold storage for the purpose, along with holding pens etc.

Hull Docks were really busy during WWII and this photo from the Hull Daily Mail archives shows sugar that was stored on Victoria Dock. Prisoners of war were used on the dock. The main cargo worked at the dock was timber and this can be seen on the railway wagons. It was transported as rough cut deals in all sizes. T and loaded on to the boogies for moving to storage areas on the dock.he planks had to be man handled.

In this photo from 1960 the timber is still being carried loose. In the foreground can be seen the boogies waiting their cargo. Each could carry 7 tonnes. Also can bee see trailers with tyres and a bundle of deals coming out of the ships hold slung under the ship's derrick.

All of Hull's docks were frequented by barges and lighters that were loaded to carry cargo up the River Hull to other yards, or up the Trent and Ouse and through the canal system to the final destinations.

In 1964 the entrance to the dock from the River Hull was closed up and the area remodeled. As the size of vessels grew and timber became packaged and dried prior to transport and trade generally fell the dock was found surplus to requirements and finally closed 1st February 1970, 125 after construction had started. In 1988 a housing £63 million scheme was commenced to create an urban village on the dock after filling most of it in. There were thoughts of a marina in the half tide basin from the Humber and a rotating lock gate was installed. Nothing ever came of this and I don't think it has ever been used in anger. There is a trial around the village that shows points of interest that remain including the citadel and dock remains. The village is now complete with school, pub church and shops with a popular promenade alongside the Humber. Sammy's Point is the location of the ever popular Deep Aquarium.

Fact 58. The first bank in Yorkshire was in Hull.

A Robert Pease was a merchant in Hull and doing well. He had the important role of Chamberlain for Hull. It was his job to collect the taxes and revenues due to the corporation. He was actually fined for refusing the job of Sheriff! His first wife Ann died leaving him with two children  Robert and Ann and after the restoration of Charles II he fled to Amsterdam, maybe due to religious persecution as Robert was a Puritan. In the Netherlands Robert the younger did well and married another refugee from the UK, Esther Clifford, in 1670. The Cliffords were an important family there and had a very influential bank. Robert Pease junior did well and prospered as a merchant. They had six children three boys and three girls. The Eldest of the boys had an estate purchased for him in Ireland. The second son William remained in Amsterdam and ran the family affairs there. The youngest Joseph was dispatched to England to make his fortune and to extend the base of the family. His father wanted him to become naturalised English so that he could properly own any business that he created. He had several contacts to help him and the message that he should always keep God at the fore front of his thoughts and work  for the betterment of the Pease family. As Robert held a patent for the extraction of oil from seed the idea was to build up a oil seed crushing mill. The competition was too fierce in London so he moved on to Gainsborough which at one time had been the home of the Clifford family. He didn't stay there long before moving on to Hull in 1709. He soon secured a prime spot on High Street where all the influential merchants lived. He had a house built facing the road and the land went down to the River Hull where he built a dock for handling ships and warehouse to store the seed he was importing.

Joseph Pease. born in Amsterdan 1688 and died 1778 after outliving his second wife by fifty years.

In time with the backing of the Clifford family in Amsterdam he built up a large trading business. He was well known for being able to obtain credit and to coax loans from his relations and friends. However his banking relations were exasperated that he always paid the money back promptly and did not finance his business very long on credit. Due to this he was thought of as entirely reliable. His business initially was oil seed milling and he obtained seed from the Baltic via contacts of the Clifford family and from Ireland where his elder brother lived and worked. A mill was built on the corner of Low Gate and Salthouse Lane in 1740. The two big warehouse to receive the grain for processing were built in 1745 and the second in 1760. They are both still standing and were converted to flats in 1981. The empire soon branched out into whaling, milling, shipping, lead, paint and whiting manufacture, insurance underwriting and banking. Joseph married Mary Turner in 1717 and they had four children, Robert, Joseph Hester and Mary, before she died in 1728.

The old Pease warehouse seen from the east bank of the River Hull with Drypool bridge to the right and Ranks's mill behind the camera. The five story building was gutted by fire and so is now called  Phoenix House and the the one with the large red doors is called Pease Court. Both have been converted to apartments.

Due to the difficulty with transporting cash around the country from London due to time delay and the possibility of highway robbery a system of local banking was set up. The first bank in Yorkshire, and one of the few outside London at the time, was set up on the ground floor of the Pease family home on High Street. Obviously the experience of the Clifford family would help him set it up. The bank started in 1754 set up by Joseph and his son Robert. It can be seen later on the pictures of bank notes that other members of the family were also drawn into the business too. As the banks were very local it meant that their notes were not easily cashed out side of that place. This meant that there were very many failures of the institutions when trading conditions changed. However Pease's Old Bank as the enterprise was known lasted for 140 years. It was then taken over by the York Union Bank in 1894. In 1902 it was again taken over by Barclays and Co which in 1917 became the Barclays Bank we know today so it never failed.

The home of the Pease family was demolished in 1950 but the warehouse by the river remain. A blue plaque can be seen on the front wall remaining of a building on the left and a more grand entrance to the right. One of these may all be that remains of the original house. (or not).

The blue plaque that can be seen on the wall of the building above.

Some of the bank and promissory notes issued by Pease's Old Bank in later years.

Joseph died in 1778 and in his estate he left £80000 and a business empire worth a further £500,000. Of Joseph's four children Joseph junior died in infancy and Hester had no children. The eldest Robert did not get married but had a child with Margret Copeland and the son was also called Robert Copeland Pease. The father Robert died before his father Joseph. Mary did get married to a Manchester cotton trading businessman called Robert Robinson and they had three sons. One was also called Joseph. (It gets more confusing all the time!) Both this Joseph's parents died leaving him an orphan in 1775/76. Following his grand father Joseph's wished this Joseph changed his name and took the arms of Pease and he became Joseph Robinson Pease. We was then able to inherit his Grandfathers estate. Robert Copeland Pease (illegitimate grandson) did inherit some property but this was likely to have been his fathers.

Joseph seniors son Robert leased Hesslewood Hall to the west of Hull and this was left to Joseph Robinson Pease in 1778. He later obtained the freehold and extended the building and utilised the chalk quarry on the foreshore for his businesses in 1788.

Hesslewood Hall.