This Month in Hull: August

For anyone who needs some good pub quiz facts, we present the August edition of 'This Month in Hull'.

In 1833, on the 12th, a public meeting was held to decide how to commemorate the Hull MP and anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce. Two resolutions were passed: ‘That it is the opinion of this meeting that an obelisk or pillar will form the most striking and appropriate memorial’; and ‘That a subscription be entered into for the purpose of carrying the proposed object into effect.’

2 August 1833, Hull Advertiser and Exchange Gazette, announcement of the death of William Wilberforce in his 74th year of age

List of subscribers to the fund for a memorial to William Wilberforce, Hull Advertiser and Exchange Gazette, 16 Aug 1833

In 1834, on the 1st, the foundation stone was laid for the Wilberforce monument at its original location at the corner of St John’s Street, close to where Beverley Gate once stood. It was laid by Richard Bethell MP of Rise, the Chairman of the Memorial Committee. The statue of Wilberforce was added after the building of the obelisk on 12 Nov 1835. The following is an image of the Wilberforce statue in its original location on the Queens Square side of the old bridge leading to Whitefriargate, before it was moved to its current location outside of Hull College.

Illustration showing the Wilberforce Monument in its original location, 1933 [Lp.731.73.WILB/6]

In 1834, on the 11th, the Hull and Selby Railway Company was formed. The History Centre holds plans and section drawings showing the line being 'A railway from Selby through Hemmingborough, Wressle, Howden, Eastrington, Blacktoft, South Cave, Brantingham, Elloughton with Brough, Welton with Melton, North Ferriby and Kirkella, Hessle and Newington to Humber Dock.' The plans are accompanied by a book of reference for engineers, and were created by Walker, Burgess and A. Comrie in 1834 [C CQP/2].

In 1840, on the 7th, renovation work was carried out on the clock in the tower of Holy Trinity Church. Originally built by Joseph Hindley of York with one face, the clock subsequently had four faces. Our Local Studies collections include an illustration of Holy Trinity in 1829, prior to the work being undertaken [Lp.796.5 HOL/15].

In 1845, on the 24th, Stoneferry Waterworks supplied its first water, processed from the River Hull, after the foundation stone was laid on 29 April 1844. Among the records relating to the waterworks is a postcard showing a view from across the river [C DMX/181/1].

In 1856, T.J. Smith bought a retail chemist shop at 61 Whitefriargate. This business would grow to become the global company of Smith & Nephew. The Whitefriargate premises was the business' first site before production was relocated to Neptune Street on Hessle Road.

Extract from a Hull Trade Directory showing occupiers of properties on Whitefriargate, 1857

As always, if you would like to find out more, come down to the History Centre to see what else we hold...

Claire Weatherall, Assistant Archivist (Hull University Archives)