Paris Exhibition - visit of Hull Workmen - Part two

“Visit of Hull Workmen to the Paris Exhibition – report of the Visit” [L.331.8]

In a previous blog dated 6 May 2022, the detailed reasons for this trip were given but it was primarily as result of the local MP, Sir Henry Seymour King, funding thirty Hull workman to visit the Exposition Universelle of 1889 in August of that year.

This souvenir volume details the views, musings and observations of some of the workmen who went on this sojourn and is a delightful piece of social history from the late Victorian age [image one].

Image 1 - Acknowledgements inside Souvenir Volume

They were fortunate to spend a few days sightseeing around Paris (including a trip up the Eiffel Tower) as well as a visit to Versailles before visiting the Exhibition on the Thursday and Friday. Each account of the trip offers such insight into the individuals on the trip but the majority did agree that:

Sundays in Paris were markedly different to Hull:

“I could not believe it was Sunday; everybody working, or on pleasure; carriages driving, soldiers on horseback; shops open – everything so different to what we see in Hull, that I thought I must have been asleep a day, and got into Paris on Monday”. [G. H. Wright, Saddler]

“It seemed rather strange to Englishmen to see workmen repairing roads & c. on Sunday morning, but such was the case: and later in the day we found business going on all over – in fact, we almost lost sight of the fact it was Sunday”. [J. T. Lyel, Upholsterer] 

The remarkable cleanliness of the Parisian streets:

“Paris is such a grand and beautiful city that, if the people of Hull were to send a body of gentlemen from the Council to see the beautiful streets, boulevards, &c., how they are laid out, kept scrupulously clean, &c., I believe the money would be well spent; and as a ratepayer I would humbly suggest such a trip to your notice” [image 2]. [Henry Tiltman, Ship Draughtsman] 

Image 2 - Henry Tiltman's impressions

The French are so different to the English!:

“A curious thing to an Englishman is that, instead of driving to the left as in England, all drive to the right, and a further acquaintance with Paris proves that everything – or nearly so - is the exact reverse of what we are accustomed to. For instance, we say Smith Street, the French would say Rue de Smith; the soldiers in England wear blue trousers and red coats, the French Tommy Atkins wears a blue coat and red trousers, and very baggy trousers at that; the English people, as a rule, dwell in a house of their own, big or little, the French people live in flats: in fact, everything appears to the untravelled Englishman to be right wrong”. [John Perritt, Printer] 

“Then we saw the market where the favourite dishes of the Frenchmen are supplied – the frogs being sold similar to us selling tripe; one franc a stick; the snails being kept in tanks for the purpose. It was a laughable sight to see us clustering round the frogs, and the Frenchwomen laughing like mad at us, and thrusting the sticks of frogs under our noses” [image 3]. [G. H. Wright, Saddler] 

Image 3 - G H Wright's thoughts

“We often hear in Hull that women can talk well. There is not one that comes up to a Frenchman: they beat us all. You would think, if you saw two of them talking, they were going to fight. They chatter and move their arms and body about, and you would think it is coming to a pitched battle. After waiting to see the end you are surprised to see them shake hands and part friends: it is only their way of talking.” [G.H. Wright, Saddler]

On the Exhibition itself:

“In my own branch I found several new ideas in machinery, and a good many improvements introduced, but a lot of the improvements noted being only interesting to members of the trade, I will pass on, merely remarking that I did not notice anything which is likely to revolutionise the present system”. [John Perritt, Printer] 

“The Exhibition itself I was unable to do justice to, even confining myself somewhat to the machinery department; many exhibits I could not get more than a passing view, owing to the crowd”. [W.T. Myers, Fitter] 

“The boot and shoe leathers were of ordinary sorts, such as may be seen in any English leather warehouse – the sole leather was mostly (what is termed) branded, a kind which we in this country do not care to push”. [James Johnson, Leather Dresser] 

Mr John Newman, joiner was very taken with the newly invented machines for joinery purposes and specifically mentioned those machines made by an American firm, J.A.Fay and Company. He went on to say – “there was nothing in the French inventions (of course I am only speaking of the joinering machines) to call forth any special remark”. 

Mr C. H Green, plumber was delighted to point out that “on entering the British section the first thing that meets the visitor is a banner with arms of Hull: namely, the Three Crowns”.

Tips for the Exhibition:

“Go early; lounge about slowly; keep in the shade; sit down whenever you feel at all tired; and above everything else, don’t go without making a substantial breakfast. An empty stomach frequently brings on a headache, your temper becomes infamous in consequence and you finish up by hating the Exhibition and all it contains”. [John Perritt, Printer]

All the participants did seem to enjoy the week in Paris:

“Still I am certain that what I did see has given me enlarged ideas, and has certainly led me, as I have no doubt it has many others, to read more, and to think more about our friends across the silver streak, and done much to rub off that insular prejudice against foreigners which is so strongly marked a characteristic of all Englishmen”. [John Perritt, Printer]

“I can assure you that nothing can ever efface from my memory the sights and pleasures we enjoyed” [J T Blake, Joiner]

“I came back to the hotel with the impression that Paris was a paradise. As night I went to one of the open-air concerts in the Champs-Elysees. I thought I was in fairy land, all lit up with coloured lights in the trees.” [G H Wright, Saddler]

“I conclude by advising everyone that can make it convenient to visit Paris to do so, independent of the Exhibition; it is well worthy of a visit.” [J T Lyel, Upholsterer]

Some gave more “damning praise”:

“Also, I saw some beautiful locomotives, engines and railway carriages, which by the way, I think they ought to keep in France; for I think everyone will agree with me that their railway service is wretched” [Walter Skirrow, Brass Finisher]

“They call us a shopkeeping nation; but just now, in Paris at all events, they could give us a long start and beat us. The moment an Englishman wants to purchase, they double the price of the article”[G. H. Wright, Saddler]

They were profuse in their praise for the patronage of Sir Henry Seymour King and the town councillors. Their overall impressions of the Exhibition and Paris itself is best left to Mr. John Perritt [printer]:

“then back to Hull, and work, all the better for our trip, and feeling that, though Paris is very beautiful, and sights of the Exhibition very grand, ‘There is no place like home’.” [image 4]

Image 4 - John Perritt's "There is no place like home"

I do wonder what the wives of the workmen thought about the whole enterprise given they were left behind looking after the children. They may have seen it a great opportunity for their husbands to learn new techniques and see new skills that they could adopt themselves.  I hope that each and every one of them used their sovereign to buy a suitable gift for their wives and sweethearts left “minding the fort”!

Caoimhe West, Reader Assistant, Unlocking the Treasure Project

Hull's Press Gang Riot

Press gangs were a dreaded sight up and down coast of Britain. They would scour the towns and villages at night taking almost every man or boy they met, regardless of age or occupation. In Hull, they took a medical doctor named Hayes and George Speck, who at the time was a shipwright aged 60. It wasn't just those found wandering the street that they took. Another Hull shipwright was taken by force one night from his lodgings. Those taken were impressed to a life at sea. It was reputed that George Speck never returned. Apprentice lads tended to be spared, but only if their master claimed them.

It is not surprising therefore, the press gangs were feared and hated up and down the country. In Robin Hoods Bay, the women would warn the men by beating on pans or anything else they could get their hands on to warn the men of the village, who would often retreat to the moors above the village. Sailors that came to Hull would stay at lodgings at Paull or further upstream, out of the way of the press gangs until their ships were ready to leave.

Impressment wasn't new. It existed for centuries. Sanctioned by Parliament, it was a way of recruiting men into the navy. It was vigorously enforced during the naval wars of the 18th and early 19th centuries. The draw to Hull, like most ports, and communities along the coast, was the abundance of skilled sailors. Those employed among Hull’s whaling fleet were exempt from impressment but were highly sought after for their seamanship and arguably toughness, and therefore press gangs often overlooked their exemption.

In Hull, those who were impressed, ended up at a house at the South End of the town. From here they were inspected before being forwarded to the supply brig, which lay in the Humber. Once aboard, the men were conveyed to the warships. The supply brig would return to Hull, and its crew would scour the streets once again. This method of impressment was common around the coasts of Britain at the time. However, on one summer’s evening in May 1815, the people of Hull turned on the press gang, so much so that it became known locally as the Press Gang Riot.

It all began around 6pm on an early summer’s evening, when a young sailor was ashore in Hull. This sailor had the misfortune of running in to the press gang which was out doing the rounds. The quick-thinking young sailor managed to evade the gang, running off into the direction of the New Dock. However, he didn’t go unnoticed by the press gang who quickly followed in pursuit.

Around the same time, finishing up for the day was a gang of workman who had been repairing the New Dock’s lock gates. Pursued by the press gang, the young sailor slipped passed the workmen, before taking flight through the town.

The workmen, probably looking forward to a well-earned drink after a long day, took exception to the press gang and a fight quickly ensued. One of the workmen struck a member of the press gang across the head with a spade, splitting his head wide open. We don’t know for certain whether the press gang captured the sailor they had initially being chasing, but it appears at some point the press gang had captured an individual, and this together with their confrontation with the workmen, signalled a general riot aimed straight at the press gang.

Soon the streets were filled with people. Attention quickly turned to the house at the South End of the town, used by the press gang to hold those they had taken. The rioter’s descended upon the property with the intention to free those that had been impressed.

The South End of Hull c.1850

The house in question belonged to Matthew Smith. Smith later recalled the house was used as a rendezvous by the press gang, prior to sending those captured to the waiting supply brig Tender in the Humber. Outside among the riotous crowd was John Dunhill and William Bewell. By the time the riotous crowd has assembled the press gang had taken cover and retreated inside the property.

Outside the crowd swelled. Many were armed with makeshift weapons. Cheered on by the crowd, Dunhill along with the mob threw lime, bricks, and bats at the property, before proceeding to batter down the walls. A Lieutenant with the press gang recalled how he escaped via the back of the property. Soon the house was all but destroyed, its furniture taken or destroyed by the rioters.

John Dunhill and William Bewell appear to have been singled out as two of the instigators. Dunhill was reported to have been seen to be quarrelling with Matthew Smith before the property was attacked. Dunhill, it was said, was intoxicated and abused Smith because he refused to provide him with ale. Bewell was seen to be shouting and making great noise in the frenzy. He was identified at the centre of the house, shouting, and cheering as he and the rioters destroyed the property.

By 11pm the rioters had dispersed. Singled out, Dunhill and Bewell were brought before the magistrates on 17th July 1815. They were charged with 'riotously assembling together and a great number of other persons and demolishing a certain house'. The jury in the case deliberated for around a quarter of an hour before returning the verdict 'Not guilty'.

Entry from the Calendar of Prisoners showing probably the same John Dunhill, this time accused of assaulting his wife

Although laws were passed in 1835 to uphold the power to impress, the practice had largely fallen into disuse after 1815 with the end of the Napoleonic Wars. No longer did the press gangs scour the streets of Hull looking to impress those they came across. All but forgotten today, the press gangs are a reminder of Hull's once darker, and sinister past.

Neil Chadwick
Librarian/Archivist 

The Paris Exhibition - a trip by Hull workers - Part one

"Visit of Hull Workmen to the Paris Exhibition – report of the Visit” [L.331.8] – Part One

The binding alone on this incredible souvenir volume is well worth a look - exquisitely bound with the Eiffel Tower shown in gold, both on the front and back cover [image 1].  The actual book acts as a time capsule and allows the reader a trip back into the social history of that time. It offers up a glimpse of the lives of the “every day folk” at the end of the nineteenth century and affords us a better understanding of their lives.

Image one - Eiffel Tower on front cover of  volume

The Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a world’s fair held in Paris from 6 May to 31 October 1889.  It attracted more than thirty-two million visitors. The most famous structure created especially for the Exposition, and the symbol of Paris today, is the Eiffel Tower.

The Exposition Universelle was specifically held to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the “Storming of the Bastille”, which was the start of the French Revolution. It was also hoped to act as a stimulus for the French economy which was in a recession.

As the theme of the Exposition was celebrating the overthrow of the French monarchy, nearly all European countries with monarchies officially boycotted the Exposition including Great Britain. However, many companies and individuals, from these boycotting nations, did attend, and a number of countries, again including Britain, had their participation entirely funded by private sponsors.

One such individual was Sir Henry Seymour King [image 2] who was Hull’s Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Central in 1889.  As well as being an MP, he came from a banking background. After leaving Oxford University, he joined the firm of Henry S. King and Company, a London bank founded by his father. Under Sir Henry’s leadership, the bank expanded into India. He had advanced ideas – his bank employed women as typists, as early as 1887, something which most other banks did not do until the First World War. It seemed that Sir Henry lived out of the area and was a resident of Kensington, London. He served two consecutive terms as Mayor of Kensington [1901-1903]. He was instrumental in providing a large interest free loan for the purchase of slum properties in North Kensington so that they could be rebuilt and refurbished.

Image 2 - Sir Henry Seymour King
[Election promotion card in C DIPC1]

Sir Henry Seymour King felt it would be of great benefit for local artisans and craftsmen of his own constituency in Hull to attend the Exposition Universelle to see first-hand what advancements and developments were happening in their particular field of expertise.  What a forward thinking individual he seemed to have been and he certainly “put his money where his mouth was”! With the help of the Mayor, Dr John Sherburn and others on the Town Council, thirty local men were given the opportunity of a lifetime – a week’s trip to Paris in order to see the Exhibition.

Seen through “today’s eyes”, it is hard to imagine what a major event this would have been for the chosen workmen.  The average wage of a carpenter was roughly 25 shillings a week – the idea of trip abroad was out of the reaches of the working classes – even a trip to London would not be considered by the majority of Hull’s working class population.

The chosen thirty came from a variety of trades and industries – including Shoemaker, Cabinet maker, Upholsterer, Cooper, Plumber, Stonemason, Saddler, Joiner, Jeweller and Printer.  As a “thank you” to their sponsor, Sir Henry Seymour King, and the Mayor of Hull, Dr Sherburn, some of the workmen wrote to thank them [image 3] and gave them very detailed written accounts of their experiences.  Their descriptions were turned into this souvenir volume.

Image 3 - John Blake's thank-you for Sir Henry Seymour King and Dr Sherburn

The workmen left from Hull Railway Station on Saturday, 10 August 1889 and they were accompanied by Mr. King’s private secretary, Mr. Trotman.  It seemed they were seen off with some “pomp and ceremony” by members of the Town Council including Councillor E. Robson. He made himself very popular with the party since [out of his own pocket] he gave them each a sovereign to “assist them in enjoying the holiday”.  The sovereign was a gold coin and was worth one pound. There was twenty shillings in a pound so you can appreciate that this would have been was a large sum of money to them.

The party travelled down to London and then onto Dover. After crossing the Channel by boat, they continued by train until they reached Paris. They stayed at the Hotel Longchamps during their trip. They returned by the same route arriving in London on the Sunday morning where they stayed overnight before returning to Hull on the Monday. One member of the party did note how “London looked very grimy after the clean city of Paris.”

They were fortunate to spend a few days sightseeing around Paris (including a trip up the Eiffel Tower) as well as a visit to Versailles before visiting the Exhibition on the Thursday and Friday. Each account of the trip offers such insight into the individuals on the trip but the majority did agree on or that:

-          Sundays in Paris were markedly different to Hull 

-          The remarkable cleanliness of the Parisian streets 

-          The French are so different to the English! 

The details contained in this volume are so fascinating and evocative that a separate blog will be posted next week highlighting their impressions.

As a footnote, Mr Seymour King could be described as a “fallen angel”, he retained his parliamentary seat until he was unseated on petition on 11 June 1911 – when Sir Henry was found guilty of a charge of bribery during the election in December 1910. His vacant seat being filled by Mark Sykes.

Caoimhe West, Reader Assistant, Unlocking the Treasure Project