Haunted Hull - the Cavalier's of Bransholme

A recent discussion took place on one of the local Facebook pages regarding reputed sightings of Cavalier's around what is the Bransholme Estate today. Being a Bransholme lad I must admit I have never heard of such sightings, so intrigued I thought I'd take the opportunity to explore this in more detail. It is not my place to prove or disprove such sightings, but like the reputed sightings of monks in  our previous blog, for those of you who believe, intrigued or simply entertain the idea, here is an attempt to explain why alleged apparitions of alleged Cavalier's have been reported on Bransholme.

The Battle of Marston Moor in July 1644 depicting royalist Cavillers
[Wikipedia] 

Those who believe in the paranormal, ghosts or spirits are often said to have some connection to the landscape or a particular property. After all how many pubs, theatres, woods or battlefields are said to be haunted. It is claimed spirits remain in the living world, perhaps because an individual(s) had a violent, unexpected or sudden death. However, to account for Cavalier's on Bransholme is a difficult one. We know for example, about the monks of Meaux Abbey and their presence in the landscape thanks to the records they and others left, not to mention the painstaking researching done over the years. The obvious explanation for alleged sightings of Cavalier's would be perhaps a battle being fought with the spirits of the dead trapped in the living world. The other explanation is they have a connection with or some property vicinity, perhaps a manor type house going back to at least the seventeenth century. However, we know of no battle or a manor-house present on what is today the Bransholme Estate.

If we are indeed talking about Cavalier's, presumably those from the English Civil War, we know Hull was besieged twice during the conflict. We must however be mindful when referring to Hull at this time, as Hull was confined to its medieval boundaries, its town walls - what is today the Old Town. Beyond  was open landscape. The Bransholme Estate or more accurately, Sutton was at this time open space, wet and marsh-like. Its population was sparse. The closest settlements were Sutton and Wawne, along with the hamlets of Stoneferry and Swine, with perhaps a handful of scattered farmsteads. In short, the area that now incorporates the Bransholme Estate was remote, difficult to navigate and offered little strategic importance.

Hollar's plan of Hull, c.1640. Note the open space beyond the town walls, which today is taken up by Hull's urban development, largely during the 19th century which today forms an area of Hull's city centre
[Ref: L MAPS/4/11]

Let’s say that we are referring to Cavalier's, those that were involved in the English Civil War, firstly, Bransholme was somewhat off the beaten track. Today, Bransholme on a good day is a twenty-minute drive from the centre of Hull, but in the seventeenth century the journey took longer and was more challenging. We know when Hull was besieged, Royalists encircled the town through a series of forts. These forts or gun emplacements were designed to concentrate cannon fire directly at Hull and its walls. These forts were placed within a 2-mile radius of the town, which at the time was the limit for cannon shot in terms of distance and accuracy. Bransholme, being located four to five miles away meant any gun emplacement would be useless.

Royalist forts that encircled the town were to be found at Sculcoates to the north, and to the west on the site of the old town gallows beside what is now the A63 close to what is Porter Street today. There was probably a fort somewhere along Beverley Road, perhaps towards Stepney or Newland. All had good sight on the town and all were within distance of cannon shot. Beyond, royalist camps were to be found at Beverley, Anlaby and Cottingham. It was from here that Royalist forts could be supplied and reinforced.

Sketch tracing of Beverley Gate as it may have looked in the seventeenth century, with mounted cannon
[Ref: C TDR/2/1/9]

To the east, the Royalists set up camp at Paull. The fort at Paull, built from the reign of Henry VIII offered the royalist a position to attack parliamentary vessels resupplying Hull, of which the town greatly depended upon, particularly as most of Yorkshire was under Royalist control. There is no reference to Bransholme or the vicinity being held by the Royalist or indeed the Parliamentarians. However, with Parliament in control of the Humber and Hull, Royalist forces were effectively split between the east and west. 

Holding Sculcoates, Royalist forces could cross the river Hull at Sculcoates itself or further upstream at Stoneferry. Crossing the river at Sculcoates or Stoneferry meant that Royalist forces had access to Hull's east and presumably, Paull. Before setting out for Paull, Royalist forces would have come close to what is now the Bransholme Estate. From Stoneferry (which is the next stop off north after crossing from Sculcoates), there were three possible routes on to Paull. The first two involve following what today is Leads Road, which would bring them within a whisker of what is today the Bransholme Estate, more precisely, Dorchester Road/ Midmere Avenue area. Continue north along Leads Road and they’d arrive at Sutton. From Sutton the route would take them along what is today Salthouse Road before joining up with the Holderness Road (the Holderness Road as route has been in use from the thirteenth century). The Holderness Road would taken them northwards and on to Bilton, through Preston before arriving at Hedon. From Hedon they would have continued on to Paull. The Holderness Road was the only road from Hull to Hedon until the construction of Hedon Road in the nineteenth century. 

Illustration from Blashill's Evidences relating to East Hull showing what is today East Hull, including, Leads Road, Sutton Trod and Holderness Road, which were possible routes, potentially used by the royalist forces to ensure communication was maintained between their forces east and west of Hull
[Ref: L.9.8]

A second route would have again taken them via Leads Road, but this time turning on to what is now Tweendykes Road, before joining up with what is today Ings Road. Following this route they would have again linked up with the Holderness Road. This was the preferred route of the inhabitants of Stoneferry to reach Hull, possibly in the seventeenth century, but certainly by the eighteenth century. Linking up with the Holderness Road would have allowed the Royalists to proceed on to Bilton, Preston, Hedon and Paull. Despite both routes being within a whisker of what is today the Bransholme Estate, is this enough to explain the reputed ghostly apparitions on Bransholme itself? There is a third possible route. 

The ancient route to and from Sutton, known better as Sutton Trod, or perhaps Lovers Lane can trace its origins back to the eleventh century and quite possibly earlier. Parts are still in existence today. Royalist forces crossing at Stoneferry or Sculcoates, forces may have proceeded to what is now Woodhall Street. The bottom of Woodhall Street, formerly Simpson Lane, where it meets the cycle path today (the former Foredyke Stream), Sutton Trod extended northeast, across the former Reckitt’s sports ground, crossing Chamberlain Road, through Rockford Avenue and across the eastern tip of Rockford Green. At the Lambwath Estate, it turned almost north and continued to Sutton. It may be that at its joining with Tweendykes that Royalist forces turned east and took the route via Ings Road or continued to Sutton to link up with Salthouse Road. This route however takes them further away from Bransholme, not far but just a little further away. 

The area that encompasses the Bransholme Estate falls within the two red boxes (north Branshomle is the smaller of the two) meaning residents today live in either Wawne or Sutton. The area that is actual Bransholme can be seen beyond the Bransholme Estate. Bransholme for much of its history was an island rising out of the North Carr. 
[Ref: Blashill's Sutton in Holderness, L.9.64 SU]

If you recall from the monks of Meaux Abbey blog, the area that is now the Bransholme Estate was marshy and swamp like. Despite improvements over the centuries the landscape was still dangerous to the unknowing traveller even in the seventeenth century. In the 1639 Stoneferry was underwater for six months owing the riverbanks of the Humber and Hull bursting. The already marshy, swap-like ground only exacerbated the problem. Stoneferry’s inhabitants, it was said, had to travel around by boat for six months because of the flooding. 

Had Royalist forces been in the area, could a detachment wandered off the beaten track to perhaps gain supplies from the surrounding area? After all armies’ march of their stomachs. But not knowing the ground, or perhaps one or two locals unwilling to hand over their hard-earned provisions, could the Royalist have succumbed to watery marshes, which included what is today the Bransholme Estate, or a scuffle broke out with locals, pitch folks and all. Could one or two Royalists have died or been killed? And not retuning to their main party could these individuals simply have been seen as deserters? This is merely a hypothesis, but it isn’t inconceivable.

If we are to believe that ghosts exist because of some violent or unexpected death could a skirmish between the Royalist and Parliamentarians have occurred? Perhaps the Parliamentarian's were out to cut communications between the royalist in the east, and lay in wait before pouncing. It is plausible. We know from the records held at the History Centre that skirmishes were fought between Parliament and the Royalist beyond the town. And whilst Hull was besieged twice, there was almost continual fighting outside and beyond. What's not to say a small skirmish wasn’t fought between Stoneferry and Sutton, which would be within a whisker of Bransholme? Perhaps the fighting spread out across the immediate area? Could the Royalist have run and been cut down on what is the Bransholme Estate today or succumbed to its marshes and swamps?

We know of skirmishes near Beverley, Newland, Anlaby and elsewhere because a record of these encounters were left. The skirmish at Beverley we know because a soldier’s widow, Ann Stephenson claimed her husbands’ due wages when he was killed at Beverley in July 1643, whilst we have reference to the Parliamentary forces attacking the royalist forts that surrounded Hull to the north and west. We have no record of a skirmish in the area of Sutton, the area that now forms the Bransholme Estate. Had skirmish being fought in the area which resulted in deaths, you'd have thought they'd perhaps be some mention of it. It certainly would made for great propaganda and boasting for the victorious side.

Petition of Ann Stephenson, widow of a Cannoneer killed in a skirmish at Beverley, asking for the payment of her late husband's wages, 27 Jul 1643
[Ref: C BRS/7/28]

We are of course presuming that the reputed sightings of a ghost or ghosts who are said to be of Cavalier's from the English Civil War. Let’s say for a second those who have witnessed these sightings have simply presumed that the dress worn is that of Cavalier's, but in fact the style of dress pre or postdates the English Civil War altogether. Typical Cavalier dress, that is that is tunics, sections of plate amour, particularly the bulging breast plate, helmets with sticky out faceguard and duelling style sword, long gloves and boots and a side pistol wasn’t too dissimilar to the dress before and after the Civil War. Our greatest understanding of the dress of this period comes from the Civil War which is often taught at school and beyond. This means dress of the seventeenth century often gets labelled as being Cavalier style. Throw in a ghost or two and people will latch on to the Civil War. What if, these alleged ghosts are not connected to the English Civil War at all? It still however doesn’t explain the reputed ghostly sightings said to have been witnessed. It does however challenge this automatic assumption of these ghosts being English Civil War connected.

Though merely a series of suggestions or hypothesis, these are perhaps our best and only real explanations. Why alleged ghosts of cavaliers have been seen, we don’t know. And perhaps we will never know.

Neil Chadwick

Librarian/Archivist