October 2020

Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 10 (13/10/’20).

The third of Dr. Woodward’s (s.p.b.s) six 17th century topographers, John Ogilby (1600 – 1676), is shown in the portrait above. Ogilby had a varied career, his topographical work Britannia being published late in his life. Of Scottish birth he trained originally as a dancer and later became a theatrical entrepreneur in Ireland. On his […]

Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 10 (13/10/’20). Read More »

Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 9 (12/10/’20).

Richard Blome (1635-1705) is Dr. Woodward’s fourth travel writer (s.p.b.s), his description of Hull and Holderness being taken from his publication of 1673 Britannia, or a Geographical Description of the Kingdom of England, Scotland and Ireland. One of the points Blome made was that Hull’s trade ‘being inferiour to none in England except London and

Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 9 (12/10/’20). Read More »

Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 8 (6/10/’20).

The third travelogue writer chosen by Dr, Woodward (Descriptions of East Yorkshire: Leland to Defoe (E.Y.L.H.S., 1985) was John Evelyn (1620-1706) who briefly visited Hull during the Commonwealth era of the 1650s. Evelyn was a royalist sympathiser who had escaped to the continent during the Civil Wars, 1642-1651. He was born into a wealthy family

Descriptions of Hull 16th to 18th centuries 8 (6/10/’20). Read More »

Descriptions of Hull 16th – 18th centuries 5 (3/10/’20).

The ‘tours’ (towers) Leland refers to may have been simply showy pieces of domestic architecture, after all what could have been more ‘showy’ than an eye-catching tower rising well above the general roofline. However, there may have more prosaic purposes. For example, they would have enabled the ‘Old Harbour’ and the middle Humber Estuary to

Descriptions of Hull 16th – 18th centuries 5 (3/10/’20). Read More »