Introduction.
Good evening.
My name is John Holmes and over the coming hour and a half I shall be conducting you on an historical tour of the village. I am one of a group of six villagers who has been writing a new history of Swanland. Shirley Dalby who is with us is another. She has produced a history of the village school. So far we have concentrated on the periods from the 18th century onwards, and I am sure that neither of us would claim to know all there is to know about Swanland, but together we will do our best to answer any questions that you may have, as we go round.
Our walk is about a mile and a half in length and we shall be stopping and talking about various aspects of the village in about 20 different locations. It would have been nice to have looked at things in chronological order. As this is not possible we have provided an 1888 map of the village and the dates of houses and events in a programme to accompany the walk. As in places we shall be talking about buildings and people that are no longer with us, there are also four copies of a book circulating which contain photographs. We would appreciate it if we could have these back at the end of our tour. The tour will start at the chapel and finish at the Swan and Cygnet.
My name is John Holmes and over the coming hour and a half I shall be conducting you on an historical tour of the village. I am one of a group of six villagers who has been writing a new history of Swanland. Shirley Dalby who is with us is another. She has produced a history of the village school. So far we have concentrated on the periods from the 18th century onwards, and I am sure that neither of us would claim to know all there is to know about Swanland, but together we will do our best to answer any questions that you may have, as we go round.
Our walk is about a mile and a half in length and we shall be stopping and talking about various aspects of the village in about 20 different locations. It would have been nice to have looked at things in chronological order. As this is not possible we have provided an 1888 map of the village and the dates of houses and events in a programme to accompany the walk. As in places we shall be talking about buildings and people that are no longer with us, there are also four copies of a book circulating which contain photographs. We would appreciate it if we could have these back at the end of our tour. The tour will start at the chapel and finish at the Swan and Cygnet.
Background
Before starting the tour it is worthwhile providing a little background to the village's history. Let us begin by mentioning a few firsts:-
Before starting the tour it is worthwhile providing a little background to the village's history. Let us begin by mentioning a few firsts:-
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The first reference we have to the village’s name appears in 1210 the Chronicle of Meaux Abbey and relates to the separation of Abbey lands and those of Swanland at Myton. |
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The first document we have relating to Swanland on its own is a taxation record; the so called Lay Subsidy Roll of 1332. |
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The earliest buildings still standing are the cottages at 14 to 16A West End. These are thought to date from the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. |
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The first map we have showing details of the village is that of Jeffreys in 1772 |
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The first illustration showing a building or person in the village is strangely as late as the early nineteenth century.
Well with that brief background let us begin our tour by looking at the Chapel.
Until the early 20th century Swanland remained small. It was not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 although the Victoria County History describes land under a different name that is thought to be in Swanland. The more important Iron Age village of North Ferriby then had only 30 houses and the Lord of the Manor only 14 villeins. The Hearth Tax Return of 1672 mentions 35 households in Swanland and the Window Tax Return of 1774, 49 households. During the Victorian period the village population peaked at 517 persons in 1871.
Until it became a commuter village Swanland’s economy was centred on its farms. These provided work for agricultural labourers and trade for the blacksmiths, wheelwrights, millers, shops and other village businesses. In Victorian times a quarter or more of Swanland’s population lived or worked on its farms. Layers of earth found beneath the gallery at Christ Church in a recent refurbishment, provide ample evidence of its farming heritage.
A dominant feature of the village is the high ground on which it stands. Perhaps this provided watch towers for Roman and Viking invaders. They were certainly here or nearby. There is an aerial photograph of a Roman road running across Northfield, and there are many accounts of Viking fleets coming up the Humber. The Vikings had dramatic names such as Eric Bloodaxe or Sven Forkbeard. In 1825 the views from the high ground provided part of a commentary on the village which read:-
“ The landscapes seen from the village are greatly admired for their beauty variety and grandeur.
An elevated spot near Swanland Mill commands a view of the Trent and the country adjacent
and the whole course of the Humber down to Spurn Lights.”
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Well with that brief background let us begin our tour by looking at the Chapel. |
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The Chapels and the Original Schoolroom - 1693
Christ Church in 2002
The village’s earliest chapel was to the north of Chantry Way. This is mentioned in 1332 and again in 1444. The Vicar of North Ferriby was at that time charged with providing a chaplain to look after Swanland’s spiritual needs. The Church was then of course Roman Catholic.
In the years just preceding the building of the first Independent Chapel, there was again strong Catholic influence and non conformists had to worship in secret.
But following the accession of William and Mary, a Toleration Act was passed in 1689 which exempted dissenters from some of the penal laws restricting their worship, and by 1693 the first Independent Chapel came to be built. This was followed by the Minister’s house in 1696, which we shall see later. The chapel was rebuilt in 1803 and the 1803 chapel forms the central section of the present building.
The chapel was built not just for the village of Swanland but for the townships of Anlaby, Hessle, Kirkella, Melton and Ferriby. It had associated with it a schoolroom, housed in a “cottage like building” on the northern side.
In Georgian times the Chapel produced one of the village’s most famous sons, Thomas Blossom. Thomas Blossom was instrumental in setting up the first Sunday School in the East Riding along the lines of the model established by Robert Raikes in Gloucester in 1789. Thomas later travelled as an artisan missionary to Tahiti, building houses and workshops there and teaching the islanders woodworking crafts. He returned to Swanland later in life and is buried at North Cave.
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We will return to the chapel to hear about its Victorian historian history later, but for now we will move on to Mere House.
Mere House - 1839-1855
Until recently Mere House was thought to be one of the oldest in the village. This was probably due to its Tudor style. Recent research has suggested that it is not the oldest building in the village.
The deeds of the property show that in 1839 it belonged to a Sarah Osborne, widow of a former recorder of Hull. It was then known as Dam Farm. Maps of 1824 and of 1838 show it to have the appearance of a farmstead with a fold yard and barn. The present shape of the building was not shown until the Ordnance Survey Map was published, in about 1855.
The property had been purchased in 1839 by one William Walmsley, a Hull solicitor who came to live in Swanland, and it is thought that it is his initials that appear in the shield above the porch. It is suggested that it is he who rebuilt the house in Tudor style somewhere between 1839 and 1855. The two wings of the house were largely retained but were refaced with new bricks.
The deeds of the property show that in 1839 it belonged to a Sarah Osborne, widow of a former recorder of Hull. It was then known as Dam Farm. Maps of 1824 and of 1838 show it to have the appearance of a farmstead with a fold yard and barn. The present shape of the building was not shown until the Ordnance Survey Map was published, in about 1855.
The property had been purchased in 1839 by one William Walmsley, a Hull solicitor who came to live in Swanland, and it is thought that it is his initials that appear in the shield above the porch. It is suggested that it is he who rebuilt the house in Tudor style somewhere between 1839 and 1855. The two wings of the house were largely retained but were refaced with new bricks.
Mere House in 2002
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William Walmsley
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We can now move on to what we believe is the oldest building now standing in the village. |
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The Cottages, 14-16A West End & the Open Fields - 1500 to 1600
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Cottages 14 to 16A West End. |
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We are now looking at what we believe to be the oldest property now standing in Swanland. The building is considered rare for the East Riding but before describing it, it is useful to talk a little about Swanland’s open fields.
Before the field enclosures which happened in Swanland between 1824 and 1838, the village had four large open fields whose names are retained in Northfield, Southfield, Humberfield and Westfield. Farmers had strips of land scattered throughout the various fields and their farms tended to lie within the village streets. It is thought that the four cottages in front of us once formed a single such farm.
It is suggested by Dr Neave of the University of Hull that they are:- “ at least early 17th century in origin, even late 16th century.”
The original farm was probably altered in the 18th century, when encased in brick tumbling in gables and the front walls built in brick, and definitely altered again in the early 19th century. At the latter date probably following enclosure of the open fields, it was converted into the 4 cottages.
The original building was timber framed and some of the framing remains including a wall plate, (the horizontal beam across the top of the posts which supported the roof). Some of the padstones which supported the vertical posts can be seen. An arched post within the building suggests that an earlier Cruck house may have stood on the site.
The cottage which now forms the bookshop contains an inglenook fireplace and was once the workplace of the village cobbler who:-“mopped his watery eyes with a red handkerchief and whose premises had the fragrance of burnt leather.”
Next door, to the east, there are similar cottages, the first of which was occupied at one time by the village blacksmiths, in Victorian times the Westerdales. Across the way we can see another early building dated 1721. The I.L. above the doorway is alleged to stand for Isaac Lupton, a forbear of the Andrew family who were wheelwrights in the village.
Before the field enclosures which happened in Swanland between 1824 and 1838, the village had four large open fields whose names are retained in Northfield, Southfield, Humberfield and Westfield. Farmers had strips of land scattered throughout the various fields and their farms tended to lie within the village streets. It is thought that the four cottages in front of us once formed a single such farm.
It is suggested by Dr Neave of the University of Hull that they are:- “ at least early 17th century in origin, even late 16th century.”
The original farm was probably altered in the 18th century, when encased in brick tumbling in gables and the front walls built in brick, and definitely altered again in the early 19th century. At the latter date probably following enclosure of the open fields, it was converted into the 4 cottages.
The original building was timber framed and some of the framing remains including a wall plate, (the horizontal beam across the top of the posts which supported the roof). Some of the padstones which supported the vertical posts can be seen. An arched post within the building suggests that an earlier Cruck house may have stood on the site.
The cottage which now forms the bookshop contains an inglenook fireplace and was once the workplace of the village cobbler who:-“mopped his watery eyes with a red handkerchief and whose premises had the fragrance of burnt leather.”
Next door, to the east, there are similar cottages, the first of which was occupied at one time by the village blacksmiths, in Victorian times the Westerdales. Across the way we can see another early building dated 1721. The I.L. above the doorway is alleged to stand for Isaac Lupton, a forbear of the Andrew family who were wheelwrights in the village.
The Old Parsonage - 1696
The Old Parsonage in 2002
When we were outside the chapel I mentioned the Minister’s house. This is it, The Old Parsonage, originally built in 1696. The east end of the parsonage was only one storey high but this was pulled down and rebuilt two storeys high and in white brick in 1855. The parsonage had with it a stable for the Minister’s horse. The stable has since been demolished but we can see where it stood.
In the 1920’s when John Patton lived in The Old Parsonage, damp came up through the floor and he described it as:- “ like a Turkish bath in the summer and an arctic fog in the winter.” Since then the situation will I am sure have improved.
The Site of the Old Hall & the Haldenbys- c l400
The west end of Swanland from an Ordnance Survey map, dated 1888
Across the road lies Haldenby Court. Historians tell us that a branch of the Haldenby family came to live in “ a magnificent hall [in Swanland].” The site of that hall is a vexed question that I do not intend to enter into here, but what we know for sure is that:
- Extensive stone footings were found under Queensbury Way when it was built, and footings and a limestone and brick wall were uncovered by Derek Brooks in excavations in the garden of 40 West End in the early 1970s, [cf Howden]
- The Ordnance Survey map of 1855 shows “Hall Close” in the vicinity of Queensbury Way, and the Ordnance Survey map of 1888 shows the site of an ancient monument there, (see map).
Memorial to Sir Francis Haldenby
at Adlingfleet |
Map showing the locations of
Haldenby (circled) and Adlingfleet |
We do know, however, that the Haldenbys came to Swanland from the lost medieval village of Haldenby which was sited to the south east of Goole (see circle in map). A Robert Haldenby married Isabel de Usflete around about the year 1400. Her father Gerard de Usflete or Ouseflete held the manor of Swanland.
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We have Manor Court Rolls from 1540 containing the signature of a Haldenby. The last we hear of the family name is in 1644, when historians tell us:
“At length for want of a male heir the family became extinct and their vast estate came to be divided
amongst the female line.” [Tickell]
Their land was sequestrated in 1682 for having fought on the side of the King in the Civil War.
“At length for want of a male heir the family became extinct and their vast estate came to be divided
amongst the female line.” [Tickell]
Their land was sequestrated in 1682 for having fought on the side of the King in the Civil War.
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So far we have tried to stay largely in the years prior to Victoria’s reign. We now turn for a while to the Victorian period. |
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Thomas Fillingham’s Omnibus 1832
Whilst the wealthier residents of the village in Victorian times would have their horse and, in some cases, a trap or carriage, many walked long distances. Thomas Blossom on leaving Swanland: “ walked all night and was within 4 miles of York by eight o’clock on Monday morning”. Robert Sharp occasionally travelled from South Cave to Beverley on foot, a distance of some 9.5 miles.
The first omnibus the village had is thought to date from 1831, and was run by a gentleman called Fillingham. It has been suggested that his house was situated on the site of what is now the corner of Queensbury Way.
The first omnibus the village had is thought to date from 1831, and was run by a gentleman called Fillingham. It has been suggested that his house was situated on the site of what is now the corner of Queensbury Way.
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Rock Lodge, and Swanland House c 1862
Swanland House was built between 1860 and 1870 for an Andrew Duncan, the owner of a seed crushing mill in Hull. Hull was the most important centre in the world at that time for the crushing of rape and linseed to produce their oils, leaving a cake that was fed to cattle. Andrew was doubtless seeking refuge from the dark and dingy neighbourhood of Hull in which his mill stood, and where, to quote:
“ ...bone mills, blubber yards, tanneries and tar sheds gave out their two and seventy various stinks,
all perfect and well defined.”
In the early 20th century the house was occupied by George Jackson Bentham, the son of William Jackson, the founder of the business of that name. George had changed his name to Bentham because of his belief in Utilitarianism. The house is now a Grade II listed building.
Before Swanland House came to be built, a very pretty little estate known as Rock Lodge was situated here with:
“ ...mansion, stables, paddock, plantation, meadow, orchards, and kitchen garden, in all about 8 acres
including terracing, fish ponds and summer houses.”
This belonged to Charles Thompson, a retired merchant and his daughter Miss Jane Thompson, a village schoolteacher.
“ ...bone mills, blubber yards, tanneries and tar sheds gave out their two and seventy various stinks,
all perfect and well defined.”
In the early 20th century the house was occupied by George Jackson Bentham, the son of William Jackson, the founder of the business of that name. George had changed his name to Bentham because of his belief in Utilitarianism. The house is now a Grade II listed building.
Before Swanland House came to be built, a very pretty little estate known as Rock Lodge was situated here with:
“ ...mansion, stables, paddock, plantation, meadow, orchards, and kitchen garden, in all about 8 acres
including terracing, fish ponds and summer houses.”
This belonged to Charles Thompson, a retired merchant and his daughter Miss Jane Thompson, a village schoolteacher.
Swanland House in the 1939-45 war.
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The Enclosures - 1824/37, & Westfield farm - 1873
We have spoken earlier of the farms within the village and of the open fields. We turn now to the enclosure of the open fields, the farms outside the village streets, and to the idea of the so called model farm, of which Westfield Farm is an example.
The enclosing of the open fields came about as a result of an increasing demand for food from a rapidly growing population, especially in the towns. For the majority of villages, enclosure happened between 1760 and 1820; but for Swanland it came later starting in 1824. The open fields were then divided by fencing and hedging, forming smaller enclosures. It made sense for the farmhouse to be within the land enclosed. Thus we have Westfield Farm and Humberdale Farm sited not in the main street, but close to their fields.
A little earlier the growing of turnips and clover had led to an increase in livestock farming.
With these changes came a change in the design of farm buildings, which had hitherto grown somewhat randomly. The new farms had buildings built around interlocking yards, in a U or E configuration. The U was open on the south to the sun, whilst a tall barn and granary was sited to the north, providing shelter for the stock from northerly winds. The animals were housed in stalls to the east and west. The farmhouse was positioned to south. The fold yard served to provided exercise for the animals and produce manure for the fields.
Farms became increasingly mechanised with:
Threshing machines in the 1820’s
Steam Power for Threshing 1820 [N.B. Priory Farm]
Reaping machines 1850
Binders from 1870
Farm machinery was housed to the north of the granary to protect the paintwork and the wood from the sun. A farm designed on these principles was termed a model farm. The first of these had appeared in 1770. Westfield farm provides a good example of a model farm in Swanland. It initially belonged to Christopher Ringrose, who by 1910, together with Sir James Reckitt, owned much of the village.
The enclosing of the open fields came about as a result of an increasing demand for food from a rapidly growing population, especially in the towns. For the majority of villages, enclosure happened between 1760 and 1820; but for Swanland it came later starting in 1824. The open fields were then divided by fencing and hedging, forming smaller enclosures. It made sense for the farmhouse to be within the land enclosed. Thus we have Westfield Farm and Humberdale Farm sited not in the main street, but close to their fields.
A little earlier the growing of turnips and clover had led to an increase in livestock farming.
With these changes came a change in the design of farm buildings, which had hitherto grown somewhat randomly. The new farms had buildings built around interlocking yards, in a U or E configuration. The U was open on the south to the sun, whilst a tall barn and granary was sited to the north, providing shelter for the stock from northerly winds. The animals were housed in stalls to the east and west. The farmhouse was positioned to south. The fold yard served to provided exercise for the animals and produce manure for the fields.
Farms became increasingly mechanised with:
Threshing machines in the 1820’s
Steam Power for Threshing 1820 [N.B. Priory Farm]
Reaping machines 1850
Binders from 1870
Farm machinery was housed to the north of the granary to protect the paintwork and the wood from the sun. A farm designed on these principles was termed a model farm. The first of these had appeared in 1770. Westfield farm provides a good example of a model farm in Swanland. It initially belonged to Christopher Ringrose, who by 1910, together with Sir James Reckitt, owned much of the village.
Ferriby Mill - prior to 1760, Swanland Mill - c 1797
Ferriby Mill
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Swanland Mill
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The farms needed mills to grind the corn they produced, and in 1850 there were 30,000 millers in England.
The first mill that we know of that served Swanland belonged to the parish of North Ferriby, and was situated close to the junction of Kemp Road and West Leys Road. We know it existed in 1761 because it was sold in that year. It was a post mill: that is it was balanced on a central post and turned into the wind by manhandling. An example can be seen at Wrawby just across the Humber.
By 1797 Swanland had its own mill, a tower mill. This was rebuilt in 1848 seven storeys high. It was situated at the highest point in the village opposite Woodgates Lane.
Towards the end of the 19th century, windmills began to be replaced by steam powered roller mills, and about the same time Swanland’s mill suffered gale damage. Some sections of the fan were found three miles away. By 1909 an extract from The Miller read:
“ Swanland Mill, which was a former landmark, has gone to join the rest of the great army of mills
that have vanished from this country, it has been demolished down to a low level, and the lower part of it
made into a workshop for the production of rustic furniture.”
Swanland Manor - 1848
A little while ago we mentioned Sir James Reckitt, and we are going to move on now into what formerly were the grounds of his house. At the entrance we pass the West Lodge. Note the Dutch Gables.
Swanland Manor was built in about 1848 in Tudor style for a rich farmer by the name of James Watson. The story is told that Mr Broadley, James’ landlord at the time, thought James’s farmhouse was “quite good enough for a farmer”, to which James took umbrage and retorted: “ he could build himself a house as good as Broadley any day”.
The reason for it being called the Manor House is uncertain. A Major Desmond Chapman Huston, writing a biography of Sir James Reckitt in 1924, thought that it was because a John Parker, Lord of the manor of Swanland and Ferriby, had built a Manor House nearby in 1695. This is unsubstantiated and disputed.
Whatever the reason photographs show that it was certainly a fine house, including furniture from the Duke of Sutherland and a glass chandelier valued at £500, even at that time.
It is said that when it was built the owner disliked the appearance of nearby Ferriby Mill, and a belt of trees was planted around the land on which it stood. From James Watson, the Manor House passed on to Robert Brough Watson, to a John Davenport, and then in 1884 to James Reckitt, the well known Quaker industrialist.
Robert Brough Watson purchased Ferriby Mill and provided a cricket ground around it. James Reckitt enlarged the gardens and built a model dairy farm nearby, the remains of which we shall see a little later. The house was provided with its own gas supply and probably the earliest electrical supply in the village, powered by an oil engine. The band of trees to the west of the property was known as Lady Reckitt’s Walk.
Swanland Manor was built in about 1848 in Tudor style for a rich farmer by the name of James Watson. The story is told that Mr Broadley, James’ landlord at the time, thought James’s farmhouse was “quite good enough for a farmer”, to which James took umbrage and retorted: “ he could build himself a house as good as Broadley any day”.
The reason for it being called the Manor House is uncertain. A Major Desmond Chapman Huston, writing a biography of Sir James Reckitt in 1924, thought that it was because a John Parker, Lord of the manor of Swanland and Ferriby, had built a Manor House nearby in 1695. This is unsubstantiated and disputed.
Whatever the reason photographs show that it was certainly a fine house, including furniture from the Duke of Sutherland and a glass chandelier valued at £500, even at that time.
It is said that when it was built the owner disliked the appearance of nearby Ferriby Mill, and a belt of trees was planted around the land on which it stood. From James Watson, the Manor House passed on to Robert Brough Watson, to a John Davenport, and then in 1884 to James Reckitt, the well known Quaker industrialist.
Robert Brough Watson purchased Ferriby Mill and provided a cricket ground around it. James Reckitt enlarged the gardens and built a model dairy farm nearby, the remains of which we shall see a little later. The house was provided with its own gas supply and probably the earliest electrical supply in the village, powered by an oil engine. The band of trees to the west of the property was known as Lady Reckitt’s Walk.
Swanland Manor
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Manor Model Dairy Farm from Kemp Road
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We are now going to move back to the Independent Chapel, passing the Model Dairy farm on our way. We shall be talking about Victorian aspects of the Chapel, the Todd family, the Old School and Swanland Hall.
The Model Dairy Farm
Because of the by products of dairy farms, they often stocked pigs.
The Independent Chapel - Victorian Aspects; The Religious Census, 1851
Victorian aspects of the Chapel include the porches which were added at the sole cost of John Todd of Tranby in 1840, and the wings of the Chapel which were paid for by James Watson of the Manor House in 1854. The northern wing replaced the original schoolroom, which had been housed in a cottage like building.
From 1828 the village also had a Methodist chapel which was sited behind what is now Maces, and from 1899 an Anglican church.
From 1828 the village also had a Methodist chapel which was sited behind what is now Maces, and from 1899 an Anglican church.
The Independent Chapel
(Congregational Church) |
Children beside the Pond at the Old School gate
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The Old School
If we now turn around we can see what in Victorian times was Swanland’s new school. In 1876 a new Day and Sunday School was opened as the gift of John Todd of Swanland Hall. The opening was commemorated on a memorial stone by the entrance to the school, and a time capsule is buried beneath the foundation stone.
The Todd family were from 1830 to 1926 the occupants of Swanland Hall. They were one of the oldest families in Swanland, claiming to trace their ancestry back to 1625. There were a number of branches in Swanland and in Tranby, Hull, and Holderness. Initially they were farmers but later became regarded as land proprietors and owning much of the land to the south east of the village. They were strong supporters of the Independent Chapel and of its school.
The new school constantly outgrew its capacity and has been extended on a number of occasions:
In 1894 an additional classroom was provided for the infants, again paid for by John Todd.
In 1936 there was a further extension which included a large classroom and two new cloakrooms.
A new heating system and electric power were provided.
In 1963 the East Riding Council purchased the original James Reckitt Memorial Hall.
In 1970 what is now the Primary school building was opened.
The Todd family were from 1830 to 1926 the occupants of Swanland Hall. They were one of the oldest families in Swanland, claiming to trace their ancestry back to 1625. There were a number of branches in Swanland and in Tranby, Hull, and Holderness. Initially they were farmers but later became regarded as land proprietors and owning much of the land to the south east of the village. They were strong supporters of the Independent Chapel and of its school.
The new school constantly outgrew its capacity and has been extended on a number of occasions:
In 1894 an additional classroom was provided for the infants, again paid for by John Todd.
In 1936 there was a further extension which included a large classroom and two new cloakrooms.
A new heating system and electric power were provided.
In 1963 the East Riding Council purchased the original James Reckitt Memorial Hall.
In 1970 what is now the Primary school building was opened.
Swanland’s Blacksmiths and Wheelwrights
The village blacksmiths, c.1920s
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The Village joiners, c.1920s
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Swanland’s farms needed blacksmiths to make and repair farm machinery and wheelwrights to make and repair the wheels of their wagons and carts, and to work on the wooden parts of the ploughs, furrows and other farm implements. We have already seen the former Blacksmith’s shop amongst the cottages in West End.
The earliest wheelwright we have on record is Thomas Marshall to whom Thomas Blossom was apprenticed in the 18th century. For most of the 19th century and into the 20th, the village’s wheelwrights were the Andrew family who had their premises in the property to the rear of the house opposite us [34 Main Street].
The earliest wheelwright we have on record is Thomas Marshall to whom Thomas Blossom was apprenticed in the 18th century. For most of the 19th century and into the 20th, the village’s wheelwrights were the Andrew family who had their premises in the property to the rear of the house opposite us [34 Main Street].
Swanland Hall
Swanland Hall in 2002
A number of earlier families had lived in Swanland Hall before the Todds. The land on which it stands had been purchased in 1740 by the Porter family, Hull merchants. The family was related to the Blaydes and Thornton families of Hull. John Porter of Swanland Hall had been both Mayor and Sheriff of Hull and was an original subscriber to the Queen’s Dock.
The Hall, as built for John Porter comprised the central portion of the present building, the outer wings being added at a later date. It is listed in the Window Tax Returns of 1774-79 as having 41 windows, by far the greatest number of any building in the village.
The property then passed to Jane Walker, her husband James and then to Nicholas Sykes. The deeds describe:
“... a mansion House, coach house, stables, offices and other outbuildings, gardens, orchard, hot houses,
plantations, fish ponds, trees, woods, and underwoods comprising 14 acres.”
In 1830 the trustees of Swanland Hall sold it as we have heard to John Todd. The Todd family remained owners until 1926. There were then 708 acres of land in the estate which was sold in separate lots. The break up of the estate perhaps formed the beginnings of Swanland as a dormitory village for Hull. The houses built on the Hall’s land in Tranby Lane were bought by wealthy families, including trawler owners. The new families provided fresh employment for the villagers.
The Barton family followed the Todds in the Hall and demolished the north wing. In 1947 Mr & Mrs Clayton took possession. Mrs Clayton left a will containing instructions for the demolition of the Hall, but this was circumvented.
Ivan Hall of Beverley described it as :
“... a transplant of the big merchants’ houses in Hull, having the same sort of craftwork in its fireplaces
and on its staircases.”
Generations of Swanland children and adults have regulated their lives by the striking of the clock on the stable block.
We will move on now to view another Georgian house, originally the home of a farmer, Nathaniel Shaw.
Northfield House,
now known as Beech Hill House |
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Northfield House, Farm Cottages, and Mere
In 1825 the diarist Robert Sharp wrote:
“ Nathaniel Shaw has built a new house in Swanland Field, between there and Westella.”
The new house was Swanland House, now Beech Hill, which duly appeared on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1855. In 1869 the property was sold by auction, the bill of sale describing it as:
“... a mansion called Northfield House with plantation, pleasure grounds, lawn, yards, garden, lodge and
cottages.”
It then had with it 75 acres of grassland and was in the occupation of Henry Barkworth.
In 1902, the house was let by Algernon Barkworth to Haigh Clapham on a 7 year lease at a yearly rent of £103. The let is of interest because Haigh Clapham was the husband of Madam Clapham, the owner of a famous house in Kingston Square. She created gowns for the Queen of Norway and Muriel Wilson amongst others. Her story is told in a booklet entitled Madam Clapham - Hull’s Celebrated Dressmaker.
“ Nathaniel Shaw has built a new house in Swanland Field, between there and Westella.”
The new house was Swanland House, now Beech Hill, which duly appeared on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1855. In 1869 the property was sold by auction, the bill of sale describing it as:
“... a mansion called Northfield House with plantation, pleasure grounds, lawn, yards, garden, lodge and
cottages.”
It then had with it 75 acres of grassland and was in the occupation of Henry Barkworth.
In 1902, the house was let by Algernon Barkworth to Haigh Clapham on a 7 year lease at a yearly rent of £103. The let is of interest because Haigh Clapham was the husband of Madam Clapham, the owner of a famous house in Kingston Square. She created gowns for the Queen of Norway and Muriel Wilson amongst others. Her story is told in a booklet entitled Madam Clapham - Hull’s Celebrated Dressmaker.
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To the south west of Northfield House lay farm workers cottages, also belonging to the Barkworths who were the owners of Easenby Farm. The occupiers, including Derek Brook’s forbears, were very proud of the quality of their houses, which may be contrasted with the adjacent cottages, which I am told belonged to the Todds.
In Victorian times Swanland had a second mere or pond. This is shown on the first Ordnance Survey map of 1855 and on a bill of sale for Northfield House from 1869. lt lay just to the east of the cottages on the south side of the road.
In Victorian times Swanland had a second mere or pond. This is shown on the first Ordnance Survey map of 1855 and on a bill of sale for Northfield House from 1869. lt lay just to the east of the cottages on the south side of the road.
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We will begin to make our way back now ending at the Swan & Cygnet, but talking about the village shops and public houses on the way. |
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Swanland’s Shops
J.Waites, grocer in Main Street, c. 1930s
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Atkinson, butcher in Main Street, 1900
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In the nineteenth century Swanland was a largely a self sufficient community and the necessities of village life were provided by its own tailors, shoemakers, grocers, butchers and confectioners. Those items which were not sold in the village could be brought from the town by the village carrier.
Some village shops, then as now, sold all sorts of produce. The diarist Robert Sharp, who kept a shop in South Cave, wrote:
“ We sell flour, barley meal, pollard, bran, bacon, white pease, cheese, herrings, bread, butter, etc.
We keep capital tea, sugar, tobacco etc.”
Shops of the time had paned windows, rather than the sheet glass windows of to-day.
The shop where we are now standing was owned in the early twentieth century by Jesse Waites. Jesse had run a photographer’s business in Hull and sold groceries from a bicycle before opening his shop. Prior to 1912, the shop was an old single storey, double fronted house. In 1913 a second storey was raised. The old single storey construction was perhaps the reason the foundations were inadequate for the present building.
Some village shops, then as now, sold all sorts of produce. The diarist Robert Sharp, who kept a shop in South Cave, wrote:
“ We sell flour, barley meal, pollard, bran, bacon, white pease, cheese, herrings, bread, butter, etc.
We keep capital tea, sugar, tobacco etc.”
Shops of the time had paned windows, rather than the sheet glass windows of to-day.
The shop where we are now standing was owned in the early twentieth century by Jesse Waites. Jesse had run a photographer’s business in Hull and sold groceries from a bicycle before opening his shop. Prior to 1912, the shop was an old single storey, double fronted house. In 1913 a second storey was raised. The old single storey construction was perhaps the reason the foundations were inadequate for the present building.
Swanland’s Public Houses
The White Horse public house, prior to 1870, on the corner of Crowther Lane (now Dale Road) and Main Street.
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This is the same building in the 1910s as a grocers shop and owned by Maud Robinson. The mock half-timbering was added after this photo was taken in 1919.
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The building on the corner of Dale Road, which was until recently the Off Licence shop, was from 1855 to 1879 a public house known as The White Horse. Prior to 1855 it had been known as The Fleece.
The chief claim to fame of the White Horse was the loss of its licence. The reason is given in a cutting believed to come from the Hull News, which states:
“... George Filby, Landlord of the White Horse Inn, Swanland, was summoned for having on Christmas Day ...
in about one hour’s time, supplied a farm labourer, Wright, with five or six glasses whisky ...
[Wright] afterwards being removed to a stable where he died about three subsequently.”
Filby was fined and then subsequently, his licence revoked.
The year in which this happened is uncertain, but the evidence suggests 1879. Shortly afterwards a Selina Anderson appears as a beer retailer in the village. By 1913 the building had become Maud Robinson’s grocery.
The village was not to have a public house again for nearly 100 years. In 1980 a licence was once again granted but not before much debate and not on the same site.
The Swan and Cygnet public house in 2004
Our Village
Perhaps I can be permitted to end with a quotation, from Our Village by Mary Russell Mitford. She writes:
“ Of all situations for a constant residence that which appears to me the most delightful is a little village
in the country ... with inhabitants that are as familiar to us as flowers in the garden, where we know
everyone and are known to everyone … and hope everyone feels an interest in us.”
“ Of all situations for a constant residence that which appears to me the most delightful is a little village
in the country ... with inhabitants that are as familiar to us as flowers in the garden, where we know
everyone and are known to everyone … and hope everyone feels an interest in us.”
Editor's notes
- The text was prepared by John Holmes to accompany his walk round the village in 2002.
- The text remains largely unaltered, except for references to a map that was available at the time of the walk and "the red book" which had most of the photos, which now accompany the text of this webpage.
- The map's function has been replaced by local maps of the area, over-printed with the details of the place. These maps have been copied from the OpenStreetMap.
- Other photos have been added to enhance the story. These have come from the Photo Galleries of this website.
- This webpage was assembled by Ian Macfarlane in June, 2024.