This account of Howden
Market Place shops is a work in progress and I would love to hear
from anyone who could add memories of the shops, more of the families,
photos and, of course, corrections. As the Market Place in Howden
has evolved over the years it is sometimes hard to work out which
buildings had which occupants! And memories, which I have collected
from local people over the years, may not always be reliable or
correctly interpreted.
I have more information on some of the families and
shops mentioned - please contact
me for further details.
......
1. Market Place, Howden [now Fullers' bakers]
1851 Robert Kettlewell, provision merchant, born Cliffe
1861 Robert Kettlewell
1901 Alfred Thompson, grocer, born Barmby on the Marsh
For a time this was a fish and chip shop run by
Mr and Mrs Arthur Shipp.
2. Market Place, Howden [now Touchwood]
1851 Henry Sanderson, tailor, b ?Norton
1861 George Simmons, grocer, b Brighton, Sussex
1871 Henry Winter, saddler, b Howden
1901 Henry Kilham, saddler, b Howden
'Mr Harvey S Bailey, grocer, kept this shop. He
lived at the corner of St John Street and Applegate. He had two
daughters, Joan and Catherine.'
For a time the premises were used as the War Ag. office then Wards
took it over as a ladies' department.
3. Market Place, Howden [now takeaway food]
1851 Robert Meggitt, painter, b London
1861 Robert Meggitt
1881 John Burnd, painter, b Howden
Many people remember these premises as Wards' tailors.
Moses Ward, originally from Eastrington, was apprenticed to Mr Haigh
in Bridgegate. Mr Haigh lived in what much later was known as 'Charlie
Fitch's house' which is opposite what is now PA. Mr Ward started
business on his own in 1875 in Highbridge. He moved to number 3
Market Place, Howden in between 1881 and 1891.
The shop is Victorian and was probably built for Moses Ward.
His son William Ward was educated at Howden Wesleyan school and
began work with his father at the age of 11. After the death of
his father in 1912 William continued the business until he was joined
by his own son Arthur.
There were two resident apprentices - Arthur Sherburn and Robert
Thirkettle.They worked in the back room, sitting crosslegged on
a low table, making men's suits
Arthur Ward's son Gordon married Betty Heald and they opened a ladies'
dept in the adjoining shop [number 2].
4. Market Place, Howden [now a flower shop]
1861 William Rowntree, shoemaker, born Easingwold
1881 Mary Rowntree, widow, boot and shoe dealer, b Preston [Hull]
1891 Robert Thompson, hatter and tobacconist, b Barmby
1901 Jonathan Sowersby, draper, born Garthorpe
Mr Aitken, chemist, lived here and later Ted Willmott
ran his carrier and road haulage business from these premises. Possibly
it was a betting shop? run by Frank Lead. Then it was Mrs Joan Lead's
flower shop.
5. Market Place, Howden [now Parkins' butchers]
1861 William Stephenson, tallow chandler, b Hull
In 1867 Thomas Hill, butcher, born Howden,.bought
the premises and moved from number 21 Market Place, Howden.
In 1898 Thomas Hill sold the premises to Greenwood Rhodes, a butcher
born in Baildon. He eventually moved to farm at Spaldington and
in 1918 Mrs Wilde was the occupier when the property was sold to
Frank Moore.
Her husband William Loftus Wilde was a cattle dealer from Hemingbrough
before the family came to Howden but he died after being kicked
by a horse in 1916. The Wilde family had a long association with
the butchers' shop and William's son Reg followed in his father's
footsteps as a butcher. Reg died in 1941.
John Braham also worked here as assistant before opening his own
shop in Hailgate.
The butcher's shop later passed to Frank's son Jack, then to Roy
Parkin.
6. Market Place, Howden [now Chappelows'
newsagents]
In the early years of the 19th century the house was the home of
Robert Dunn, agent of the Bishop of Durham. He died in 1847.
In 1851 Mrs Mary Dunn [nee Bell] and described as landed proprietor
born Portington was living there. She moved out to Derwent House
which she had built in 1853-4.
1861 John Hartley, surgeon, b Marton cum Grafton.
1863 George Sutton was living here when he founded the Goole
and Marshland Weekly Times and Howdenshire Gazette.
He moved to Goole soon afterwards.
1871 William Miller, draper, b Forfar, Scotland
1881 William Miller
1891 Fanny Sugden, b Howden ran a confectioner's shop here. She
was a widow and lived with 3 children and her aunt.
1901 William Stockill, printer, born Brompton. William Stockill
ran a jobbing printing business in the premises for many years.
He was followed by Leonard Asquith who also ran a printing business
here in partnership with Mr Holroyd [any more information as
to who he was would be much appreciated!] as Holroyd and Asquith.
They printed posters, local post cards [many of which survive],
dance cards etc.
After printing ceased the shop continued as a newsagents. Geoff
Winn, who ran it, married Dorothy Asquith, Leonard's daughter.
The newsagents' shop of Geoff and Dorothy Winn
in the 1950s, Market Place, Howden
Then came Geoff Andrews and his wife and now the newsagents is owned
by Messrs Chappelow.
7. Market Place, Howden [now Veronica's
beauticians]
Was originally part of Robert Dunn's house.
'Used by dentist Mr Gorham as temporary surgery'.
8. Market Place, Howden - Board Inn
This was a spirit vault and did not become a pub until 1941.
1861 William Carter Gaggs, born Howden
1891 John Hillkirk, wine and spirit store manager, b Tideswell,
Derbyshire
1901 Tabitha Simpson, widow, wine and spirit merchant, b Leeds
William 'Billy' Coupland, who was agent for John
Smith's brewery, stored beer behind the Board in premises facing
Hailgate.
Premises were converted into a pub in 1941 when Mr Eccles came from
Hull with his family to escape the bombing.
Mr Eccles was a keen cricketer and put the scores outside on a blackboard.
The Board was one of the first places in Howden to have a radiogram
- a collection made for popular records and then they were bought
from Sheppards' in Goole
Also there were Sunday night suppers and pie and peas. Howden Athletic
Football team was based there - changed there.
Mr Eccles left in 1953.
Mr Oldfield and family were there in the 1960s.
G S Beecham, known as 'Tinny', was a tinsmith whose shop was near
the Board Inn yard.
9. Market Place, Howden [now candy shop]
1851 Charles Hutchinson, ironmonger, b Howden
1861 James Lightfoot, grocer, b Bubwith
1891 James Lightfoot
1901 Thomas Andrew, plumber, b Barmby on the Marsh
Later the plumbers was run by Thomas' sons Jack
and Billy Andrew. Billy lived on the premises and was cared for
by his sister 'Lizzie' who was lame and had a speech impediment.
Their brother Jack lived in the old hospital where the fire station
is. He was a fireman.
When Lizzie was living on her own a widowed sister came to live
with her. They sold cotton, thread etc but never had much stock.
Later John Walker, painter & decorator, had the shop, then the
Farmers' Union, then Elliott's antiques.
9a, next to No. 9, Market Place, Howden
[now part of White Horse]
1861 Garland Sanderson, tailor, b Skirlaugh
1891 Thomas Tomlinson, retired cooper, b Thorne
1901 Thomas Tomlinson
Later Megson's grocers.
10. White Horse Inn
The inn was recorded as early as 1702.
1822 an alehouse licence was granted to John Buttle. George Wadsworth
of Laxton stood surety.
1851 Richard Lindley, b Epworth, was landlord.
Mrs Sarah Lindley was landlady after her husband’s death.
1871 Wm Wheldrake b Howdendyke
1891 William Clarkson was landlord, b Newsholme
1901 Hannah Clarkson, landlady, b Asselby
Shire Hall
Three/four premises were demolished to make way for the Shire Hall
when it was built in 1871-2. The site was bought from Mrs Mary Dunn.
In 1851 the shops were occupied by William Leaf, tailor; Ann Rowntree,
china dealer; John Pease, shoemaker, who also ran the premises as
a Temperance Hotel, and John Wood, gunsmith and bellhanger.
In 1871, just before they were demolished, one shop was still occupied
by Mrs Fanny Woodall, widow of auctioneer Charles Woodall.
The new Shire Hall included a new shop:
1891 Charles O Bastow, watchmaker, b Armley
1901 Charles O Bastow
Mr Bastow and his family lived in the flat in the Shire Hall above
what is now the Shire Hall shop. His son, Harold, who was a starter
at local sports events, had the shop at No. 28 Market Place, Howden.
He sold trophies there.
Later the first ladies' hairdresser in Howden, Noreen Milns, used
these premises. There was a was ladies' hairdresser there for many
years - Mrs Una Porter, also Val's.
The Shire Hall was used extensively for dances,
concerts and bazaars etc. On Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings
it was used as a cinema. Silent films were shown by Chris Kettlewell.
Seats were 2d, 4d, 6d and 1s. Regular stars were Tom Mix, the cowboy
and Chon Chan, the Chinese detective.
?Miss Draycott, who was blind, was the pianist. Mr Tom Savage [former
manager of ?Gallons] said he used to buy 1d worth of unshelled monkey
nuts and 1d worth of broken toffee from Robinson's to eat before
he went in.
The next block of shops was demolished in the 1960s
and then rebuilt up to Highbridge corner. They originally were:
14. Market Place, Howden, next to the Shire Hall
Robert Sunderland's butchers' shop with slaughterhouse in rear.
Robert Sunderland was born at Heck and was related to the Sunderland
butchers' family in Goole. He died in 1914.
However one brother, Harold, and two sisters, Lilian and Nell, remained.
Harold Sunderland was a local historian and wrote books and articles
in the Hull Times.
Lilian was a piano teacher and after ?Edie Armstrong died Lil took
over playing the piano at the Shire Hall. She had to look at the
screen and play appropriate music. Sometimes she didn't quite keep
up and played romantic music when a cowboy was being shot! She didn’t
have a chance to see the film first as there were two changes a
week, on Wednesday and Friday.
Nell looked after them all and smoked like a chimney. She went to
all the whist drives and always had a Woodbine in her mouth.
She ran the library. Mrs Harris and Mrs Whitehead used to stamp
books.
15. Market Place, Howden [now about where
Rhythm 'n Booze is]
1861 William Selly, chemist, b Grafton
1891 Albert Croudson, ironmonger, b Goole
1901 Mary Chantry, tobacconist, b Rawcliffe
Later a shop selling ribbons and fancy goods.
Market Place, Howden
1861 George Briggs, ironmonger, b Fishlake
Property here was demolished to allow for corner widening. Golden
Cottage is now on the site. It is not easy therefore to say exactly
who lived where
16. Market Place, Howden [now HSBC bank]
There has been a bank here for many years. The first was the York
City and County bank.
1861 Thomas Clough, manager, b Selby
Charles Wilkinson, b Tadcaster, was bank manager in 1901.
Later it became the Midland bank. Harry Carlisle, then one of the
bank clerks, lived in a flat upstairs.
17. Market Place, Howden [now Cleggs' auctioneers
etc]
For many years in the 19th century this was Richardsons' watchmakers.
Later this was Matthews' fruit and veg. Mr Matthews also had a stall
in the Shire Hall.
This was possibly the same Mr and Mrs Matthews who celebrated their
golden wedding in 1947 when the Hull and East Riding Times reported
that:
"Mr John Wm Matthews of Bridgegate was now 82 and was a
horsebreaker. He was the eldest son of Thomas William Matthews who
was also a horsebreaker and dealer. He had his business in stables
rented on the Angel Inn premises in Batty Lane. Mrs Matthews was
the housekeeper at the Angel and so met her husband. She was the
sixth daughter of Mr and Mrs F Brabbs of Mt Pleasant Farm, Newport.
Mrs Matthews moved premises to Bridgegate and retired two years
since."
Then the shop was run by Mrs Morris, greengrocer, who lived at North
Howden.
Later in the 1960s the shop was Willis Redfearn's chemists'.
18. Market Place, Howden [now a hair salon]
For many years this was Fitch's, a double fronted milliners' and
drapers' shop. The last of this branch of the family was Charlie
Fitch who lived in Bridgegate opposite the police station, now PA.
The shop was later a mini- supermarket and briefly a gallery.
Manor House
Many people remember that Mr and Mrs Alf Kellington lived there
in the 1930s/40s. They had previously run a cafe at what is now
the Cheese shop. Mrs Kellington catered for weddings etc.
Mr Alf Kellington was a freemason, and was in the choir. He didn't
seem to take a part in the cafe or baking business. Mrs Kellington
baked, helped by Mrs Wright. Mrs Kellington used to test to see
if cakes were ready with one of her hairpins. Mr Sam Wright was
a chemist and was said to have played cricket for Derbyshire.The
Wrights came to Howden and were taken in by Mrs Kellington who gave
them accommodation. Mrs Wright worked very hard.
House, now gone, near The Ashes gateway
1861 Mary Cook, dressmaker, b Goole
The house was divided into two and was at different times the Labour
Exchange [Mr Sherbourne manager] and the Salvation Army HQ.
Mrs Barnes had one part as a dressmaker's workshop and also it was
Thirkettles, boot and shoe shop and Miss Thirkettle too was a dressmaker.
Dog and Duck [churchyard]
This stood in front of the church ruins.
It was formerly known as The Seven Stars.
1822 alehouse licence granted to Thomas Iveson. Standing surety
was George Maskell of Howden, shoemaker.
1851 landlord of the Dog and Duck was Goodworth Fox, b Howden
1861 William Coggrave, landlord, b Howden
The last landlord was William Coles.
Market Place, Howden. Above is the Dog and Duck
[left, white] and William Jipson's shop with blinds down, gable
end on. Postcard by Holroyd and Asquith
Next to the Dog and Duck was a tall building, matched
by a similar one at the other end of Church side.
In 1851/1861 it was occupied by John Richardson, watchmaker, b Bubwith.
The Richardson family were long established Bubwith clockmakers
and family members later worked in Goole and Selby. Another of the
family was at No. 17 Market Place, Howden, Howden.
The buildings were demolished in 1913 and the site given to the
church by Mr Scholfield of Sandhall.
20. Market Place, Howden [now the Cheese Shop]
1851 John Steel, grocer, b Scalby
1861 Charles Woodall, grocer and auctioneer, b Hambleton
1881 William Jipson, b Howden
1901 William Jipson. The shop was later run by his son Herbert.
It was later owned by Mrs Kellington and then by Bill Kitwood.
The shop was Mike Lawson's butchers' in the 1990s.
21. Market Place, Howden [now the Nat West bank]
1851 George Allen, butcher, b Haxey
1861 Thomas Hill, butcher, b Howden
1881 Robert Sutherby, shoemaker, b Selby
followed by J C Jenkinson, draper and milliner.
22. Market Place, Howden [redeveloped 2007]
22 and 23 were one building, the Lincoln Tavern, in the early 19th
century.
1822 alehouse licence for Lincoln Tavern granted to John Townend.
Surety was George Day of Howden, hardwareman.
The premises were split into two in the early 1820s.
1826 Alehouse licence for John Townend of the Whittington and Cat
at Howden.
1851 Ann Chadwick, innkeeper, b Saddleworth
1881 John Tabrah, fancy goods, b Howden
Mr Jenkinson bought No. 22 to extend his next door shop. It.was
lower. You turned right into it and it sold all sorts - material,
cotton, embroidery, silks, stockings. It was pulled down and was
left as a 'gap' for several years with seating and a mural. Now
redeveloped.
23. Market Place, Howden [now redeveloped, 2007]
These premises were a butchers' for many years.
1851 Richard Fleming, butcher, b Howden
1881 Antony Taylor, butcher, b Kilpin.
1901 John Draycott, butcher, b Howden
'This was Gerry Hodgson's pork butchers. It had a slaughterhouse
at the back, into Vicar Lane. It was a building two storeys high,
like an old farm house with a low roof. It was pulled down by Butlers.
24. Market Place, Howden [now redeveloped]
For many years Butler's general shop and newsagents stood here but
it has recently been redeveloped.
In the early 1800s numbers 24 and 25 were F. Ullathorne's grocers
but later the premises were made into 2 shops.
In 1851 the shop nearest the church was the premises of William
Small, bookseller and printer. William was one of the two sons and
two daughters of William Small of London, a grocer, and his wife
Dorothy. Dorothy was born Dorothy Justice and her brother, William
Andrews Justice, until his death in 1830, had run a thriving bookselling
and printing business in Howden in the premises at the end of the
Market Place, Howden (now occupied by a flower shop).
William Small's brother Alfred lived in Aire Street,
Goole and in 1854 founded the Goole and Marshland Gazette.
Alfred married 17 year old Mary Ann Mitchell of Yokefleet and had
one daughter Mary Ann born in 1851.
After ten years of running the paper Alfred sold out to James Jillott
in September 1864. His brother William still ran the printing business
in Howden and lived with their youngest sister, Justice, who later
built herself a fine house at 2, Churchside, Howden which still
bears her initials [JS]. William died in 1868 and his sister Justice
in 1901.
Alfred retired to Laxton where his wife died in August 1867. There
is a memorial to her in the church there. Their daughter, Mary Ann,
married Henry [Harry] Smith, an affluent farmer with connections
to the Leeds woollen industry. They lived variously at Thorpe Hall,
near Howden, which was owned by Alfred Small, and at Grove Farm,
Portington. In 1906 Henry bought Portington Grange estate where
their descendants lived until around 1940.
1881 William Kirkland, b Melton Mowbray, bookseller
and printer was occupying the former Small premises in the Market
Place, Howden, Howden.
25. Market Place, Howden
1851 James Hill, shoemaker, b Howden
1881 Henry Harrison, b Gilberdyke, master cordwainer
'The original Butler’s shop was only a small shop where they
sold papers and sweets and did a bit of baking.
Next door was Mrs Sowersby's draper's shop. Later Miss ?Polly Whitehead,
a retired teacher, ran it as a wool shop. Before that Alf Armstrong
had it as wallpaper shop'.
[This is not quite clear and I would be glad if anyone could
contact me and straighten it out!]
26. Market Place, Howden [now beauty salon]
This was a grocer's and provision shop for many years.
1851 and 1861 Edward Banks, grocer, b Howden
1881 William Kay, grocer, b Catterick
William Kay's was taken over by Cussons. In 1923 Cussons built a
new shop on Bridgegate [now the bathroom shop]. Melia's grocery
chain - managed by ?Eric Kellington - took over the Market Place,
Howden shop.
A view of Market Place, Howden. Here you can
see the name board of Kay and Sons with Cussons' board above. The
White Horse inn is on the right.
Later the shop was Gallons. Then a wet fish shop
For a time it was Albert Thorley's gents' tailor and outfitter [when?].
27. Market Place, Howden [now Atkinsons'
bakery]
1861 William Dawson, grocer and draper, b Caltman Lindrick?, Notts
1881 Martin Farrer, linen and woollen draper, b Birstall
1901 George Everingham, tailor and draper, b Market Weighton
Later this was the premises of Mrs Dora Davis and was her photographer's
studio. Her husband was the school attendance officer. She later
lived in a bungalow on Thorpe Road.
'Her mother sold bric a brac and was tall lady with skirts down
to the ground. She was killed in a fire in the cellar' [??]
The shop become Wrights' second hand shop and later ??SP Woods.
More recently it was Goods Travel.
28. Market Place, Howden
28 and 29 were originally one and owned by George Dunn, a cooper
[there in 1851, b Howden].
1861 George Sutton briefly lived here [see No. 6, Market Place,
Howden for more details], occupation was 'printing and fancy goods'.
Harold Bastow. had a trophy shop here [?1920s/30s]. He was the son
of Charles O Bastow and often acted as official starter at local
cycling and sports events.
It was a seed shop -?Eric Johnson, then NFU
In the 1990s this was a gift shop, Adornaments.
29. Market Place, Howden [now takeaway]
1851 William Harrison, grocer, b Hull
1861 George Sutton, b Lincoln
1881 John Platts, butcher, b Melbourne
1901 Margaret Tabrah, confectioner, b Howden
1931 January Hull Times:
"Mrs Woodall is giving up her sweetshop
in Market Place, Howden. She has occupied it for 40 years and her
sister Miss Tabrah before her. Business to be sold."
'Mrs Harrison later ran the shop. Her daughter Phyllis, a postlady,
married Sid Sherburn who was the driver for local buses between
Howden and Goole.'
30. Market Place, Howden [now fruit shop]
This was split into 2 premises for many years:
1851 Thomas Goodall, druggist, b Howden
1851 William Rowntree, shoemaker1881 J Haw, provisions
1881 Tom Favel, beef and pork butcher
1901 Joseph Palframan, butcher, b Goole
'Favel’s butcher's assistant was John Braham
who later set up on his own in Hailgate. It was later an Argentine
beef shop selling frozen beef. Mr Harold Naylor was the manager.
He later moved to run his own shop in Bridgegate.
The shop shut down in the war and was used as a salvage depot where
waste paper etc was stored.'
Later run by Leads as fruit shop.
31. Market Place, Howden
1851 James Wainwright, chemist, b Malton
1861 John Saville, chemist, b Sheffield. His father and then he
and his sister, Elizabeth Wadsworth, owned Albert Terrace.
1881 Robert Latham
1901 Robert Latham, chemist, b Yokefleet
'Latham's chemists went round the corner into Vicar
Lane. Mr Latham was also registrar of births, marriages and deaths.
Later this was Mrs Bramley's confectioners and cooked meats shop
and cafe. Her daughter Annie carried on the business. Brother Charlie
Bramley was a clerk at Andertons'.
32. Market Place, Howden [now Goods and
Chattels]
1851 William Deighton, b Spofforth, draper
1861 Mary Smith, b Colne, Lancs, wife of hatter and furrier
1881 uninhabited
1901 John Thomas Hill, watchmaker, b Howden
William Stockill had a newsagents and jobbing printing
busines here. He sold to W Beal who in March 1928 sold the printing,
stationery and fancy goods business to the Goole Times Company.
Jobbing printing continued for some years. The last printers to
use the printing equipment at the back of the shop were Percy Jeeves
and Ted Philpott.
The Goole Times appointed a resident manageress to run the shop
premises - first Mrs Dudley, then Mrs E Walker then Mrs Ken Powls.
Mr W Norman Hains from Eastrington worked as reporter for the Goole
Times and had an office here in the back of the shop.
33. Market Place, Howden [now Dove House
hospice shop]
[demolished and rebuilt]
1851 Henry Marsden, tanner
1861 Thomas Tomlinson, cooper
1881 Annie Bell, glass and china dealer, b Howden
1901 John Howdle, b Howden
The Howdles are a long established Howden family
and for many years provided the town with boots and shoes and legal
advice.
Harold Howdle had a shoe shop in Boothferry Road, Goole; Lawrence
Howdle lived in ?Jessamine House, Hailgate. Wilf Howdle was a solicitor
and clerk to various organisations. His office is now Taylor Broomers
[55 Hailgate]. He and his wife lived at The Chestnuts.
In the 1990s the shop was Rob Winlow, optician.
34. Market Place, Howden [Dove house hospice shop]
also rebuilt.
1851 Sarah Mathewman, widow, ironmonger, b Thorne
1881 William Mann, grocer and gardener, b Howden
1901 Alfred Howdle, grocer, b Howden
'Later this was the shop of the Burwell family who lived on Pinfold
Street. It was a very dark shop. The last member of the family was
Harry Burwell who married Zillah Wright.'
35. Market Place, Howden [now part of Co-op.]
1901 Henry Fitch, boot and shoemaker
'This was Harry Gibson's crockery shop then later it was Ted Fletcher's
jewellery shop before he set up in business in Carlisle Street,
Goole'.
Half Moon [now Co-op.]
This was one of the largest and most impressive inns in Howden.
A letter survives from 1661 addresed to the Half Moon at Howden.
It was owned for many years in the 18th century by the Bullen family.
It passed into the Dunn family in 1785.
1822 alehouse licence granted to Robert Foster. Surety was William
Mathewman of Howden, tinplate worker
1881 Charles Burrows, b Leeds
The Half Moon was rebuilt in 1890. Howden Co-op.
[a branch of the Hull Co-op.] moved there from their Churchside
premises c 1931.
Mr Hiles was the landlord from 1921-31. Extracts below come from
the memories written by his son Bill Hiles:
'My father became landlord of the Half Moon in 1921 and left in
1931 when the brewers, Bentleys Yorkshire Breweries, closed it down.
Part of the original inn was a lock-up shop, Fletchers the jeweller
and clockmaker. Next to that was Gibsons who had a china shop and
also sold and repaired boots and shoes. Gibsons lived behind and
above their shop and had a rear entrance into Half Moon yard.'
The Half Moon Inn, Howden, as it looked in the
1920s
'On the corner of the yard entrance was a corn and seed merchant
in a lock-up shop which was only open on Saturdays.
On the first floor was a large sitting room on the corner, above
the lounge smoking room. There were five large bedrooms, four of
which overlooked Bridgegate and one at the rear overlooking the
outbuildings and the yard. On the landing was a water closet and
as there was no sewerage system I can only assume that this discharged
into the Old River Derwent. Water was provided by rainwater from
the roof which was collected in a large underground cistern under
the corn and seed shop; from here it was pumped by a hand operated
pump into a tank in the roof from which it gravitated to the WC
cistern.
This water and the water from the pumped well at the Half Moon was
unsuitable for drinking and therefore all drinking water was carried
from the Bowman's in cans and buckets from their drinking water
well halfway up the yard. Some rainwater was boiled and filtered
in a stoneware charcoal filter in the bar because this treated water
had a special appeal for whisky drinkers.
To the right of the yard entrance was the wash house in which there
was a coal fired copper for heating water. Apart from the usual
wringer dolly tub wash tub and bench the wash house had a six foot
cast iron bath for the use of family and guests. On wash days and
bath nights water had to be carried to fill the copper where it
was heated then ladled out.
Immediately in front of the yard entrance was an arched throughway
which led to Burwell's, the grocers', yard. On the right of the
archway there was a coach house in which Gibsons garaged their Model
T Ford. In the yard and on the Bridgegate side there was an open
fronted coach shed in 5 bays.
To the right was a coach house used by Draycott the butcher to garage
his car and then came a stable with 5 stalls. Most of the time of
our occupation my father used this stable as a workshop. He was
a skilled carpenter and joiner and in between pulling pints he made
gates and sheds for the farmers and at times when trade was bad
in the hotel he went out to work. One of the stables housed the
stakes and hurdles to make up the pens for the fatstock show which
was held each year towards Christmas time. The pigs were shown in
the Half Moon yard and the cattle in the Bowman's yard.
On Saturdays which was market day the Half Moon, Bowman's and Wellington
were open all day from 10.30am until 10pm. On these days the farmers
and merchants and sometimes farmworkers would stand on the pavement
in front of the Wellington and Half Moon. Many of the farmers came
into town in a pony and trap or dog cart and these were stabled
in the hotel yards; some even came on their bicycles. Only the very
few rich farmers had cars and they would park them in Bridgegate
for all to witness their prosperity.
Half Moon corner was the Market Place/Bridgegate junction and was
known as a popular meeting place at all times. During the day the
unemployed would stand there waiting for a job; some would stand
there waiting for opening time and others would be waiting for a
friend.'
The Half Moon was bought by Hull Co-op. c. 1931. Cyril Bottomley,
Arthur Clayton and Sid Bunting were well known assistants. Mr Tommy
Buckle was manager of the Co-op. and moved with it from Churchside
to the present site. Mr F. Parker was a later manager in the 1930s
and was very involved in local community affairs [1935].
The Co-op. bakery was where the restaurant/wine bar is now on Vicar
Lane. The new shop development was where the stables were. The cart
was still kept there by the Co-op. after the war and used to be
driven by Mr Drury and Mr Jack Neville and later by his son. They
delivered groceries. The cart was later replaced by a lorry.
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