There was a real buzz around Burnby Hall community hall as the 2024 Pocklington Disitrict Heritage Festival enjoyed three very different days of historical information, entertainment and activity. The festival unveiled the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund supported 'Transportable Museum' displays that were on show throughout; and the first day's Anglo-Saxons & Vikings conference was a sell out. Delegates heard eight talks revealing some up to the minute research, both local and regional. It included new information on early Anglo-Saxon burials, including a woman's grave containing bronze brooches alongside some African ivory, and how metal detecting finds have recently plotted the course of the conquering Viking Great Army in the 870s.

Friday's Beanfeast was another unique night with a Viking supper, stunning fight demonstrations from Viking re-enactors Hayden Ashby and Sam Day, and quality music from folk group, Shiftipig.

And Saturday's museum and family day was the best yet, busy throughout with children trying out heritage-themed activities and art. East Riding councillors Dale Needham, Gareth Shephard and Paul West all called in to view the displays; and MP Sir David Davis brought his granddaughter and stayed for two hours, taking part and asking questions. Organisers, Pocklington District Heritage Trust, received innumerable plaudits in its visitor book, ranging from one youngster writing, 'I had fun', to Sir David penning, 'Fantastic!!!', and Cllr Needham posting online. 'Huge congratulations. A very impressive set up and looks like so many residents have enjoyed the experience. We have some fantastic volunteers, well done!'

Day 1: Alex Harvey, author of Forgotten Vikings, talks about Vikings in East Yorkshire and Isle of Axholme Day2 - Vikings fight at the Beanfeast (where are the bouncers?) Day 3 - Making Viking jewellery Day 3 - Busy activities Day 3 - Local MP Sir David Davis pays a visit Will you support us to get a Museum ? Day 3 - Saturday family activity day Day 3 - The Viking game of Henfatafel

Two of All Saints' iconic features - the Medieval Sotheby Cross and Robert Sotheby's Tudor memorial - commemorate prominent members of the Sotheby family. But for over 250 years, dozens more were baptised, married and buried in Pocklington church.

To a sizeable audience in All Saints church and with his astounding capacity for remembering facts, Phil Gilbank picked out and traversed the Sotheby family history. The family lived for centuries in Pocklington, where it was one of the leading lights, and they eventually left the town to go on to fame and fortune elsewhere.

Robert Sotheby himself made it big, moving upmarket from his house in Chapmangate in the mid-16th century, to build a Tudor mansion a dozen miles up the road at Birdsall where family still lives thanks to a remarkable 17th century love story.

Direct descendant, James Willoughby, who now runs the estate, contributed Sotheby material from the Birdsall House archives.

A YouTube presentation of his talk can be seen here -> Click here

'Pocklington's connection with the sea' - An evening of three short talks

Although located 24 miles from Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Pocklington has many known historical connections with the sea. Pocklington and District Local History Group investigated this topic and presented results of the research on this evening.

There were,three presentations:-

1. The ‘Pocklington Steamship Company’ set up by Victorian grocer Charles Steels - Andrew Sefton
2. The connection of the town to H.M.S. Volage which was adopted by the town in WW2 and was sent parcels by the residents during the war - Chris Bond
3. Historical nautical people from Pocklington and district which were the 'Local Sea Dogs'- Phil Gilbank

The above picture is of Pocklington's current sea dogs Chris Bond, Phil Gilbank and Andrew Sefton taken by Emma Smith who represented Hull Maritime who sponsored the research. The new laptop and projector were bought with the grant and various memorabilia were collected as part of the research (being viewed on the right).

Phil Gilbank led a large group for a historical walk around Pocklington picking out some of the awful places and happenings from the town's history, including murders, executions and the smelly reason Pocklington got its railway. It was part of the East Riding walking festival in September 2024.

Pocklington & District's Local History Group's annual summer 'walk & talk' was held at Allerthorpe on Thursday 18 July. The walk was led by parish councillor, Mike Sutton, and took in Allerthorpe's historic core. The visit started in the newly refurbished village hall, and moved across to Allerthorpe Hall which is now a private residence. The walk continued up the village where the Plough Inn was discussed and the fact it is now sadly closed. Further old buildings included O'Gram's Manor Farm and other 17th and 18th Century buildings. The Church of St. Botolph's was then visited where a talk on the Saint was provided by Martin Ratcliffe. Only 59 churches in the country have this dedication and Saint Botolph died around 680.

Then we had a brief talk by Andrew Sefton on Allerthorpe's most famous son Thomas Cooke, son of a Pocklington shoemaker and renowned telescope maker who went on to create a large business in York making optical instruments and turret clocks for churches. The walk continued down back lane to take in the past wartime links with Pocklington Airfield and the WAAF camp stationed nearby on the airfield in WW2.

Pocklington Town Council and Pocklington & District Local History Group commemorated the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings

"A TALK ON THE SPANISH LOYALISTS IN POCKLINGTON JUNE-JULY 1944

HISTORY AND AUTOGRAPHS OF LA NUEVE "

Left: Professor Robert S Coale stood in front of the Garden of Rememberance for Le Nueve, created in central Paris 2015.

Professor Robert Coale is an American expatriate from Maryland USA. He has worked and studied in various French Universities.

His area of study is the Spanish Civil War, The International Brigades, and Spanish Loyalists in exile 1939. Over a number of years Robert has gathered extensive information about a number of Spanish loyalists billeted in the Drill Hall, Pocklington in 1944.

To a packed Community Hall at Burnby Hall gardens, Robert narrated this fascinating, and little known story which included the liberation of Paris, the Lorraine Campaign, frigid fighting in Alsace and ended in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria in May 1945.

Pocklington & District Local History Group held a short AGM before Hannah Stamp (pictured right) an Archivist at Beverley gave an excellent presentation talking about the work she does at the Archives. She gave examples of records held in the Treasure House on Pocklington and said there were over 6,000 records about the town on the catalogue and said another 1,000+ were in the queue to be added. The AGM was held prior to Hannah's talk, and attendance was down from previous years probably due to inclement weather and other competing events. The Chairman Phil Gilbank talked about how this was a pivotal time for the group. Phil's other role is Chairman of Pocklington District Heritage Trust and he announced the news that the main building at Burnby Hall, currently under the ownership of East Riding Council, is to be handed back to Pocklington Town Council on a 125 year lease for a peppercorn rent. This will mean some rethinking of the structure of history groups in the town and the future meeting venue, as it is the intention of the trust to create a museum in the building and associated heritage facilities. Treasurer Peter Green showed a healthy account balance with over £1,400 income from book sales. Andrew Sefton explained about the £1,000 grant award to the group from Hull Maritime to investigate Pocklington's connection with the sea, and appealed if anyone would like to join the research project to make themselves known to the committee.

2024/25 Re-Elected Committee:

Chairman - Phil Gilbank
Secretary – Jo Green
Treasurer – Peter Green
Archivist/Webmaster – Andrew Sefton
Committee – Chris Bond, Jane Henley (representing the villages), John Brown, Les Kennedy, David West and elected on the night, David Peacock.

A committee vacancy remains and anyone wanting to play a greater role in the local history of Pocklington and the surrounding villages would be welcome, and to contact the chairman or secretary.

The Pocklington 2023 Heritage Festival was a great success! It was on for 3 days with the first day being a Roman Conference with distinguished speakers from far and wide. It concentrated on East Yorkshire but included Scarborough and Hadrian’s Wall. Day 2 was a school visit day and in the evening was our infamous Beanfeast which is a unique event like no other. Day 3 was a free family open day attended by the Roman reenactors Legio VI Victrix, the 1066 Battle of Stamford Bridge Society, Pop-up Museum, exhibition and book stalls from various groups. Colouring and drawing, combined with children’s games created a successful and popular day out for the kids.

Day 3 - Romans can be fun! Day 1 - A Roman conference with distinguished speakers Day 2 - School visits with artefacts Day 2 - Shiftipig at the Beanfeast Day 3 - Saturday family day - Artefacts Day 3 - Romans in Pocklington! Day 3 - Saturday family activity day Day 3 - Saturday family activity day

Andrew Sefton delivered a follow up talk on the old shops of Pocklington due to popular request. His last talk in January 2020 was just prior to lock down and the subsquent Covid pandemic. The idea for it was sparked by a Facebook post by Pete Nelson listing all the old shops he could remember. Andrew has collected further pictures and researched information on some of the old families that ran the shops. He had been supplied family pictures of people running the shops from his presence on the Facebook Group 'Pocklington District Heritage' and his contact email on this website. He also conveyed his thanks to people who had supplied pictures to enable his talk and in particular Roger Pattison and David Bowman.

Some of the interaction from the audience was very valuable who contributed their memories and included a granddaughter of Fred Lee who afterwards provided some further family information. At the first talk Tarn Morris brought a large shop sign for Fred Lee and coincidentally this event also attracted a large shop sign brought in by Gregg Huber which was for Gelders shop.

Phil Gilbank knows his beer, and he knows all of Pocklington hostelries and the history of them. On a fine September evening, he led a swarm of 70 interested Pocklingtonians around the town to hunt out the stories of the lost pubs and breweries. We discovered a ghost story, a drunken jockey and a den of cock fighting at The Black Bull and the Black Swan. Even three lads on bikes started following, wondering what it was all about. Phil took us to Scaife Brewery which was next to No. 6 Pavement. We learnt houses built of bricks smaller than 2.75” in height were built before 1767. He showed us a steep pitch of roof means that house was thatched and told us water from the beck was not really clean enough in those times to make beer. He missed out a couple of other notable bygone pubs as it was getting dusk, so there might be enough to do an 'Old Pocklington Pubs 2'?

A new book 'The History of Woldgate School 1958 - 2018' about an esteemed local institution was released on this evening. It took place in the venue’s hall on Thursday, July 20 at 7.30pm. The book covers the period 1958-2018 and the 60-page publication contains 100 photographs and was on sale for the first time at the launch, priced at just £5. It was produced by Pocklington and District Local History Group, and is written by John Brown, Woldgate's headmaster 1973-1997, ex-teacher and parent Geraldine Macdonald, and wife, parent and PTA member Jane Henley. The book was inspired by a 60th anniversary event in 2018. The authors said: “Many memories were stirred that evening. The opportunity to return to the school, reconnect with old friends and former staff, and share memories and anecdotes led to enthusiastic support. "Contributors have consistently referred to happy and rewarding times at the school whatever era they refer to.” The publication coincides with work about to commence on a new school building, and the book has been sponsored by Wates Construction, main partners of the redevelopment. Book profits will go to Woldgate. The launch evening had the following programme:

Pocklington and District Local History Group had their annual historical walk around a local village on a very pleasant summer evening. We started off at the Gold Cup inn which has an interesting old seventeenth century map in its entrance. Phil Gilbank explained how the inn got its name from a local racehorse call ‘Catton’ which won the Gold Cup in 1815. He explained the ancient parish of Catton extended from Low Catton near the Derwent in the West to High Catton in the East, Stamford Bridge in the North and Wilberfoss in the South. The Percy family were the original landowners following their arrival after the Norman conquest, and their building of a Manor House residence by the river which was later built upon by a turkey factory!

We saw East Riding’s smallest museum in a converted post box and wandered down the ancient route to the Derwent crossing point down the Viking named Wath Lane. The route was recently cleared by local residents following 60 years of overgrowth neglect. Returning to the village, we wandered down past old buildings which Phil was able to date from building style and brick size.

We ended up in Catton church which is a remarkable old church with many building additions since Norman times. The old front door, font and the William Morris window were memorable parts of the church. Phil related some stories of the people and his own experience of ringing the church bells when he was young as he was brought up in the village. The 1066 Battle of Stamford Bridge Heritage Society have a pop-up museum in the church with Roman artefacts found in the locality. There was the usual healthy debate on the location of the battle. Was it at Catton, or was it at Stamford Bridge? We express our thanks to Catton Heritage & Preservation Society who hosted the evening and enlightened our knowledge of this most interesting village and illustrated perfectly how much hidden history we have on our doorstep.

The AGM for Pocklington & District Local History Group viewed the local finds and discoveries of the past twelve months, and also hear about Pocklington and the Vikings. To a packed room, the group held a short AGM before archivist Andrew Sefton gave a presentation displaying and relating all the photographs and artefacts of local interest that have been collected and collated over the past year. Amongst the numerous newly acquired items are an inscribed snuff box made to mark Pocklington festivities in the Market Place in 1832, and a series of notable photographs of the town's coronation celebrations in 1911. Pocklington is surrounded by villages with Viking place names, and many of the town's streets and features also have Viking origins. But Pocklington's Viking era had mainly gone under the radar until recent research published by two York University professors which identifyied the district as hosting elements of the conquering Viking Great Army in the 860s. Phil Gilbank included the new information in a brief overview of Pocklington and district's significant Viking heritage.

2023/24 Re-Elected Committee:

Chairman - Phil Gilbank
Secretary – Jo Green
Treasurer – Peter Green
Archivist/Webmaster – Andrew Sefton
Committee – Chris Bond, Jane Henley (representing the villages), John Brown, Jane Johnson and David West with one vacancy.

A committee vacancy remain and anyone wanting to play a greater role in the local history of Pocklington and the surrounding villages would be welcome, contact the chairman or secretary.

The main section of the meeting was Andrew Sefton's annual review as he went through a selection of the notable events, research and items added to the local history archives, both digital and substantive, in 2022 and 2023. On display on the evening were items relating to the Robson family of Pocklington, which appreared recently in various auctions, as well the recently donated 1832 heifer toenail made into a snuff box from the Ox Roasting in the Market Place that was provided for the town by the benefactor Mary Dewsbury.

The evening was concluded with Phil Gilbank talking about the areas extensive Viking heritage in place names and recently discovered Viking artefacts which point towards an encampment of a contingent of the great Viking army of 867 following discovery of many gaming pieces, and book clasps that look like plundered items.

A fantastic evening started with a drink and viewing of the artefacts found from the Burnby Lane and Mile archaeological excavations. Peter Halkon kicked off the event with his roundup of the historical landscape of the area, and his vast experience of carrying out many excavations in the East Riding following in the footsteps of distinguished archaeologists Mortimer, John Dent and Ian Stead. His excavations in the Foulness valley, and Kipling House Farm have increased our knowledge and understanding of the Parisi Iron Age tribe as well as his Roman excavations of Hayton Roman Fort and Petuaria (Brough).

This was followed by Paula Ware of MAP Archaeological Practice outlining her work in Pocklington at Burnby Lane, the Mile, Yapham Road and sometime later is about to start on the pre-building excavations on the large Gladman development on the Balk. Paula brought with her some stunning finds from her past excavations in the town including Iron Age brooches, spears, swords and the star item of the evening the magnificent shield from the Mile. The very first time it has been on public display following extensive conservation work. Mark Stephens was lead archaeologist who excavated the Mile Chariot and shield as well as the Burnby Lane cart burial and author of the new book, launched on the night, “Chariots, Swords and Spears: Iron Age Burials at the Foot of the East Yorkshire Wolds” was on hand to answer questions. He said it was the first time he had seen the shield since he lifted it out of the Mile excavation. A Q&A session concluded the evening followed by brisk book sales and further look at the finds.

A most successful and memorable evening that hopefully will lead to the establishment of a new Museum in Pocklington to permanently house and put on public display the finds from the town. Paula stressed it was important to keep the collection together for future research and inspiration of our school children and students of history. Peter said it was important the new museum could be a centre for people around the world studying the Arras culture of the Wolds. The people of Market Weighton and Pocklington agree, judging by the capacity turnout that always occurs with these events.

Running from Wednesday 16th November, all the way until Saturday afternoon, the heritage festival, held at Burnby Hall Gardens, saw hundreds of visitors immersing themselves in our fantastic local heritage here in Pocklington.

The festival was kicked off by the conference. Talks were given by Paula Ware, York Archaeological Trust and Historic England, and our very own Peter Halkon, trustee and local archaeologist. These were received with much praise and plenty of support for our cause – a museum in Pocklington to house our spectacular artefacts. At this event alone, around 100 attended.

On Thursday, a day was set aside to welcome schoolchildren into the Hall. They were to be given a talk by chairman Phil, enjoy a few educational activities, and get the chance to see some artefacts from their local area. The Iron Age is a part of the curriculum at primary level, so the chance to see some real-life stuff from the time period they read about in the classroom is a brilliant opportunity that we couldn’t let go. Unfortunately the weather prevented the children from being able to walk to the Hall, but Phil opted to take a selection of artefacts and activities to the school, and gave the talk there instead.

Friday night saw the hall come alive with a performance given by Haigha, a wonderfully immersive performance which transports the audience to the time of the Vikings. Stories are brought to life with music and dance. The room was mesmerised by this fantastically unusual and creative piece. This was preceded by a feast informed only by the archaeological record – the only ingredients were those to be found in Iron Age Britain. This was followed by entertainment from folk band Shiftipig (photo below). The mead flowed freely and Pocklington’s residents gained a taste of life in Iron Age Pocklington.

Finally, day 4 saw the heritage festival invite children and families into the Hall for a day of activities and learning. The pop-up museum remained firmly in place to showcase the Trust’s fantastic collection spanning thousands of years. Faces of all ages were glued to the cabinets, gazing at our axeheads, brooches, pots, and more. Perhaps the most successful activity put on by the Trust itself was the Iron Age pot-making activity. Children were given a ball of clay each and taught to make a ‘thumb-pot,’ before being equipped with only natural materials with which to decorate it. They were sent home with this as a souvenir of the day. Children enjoyed working in our Trust-produced children’s activity booklets, which include colouring in, archaeological sorting activities, and more. A table was covered in ancient coins, pots, and arrowheads all for handling. In the centre of the room, just next to the stocks, were two sandpits with real archaeological artefacts and trowels for children to have a go at excavation.

Stamford Bridge Heritage Society also attended, bringing a further myriad of activities such as a quern stone, bracelet making, object handling, and more. Their stall proved to be a hit, with children enjoying touching their impressive collection of axes and sheepskins, knives, and combs. The Society’s trustees were dressed up themselves in Iron Age garb, only adding to their eye-catching display. It was a pleasure to host them at the Hall.

Overall, the festival was a complete success. If you attended, and you agree that we need a museum (we really do!), please sign our petition linked here.

Report by Amy Nuttall - November 2022

Day 1 - The Archaeology Conference with almost 100 delegates Day 2- A pop-up Museum at Pocklington Junior School Day 3 - Friday Night Beanfeast - sold out! Day 3 - Haigha performance group - relating Celtic stories Day 4 - Saturday family day - Face Painting Day 4 - Saturday family activity day

An encouraging capacity attendance saw the Pocklington and District Local History Group present an evening of short(ish) talks on three topics of Pocklington sports history.

Pocklington Tennis Club chairman, Chris French, was the first up and related the history of Pocklington tennis club. Tennis was popular in Pocklington in the 19th century and a few reports and momentoes remain from the sport's early days at the turn of that century. The current thriving club on West Green was founded in 1921 and recently celebrated its centenary, and Chris outlined the notable people and events from the club's past. He brought along the club trophies and this was added recently by the aquisition of a silver tankard from 1911 inscribed with the name of Fred Robson DSO who lost his life in WW1 and whose name is on the Pocklington War Memorial.

He was followed by David Bowman who recalled the life of his grandfather Harold. Harold Bowman was a young soccer player at North Newbald who had been offered trials at Sheffield Wednesday when he was pinched from under their noses by Hull FC, despite having never played a game of rugby. Harold became a Hull rugby league legend who toured Australia twice with Great Britain, and David possesses a wealth of material from the tours Down Under in the 1920s, and showing some early film of Harold in action for England v New Zealand. He was also a Pocklington businessman who was landlord of the Oddfellows Arms and ran a chip shop and bookmakers in the town. He created a Pocklington RUFC dynasty - four of his five sons and numerous grandsons played with distinction at Percy Road.

Finally Phil Gilbank described the career of dual international Frank Mitchell, surely the East Riding's greatest allround sportsman who was born at Shiptonthorpe in 1872. Mitchell played cricket at Londesborough and Warter and rugby at Pocklington in the 1880s, then went on to captain England at rugby and play soccer for Brighton. He opened the batting for England's at cricket in South Africa, and after serving in the Boer War settled in the Cape and skippered the South African cricket test team on tours against England.

On a dark August evening threatening rain, Margaret Horsley of the Newton on Derwent history group kindly gave us a guided tour of the village for our evening summer walk. A start gathering time of 6.30pm to look at the chapel heritage memorabilia then we set off the walk at 7pm and ended back at the chapel for tea and biscuits. The village Chapel & Community Centre is a credit to Margaret's endeavour and enthusiasm. It is a true Heritage Centre for the village and holds archive material of the village history and a mini-library of reference books. Every Saturday morning is a heritage Cafe which raises money for local charities. It would be nice if Pocklington had such a facility. A vote of thanks was made by Phil Gilbank and all finished off by a brilliant double rainbow over the village!

Sue Bond researched the stained glass of All Saints Pocklington Church and gave a talk on Thursday 23rd June 2022. She researched each one and revealled the stories of the local people who commissioned each window, and the renowned Victorian artists and craftsmen who made them.

Her illustrated talk was organised jointly by Pocklington & District local History Group and Pocklington Church Friends.

In conjunction with her talk, Sue has also produced a booklet about the church windows which was launched on the night.

The 40-page booklet is packed with colour photographs, information and background material and is available from the Church office.

The annual AGM of the Pocklington and District Local History Group went ahead in the Court House with a modest attendence on a fine spring evening. It was our first meeting there for over two years because of the pandemic and not being an ideal venue for social distancing.

Chairman Phil Gilbank opened the procedings announcing that the Pocklington & District Local History Group has been running productively for 15 years and during that time has hosted scores of fascinating talks and exhibitions, and facilitated a wealth of new research. Apologies were received for non-attendance from Jo Green, Peter Green and Jane Johnson.

Nevertheless, the history group could look back on another busy year, with more notable talks Oct 2021 - Nov 2021, and a host of new additions to the archives.

The Chairman outlined his highlights of the past 18 months since the last AGM included the superb 'Roger's Maps' exhibition that was held in Feb/March 2022 for 5 weeks and had a super attendance and feedback with a spokesperson from the Arts Centre saying it was one of their best attended exhibitions in the past few years. Further highlights included the William Wilberforce evening in All Saints' Church in November 2021 with a large attendance who listened to readings and song to mark the 250th anniversary of William Wilberforce arriving in Pocklington as a 12-year old boy in November 1771. The short talks evening had three fascinating presentations last October, and in the summer were Walks and Talks in Millington, and around the town and were very well attended. For those still wary to mix because of Covid-19 he mentioned the successful YouTube Walk and Talk (Part 1) around the town that was produced. Part 2 will be filmed soon. Phil also paid tribute to two important members and contributors to the group who have passed on. Roger Bellingham our President who had been involved in Pocklington History for many years prior to the History Group formation in 2007. In his will he left to the group considerable books, maps and references which were the inspiration for our old maps exhibition. Also, John Nottingham who contributed much to our research on old tithe maps of the district, old water courses and his last book he produced alongside Mike Silburn on the aircraft losses in WW2 from local airfields. A significant and substantial work which in the last few months of his life John insisted should be released free of charge on the Pocklington History web site. Rest in Peace.

It was also reported that the history group's sister organisation, the Pocklington District Heritage Trust is still working to create a museum and heritage centre facility in Pocklington. One of its most recent biggest challenges was opening a bank account which took many months. Progress is continuing in the background with discussions continuing between the Gardens Trust and the ERCC.

The business part of the evening included treasurer, Chris Bond, presenting the annual accounts which again showed the group to be in a sound financial position. After which Chris stepped down from being Treasurer after 3 years service but will continue on the committee. Peter Green has volunteered to step up from the committee to take back the Treasurer position he held before Chris took on the role.

The officers and committee members all put themselves forward for another year apart from Geoff Sheasby who was resigning his position on the committee and indeed later as Town Crier due to ill health. Thanks were recorded to Geoff for his past contribution. The audience were asked if anyone wished to add their names to the officers and committee and none were forthcoming. So the present committee were re-elected with various procedural votes.

2022/23 Re-Elected Committee:

Chairman - Phil Gilbank
Secretary – Jo Green
Treasurer – Peter Green
Archivist/Webmaster – Andrew Sefton
Committee – Chris Bond, Jane Henley (representing the villages), John Brown, Jane Johnson and David West with two vacancies.

Roger Bellingham was our Honorary President but died in January 2021. Two committee vacancies remain and anyone wanting to play a greater role in the local history of Pocklington and the surrounding villages would be welcome, contact the chairman or secretary.

The main section of the meeting was Andrew Sefton's annual review as he went through a selection of the notable events, research and items added to the local history archives, both digital and substantive, in 2020 and 2021. On display on the evening were items relating to the Robson family of Pocklington, which appreared recently in various auctions, as well as some of the important books left by Roger to the group including a hand written copy of the original Pocklington Enclosure award drawn up after the award was made in 1757.

The evening was concluded with a chat about the old Pocklington grandfather clock recently donated to the Heritage Trust. The clock was taken to the Court House and set it up on temporary display. The clock was made by Reuben Milner in his Pocklington workshop in Regent Street. Identifying it was easy, not only is 'R Milner Pocklington' painted on the clockface, but inside is a label saying: 'Reuben Milner, Regent Street, Pocklington 1823.'

'Roger's Maps'

Old maps fascinate people, and Pocklington & District Local History Group put together an exhibition of historic maps from the district collected or created by notable locals.

Titled 'Roger's Maps' the exhibition was in the Pocklington Arts Centre studio and ran for five weeks from 22 February. The inspiration behind it was the late history group president, Roger Bellingham. For many years a respected Pocklington solicitor, with history a hobby, he then took early retirement and retrained as a distinguished local historian, culminating in achieving his doctorate in local history.

Along the way he gathered an extensive archive of books and maps which he left to the local history group in his will. But Roger made maps as well as collecting them, and in conjunction with the late John Nottingham, he produced charts detailing Pocklington's 18th century enclosure awards and the town's ancient watercourses.

Former RAF and British Aerospace test navigator, Nottingham, also lived in Pocklington. And he collaborated with Mike Silburn, whose family owned land and property in the district going back centuries, to create a remarkable series of tithe and enclosure maps for surrounding villages, including Melbourne, Seaton Ross, Thornton, East Cottingwith, Bielby, Fangfoss, KIlnwick Percy, Millington, Burnby, Yapham and Meltonby, Bishop Wilton, Barmby Moor and Allerthorpe.

In addition to the archive and creations provided by Roger, John and Mike; the history group's exhibition also included the work of Pocklington's most celebrated cartographer, William Watson, born in Seaton Ross in 1784, who moved to George Street, and drew maps of Pocklington, Market Weighton and villages, and of the Pocklington canal. A selection of maps detailing Pocklington and surrounding villages from the 14th, 17th,18th, 19th and 20th centuries also were on view.

'Roger's Maps' were on display in the studio at Pocklington Arts Centre from Tuesday 22 February to Saturday 26 March.

An old Pocklington clock by Phil Gilbank

A Pocklington grandfather clock has come home after almost 200 years, and the Pocklington District Heritage Trust is now appealing for someone to temporarily house it where it can be seen by the community.

The grandfather clock - more correctly termed a longcase clock - was made in Pocklington 198 years ago, but has spent most of its life in other parts of Britain. The owners, John and Claire Doyle, had kept and cared for it for the past 15 years at their home in Glossop, but after reading an article on the pocklingtonhistory.com website they decided to donate it back to where it originated.

Though she does not know exactly how they acquired it, the clock has been in Claire Doyle's family for several generations. Claire thinks it came into the family when they were 19th century Yorkshire shoemakers, and she has fond memories of playing with the clock as a child at her grandfather's in Lancashire. It moved on to an aunt's house in Wales, before coming into the Doyle's possession at Glossop.

Claire explained: "We've enjoyed having the clock, but our son isn't really interested in it. I was searching the internet for some information about the makers and saw they wanted a clock in Pocklington; I'm really pleased to be able to send it home after all these years."

The clock was collected from Glossop by Pocklington District Heritage Trust trustees, Phil Gilbank and Andrew Sefton, who carefully brought it back to East Yorkshire. They had been looking for such a clock to be part of the collection in the proposed Pocklington museum, but had just missed out on a couple that had been sold at auctions elsewhere in the country, so were delighted when the Doyles made contact.

Phil Gilbank said: "We are immensely grateful to Mr and Mrs Doyle for giving us their clock. After looking for several months, I was beginning to think we were fated not to find one until this offer came out of the blue, it is a splendid piece of Pocklington clock making.

"It still keeps good time, but we have been warned by John Doyle that it has a mind of its own. He's cared for it throughout the past 15 years and told us that if you don't do things the way it is used to, it will shut down for a couple of days to show who is boss, then start up again and run fine!"

The heritage trust is now looking for someone to look after it until its museum plans come to fruition. Phil added: "Having brought it back to Pocklington, it would be a shame if it was out of view of the community. So we are appealing to any public building or local business that might like to house it for the time being in a place where it can be seen."

Anyone who might be interested in looking after it for the heritage trust can make contact by email on pocklingtonheritage@gmail.com, or Phil's mobile is 07944 006133. The clock was made by Reuben Milner in his Pocklington workshop in Regent Street. Identifying it was easy, not only is 'R Milner Pocklington' painted on the clockface, but inside is a label saying: 'Reuben Milner, Regent Street, Pocklington 1823.'

It is an early example of Milner's work. He came to Pocklington from Market Weighton when he married Mary Easton in 1805, and started his clock and watchmaking on West Green, but soon moved to Regent Street, where the Milner family continued making timepieces for three generations.

Reuben's son, Charles, carried on the Pocklington business with his nephew Robert. When Charles died in 1873, Robert moved to Leeds as a watchmaker, though his life rapidly went downhill as he was declared bankrupt and his wife divorced him for cruelty and desertion. Leaving Yorkshire behind, Robert emigrated to America where he reinvented himself in the 1880s, starting a new family and working as a watchmaker in Philadelphia. He started his own watchmaking and jewellery business in 1899, which was taken on by his son, another Reuben, and the shop continued to trade in Philadelphia until the 1950s.

Pic: John Doyle (left) gives Andrew Sefton some advice on the workings of the clock.

Report on the William Wilberforce evening by Phil Gilbank

An appreciative audience of over a hundred enjoyed a varied programme of talk, readings and song to mark the 250th anniversary of William Wilberforce arriving in Pocklington as a 12-year old boy in November 1771.

He continued to live in the town for the next five years and the focus of the event, held in All Saints church, was to describe the 18th century Pocklington where Wilberforce spent his adolescence, and how some of the views and friendships that he developed during his Pocklington years remained with him for the rest of his life.

Particularly notable were Wilberforce's own words. Several of his schoolboy essays and writings have survived, including an essay he wrote as a 14-year old in 1774 that said: 'How is he shocked by viewing one part of the world, seeming made only to furnish slaves for the other.' Current Pocklington student, Henry Hudson (pictured left), read the whole essay, and the audience also heard a description from Tindal Walmsley how he had posted a letter from Wilberforce at Pocklington post office in the Market Place. Walmsley was classmate of Wilberforce who became a lifelong friend and went on to be an Anglican clergyman and the first general secretary of the National Schools movement which established thousands of church schools across the world in the 19th century. Walmsley recalled: 'His abomination of the slave trade he evinced when he was not more than 14 years of age. One day he gave me a letter to put in the post office, addressed to the editor of the York paper, which he told me was in condemnation of the odious traffic in human flesh.'

The 250th anniversary event also had a talk by Phil Gilbank about 1770s life and work in Pocklington, which was a busy, noisy place where the beck flowed open through the town. It supported several cottage industries, with tanning leather, malting barley and making shoes to the fore. William Hickington, 'The Pocklington Poet', lived in the town in the late 1760s and early 1770s with his verses taking a sideways swipe of Pocklington life, and some of his poetry was read by town crier, Geoff Sheasby, the vicar of Pocklington, Rev Jake Belder, and Pocklington School's external relations director, Sheena McNamee.

Wilberforce loved poetry and singing from a young age. And the Pocklington Celebration Singers provided choral entertainment with a programme of specially chosen songs; before the evening was brought to a close by more of Wilberforce's own words.

Wilberforce was not happy at being sent to Pocklington in 1771. But he quickly came to love the place, and Henry Hudson read a poem he composed on leaving the town in 1776, describing how he stood on top of the mail coach to Hull looking back at Pocklington church tower with tears in his eyes until it disappeared out of sight. And the closing part of a memorable evening was Pocklington School's pastoral deputy head, Martin Davies, reading extracts of Wilberforce's abolition speech to parliament in 1789 - dubbed "the greatest speech in history".

Pocklington Walk and Talk with Phil Gilbank on Thurs 16th Sept. 2021. A good turnout for the guided historical tour of Pocklington on a pleasant September evening. The noisy traffic was determined to drown out the evening, but luckily Phil's booming voice saved the day. The nights are drawing in but Phil managed to finish on West Green lit by the circus which had been visiting the town for 150 years.

We sold 15 tour books and they are available at Forth's (£5) and tickets for Phil's Wilberforce lecture (see events) also sold well which are available for sale in the Church (£5).

Phil mentioned his role as Chairman of Pocklington District Heritage Trust determined to bring a Museum and Heritage Centre to the town. To support the quest please sign the petition. https://chng.it/x8wdmrNdZv

Following a spell of hot weather, our first event was on a fine July evening with cooling wind, following the opening up of restrictions from the pandemic lockdown.

A guided socially distanced walk around Millington was just the perfect first event for the history group. John Burley, Chairman of Millington Parish Council and Camilla Inglis split the group into two with one half going to the history display in the Millington village hall (the old school room) and the other half into St. Margaret's church.

The highlights of the church visit included the large early painting of George I coat of arms, the old panels with the lords prayer and the ten commandments, and Phil Gilbank showed us round the back of the church where stone historian Richard Myerscough suggested the north wall could have robbed stone from a nearby Roman building. The square cut form of the stone was similar to known Roman stone cutting techniques. It is known a Roman temple was identified by early antiquarians nearby in the eighteenth century and John Wesley, in one of his many visits to the area was taken to see a mosaic floor.

The history display in the village hall had old photographs, copies of old documents and a 1744 map of the area showing Delgovicia marked as the site of the old Roman temple near the Roman Road passing over the wolds from Brough to Malton.

A little tour of the village found the old village water spring, the varied house styles and brick colours and the old Manor house belonging to Andrew Curtis who kindly allowed the group to view more possibly old Roman stone used to build the house.

The side of the house showed rebuilding and repair from many eras and sources of materials. To finish in the Gate Inn for a refreshing pint seemed appropriate and needed. Thanks to the Millington village participants John and Camilla for giving us a memorable evening.

John Nottingham at the 2016 Flying Man Festival in Pocklington Church

The history group is sad to record the passing of distinguished local historian, John Nottingham, who died on Friday after a long illness.

Called John in Pocklington circles, but Jim to his family, he was a Pocklington man who's family roots in the area went back several centuries. He may well have been unknown to many Pocklington & District History Group members, as he preferred to beaver away out of the limelight and rarely attended meetings or events, but his contribution to the history of Pocklington and surrounding villages was immense and invaluable. Such was his input he was made an honorary life member of the history group at its 2020 AGM.

John's 'specialist subjects' were many and varied, and often unusual. His work on local watercourses, bricks, tithe and land allocations, notable individuals, the canal, and, in particular, RAF Pocklington, was exceptional. He combined meticulous research with a talent to back it up with both words and graphics.

With Roger Bellingham he produced authoritive publications on Pocklington watercourses, tracing the channels they followed in ancient times, and of Pocklington's 1757 enclosure awards, including identifying their locations and ownership as well as identifying Pocklington's Medieval Open Fields. He was the author of a detailed study of brickmaking and brickmakers across the district, and how several took their trade from East Yorkshire to North America.

Although he had early dreams of playing cricket for Yorkshire, John joined the RAF at 16 and served in the skies for 30 years, then continued his aviation career with British Areospace, including flying out of Holme on Spalding Moor, subsequently diverting some of his considerable energies and expertise into local history following retirement. As a former navigator he loved maps and charts, both reading them and making them; and often in conjunction with Mike Silburn, he originated unique tithe and enclosure maps for Barmby Moor, Bishop Wilton, Melbourne and Storwood, Burnby, Millington, Warter, Fangfoss, Yapham and Meltonby, Kilnwick Percy, Allerthorpe, East Cottingwith, Bolton, Seaton Ross, Bielby and Thornton. In 2019 he also produced a gazetteer and map of all the Iron Age finds and features within ten miles of Pocklington, as well as a Pocklington Expansion map. His love of aviation led him to research the history Pocklington Airfield as well as early flying machines and V-Force Operations at RAF Elvington in the 1960s.

He delighted in his local roots - today's Nottingham Farm at Barmby Moor previously belonged to an ancestor, and Nottinghams once farmed across the district; while some of his forebearers made the bricks that contructed local canals and buildings in the 18th and 19th centuries. His family links included Mary Dewsberry a Pocklington philanthropist that John researched. And he used his experience in researching his own geneaology to help dozens of people who made family history enquiries via the Pocklington history website.

John battled with cancer for several years, but his local history comittment continued unabated His most recent project, again with Mike Silburn, was an exhaustive record of all the losses in WWII of aircraft from local airfields entitled "RAF Pocklington and Local Area Losses" which he published electronically just a couple of months ago.

Typically when he created the RAF Pocklington Losses publication he insisted that his own name did not appear on the front cover, instead atributing authorship to the Pocklington & District Local History Group. So much of John's work may have been behind the scenes and in the shadows; but his legacy will live on through his research, maps and publications; and by delving into pocklingtonhistory.com it will quickly become apparent just how significant his contribution to local history has been in recent times.

Phil Gilbank, Chairman, Pocklington and District Local History Group

Pocklington & District Local History Group was sad to learn of the passing last week (6th January 2021) of its president, Roger Bellingham, aged 88.

For over 50 years Roger had a passion for Pocklington history, and his knowledge and expertise of the town's past was a key factor in the history group being established. Roger gave a talk at the inaugural meeting of the history group in 2007, then was promptly elected as the group's life president.

Roger Bellingham moved to Pocklington in 1962 when he became a solictor with Powell & Youngs. He was soon involved in all things historical, surveying and recording local features and places with his wife, Barbara, then playing a leading role in a local interest group that put together the book 'Pocklington 1660-1914 - a small East Riding Market Town', published in 1972.

He continued to research, collect and record; and he combined his roles as local historian and Powell & Young partner in archiving and depositing in the East Riding archives some hundreds of deeds and documents relating to Pocklington, Market Weighton and surrounding villages from the 15th to 20th centuries that were held by the firm.

But his legacy to the district's history went so much further. Deciding to reduce his solicitor work to part-time in the 1980s, he became a qualified historian in addition to a lawyer, culminating in being awarded a PhD in local history at Leicester University in 2000. His academic study produced a series of articles and papers, from local transport, migration and enclosure awards of the 18th century, to Pocklington's first telephone exchange in the early 1900s. His work on Dade parish registers made him a national authority.

From the outset he was a front row regular at history group meetings until declining health and mobilty made monthly attendance difficult. But he continued to attend meetings and events when he could into the group's 2019-20 programme, and retained his interest and involvement through reading any available new Pocklington articles in recent months. He was delighted when the 2019 excavations on The Mile confirmed his own long-standing theories about Pocklington's Saxon origins.

His knowledge, support and wise counsel will be greatly missed.

Phil Gilbank, Chairman, Pocklington and District Local History Group

NEW FACEBOOK GROUP - POCKLINGTON DISTRICT HERITAGE

Pocklington District Heritage Trust was formed to promote and showcase heritage in the town of Pocklington and nearby villages and consists of representatives from local heritage groups, plus schools, town and county councils, archaeologists and interested and expert individuals. We believe Pocklington is the 'Gateway to the Wolds' and as such is a perfect place to create a heritage centre and museum in the town to house the exciting new finds now discovered in the town and surrounding district.

Please join the group and post on to it your old photographs of Pocklington and district heritage. Open to everyone!

Pocklington & District Local History Group has been running productively for 14 years this coming January and during that time has hosted scores of fascinating talks and exhibitions, and facilitated a wealth of new research. But its 2020 Annual General Meeting was very different to anything that had gone before, being held six months later than scheduled and via Zoom.

Nevertheless, the history group could look back on another busy year, with more notable talks May 2019 - March 2020, and a host of new additions to the archives.

Chairman Phil Gilbank outlined his highlights as Andrew Sefton's 'Old Pocklington Shops' presentation, the latest archaeology talk by Paula Ware which packed out the 310-seat Stoppard Centre, the visit to Bar Farm antiques emporium at Barmby Moor and Chris Bond's overview of Pocklington Church held in the church. As with all such organisations, there was disappointment that the group's programme was curtailed from April onwards, but though there is no light at the end of the tunnel yet it is hoped that most of the planned speakers can be rebooked for the resumption of normal activity.

Phil also reported that the history group's sister organisation, the heritage partnership working on creating a museum facility in Pocklington, has recently applied for charity status under the title Pocklington District Heritage Trust, and continues with its negotiations.

The business part of the evening included treasurer, Chris Bond, presenting the annual accounts which again showed the group to be in a sound financial position.

The officers and committee members all put themselves forward for another year and were re-elected nem con.

2020/21 Re-Elected Committee: Chairman - Phil Gilbank, Secretary – Jo Green, Treasurer – Chris Bond, Archivist/Webmaster – Andrew Sefton, Committee – Peter Green, Jane Henley (representing the villages), John Brown, Geoff Sheasby, Jane Johnson and David West with one vacancy. Roger Bellingham remains Honorary President. One committee vacancy remains and anyone wanting to play a greater role in the local history of Pocklington and the surrounding villages would be welcomed to fill the vacancy, contact the chairman or secretary.

The meeting voted that John Nottingham and Mike Silburn be awarded honorary life membership of the history group for their invaluable and unassuming work on tithe and enclosure maps for several nearby villages, and their research for the forthcoming RAF Pocklington Losses publication.

The main section of the meeting was Andrew Sefton's annual review as he went through a selection of the notable events, research and items added to the local history archives, both digital and substantive, in 2019 and 2020. In addition he outlined a couple of the projects that the history group hopes to undertake in the coming months.

Andrew's presentation included showing some of the remarkable old photographs that have been discovered or sent in by families and website contacts. The full review of the year was recorded on the night and can be viewed here.

Paula arrived to the Tom Stoppard centre with a packed audience of 300 people to present the latest news on the remarkable prehistoric finds that have been discovered in the town in the past few years. In the entrance foyer was an exhibition of photographs of the archaeology sites around the town and other pictures of local finds from local amateur find collectors as well as metal detectorists. Paula is managing director of MAP Archaeological Practice which has undertaken three recent major excavations in Pocklington - Burnby Lane 2014-17, The Mile 2018 and Yapham Road 2019.

In a series of annual sell out talks she has described the digs, the stunning finds they have uncovered and the post-excavation conservation and analysis. The talk was entitled "Pocklington just keeps giving" - latest news on the town's Iron Age & Anglian archaeology. Past talks have focused on burial rituals in the Iron Age and how Pocklington archaeology is rewriting the history books. The latest excavations also revealed new information about the living arrangements of the same people in and around the town, in addition to Paula gave an update on the analysis of the previous finds. News on the earlier excavations, which included the discovery of two unprecedented Iron Age chariots and the site of a rare mid-Anglo Saxon settlement, which has gone out from Pocklington to around the globe, and been covered by the media world wide.

In addition, the Burnby Lane dig won Current Archaology magazine's 'Rescue Project of the Year' award in 2018, while unearthing The Mile chariot was the main feature of a special BBC Digging For Britain documentary about Iron Age Britain. Proceeds from the event went towards the Pocklington heritage centre project.

Andrew Sefton started the new decade for the history group with a talk on the old shops of Pocklington to a packed out court house. Extra seats had to be borrowed from the Rugby Club. Because of the sheer number of businesses that have appeared and gone over the years the speaker decided to cover the more prominent shops that were in place a large number of years or passed from generation to generation, but also ones for which he had a photograph! The focus included Meynells, Proctors, Browne, Eric Lee, Scaife, Gilsons, Easton's printers and saddlers/blacksmith, W & C Forth, Manners, Tom Harris Stationers, Fred Lee entrepreneur. Many other photographs of shops were shown thanks to the kind courtesy of Roger Pattison (Pocklington Times/Post photographer). The speaker asked for memorabila to be brought on the evening and by far the largest was a metal sign of Fred Lee brought by Tarn Morris of Barmby Road. Various bill heads and invoices have been collected and one donation to the group was a complete set of Fred Lee's invoices from Gallagher Tobacco company for the years of 1902 & 1903, and found in the loft of a shop, which clearly show the vast amount of cigarettes being smoked in the town at the time. It is clearly how Fred Lee was able to fund the opening of the town's first cinema c.1912. Fred Lee died at a young age of 42 to Pneumonia in 1918 but achieved a lot in his lifetime with his business name carrying on into the 1980's. Many of the old shop photos shown on the night can be viewed on the Old Shops Remembered webpage.

The large Fred Lee sign brought on the evening by Tarn Morris.

Pocklington had a visitor with a difference when Belgian national, Albert Haler, spent the week in the town with his wife, Sylvia.

Albert presented outside Faircote House where his father was born in 1916. L-R, Phil Gilbank, Geoff Todd, Sylvia Haler, Albert Haler, Andrew Sefton, Cassie Thackray

Albert is from an long established Belgian family, but he was surprised to find out that his father, Joseph, had been born in Pocklington in 1916. A chance meeting with a pair of Yorkshire tourists at a Continental caravan park a couple of years ago prompted a link to the Pocklington Local History Group through archivist, Andrew Sefton, which resulted in the Halers' 2019 Pocklington expedition.

When Albert researched his family history in more detail, he discovered that his grandparents were among more than 250,000 Belgians evacuated to Britain when their country was invaded at the start of World War I. A few dozen found their way to Pocklington and surrounding villages, with Albert's grandparents in the 20 who were billeted in the town in December 1914.

A fundraising campaign was set up to provide them with food, clothing and household goods, and they were initially accommodated in a large empty house in Union Street. But some moved on to elsewhere in the town, including Pierre and Marie Haler who became gardener and cook for Dr Fairweather at Faircote House on West Green. Pierre also had spells back at the front on the Continent as an artillery officer in the Belgian army, while Marie remained in Pocklington where her children Georgette (1915), Joseph (1916), and Nellie (1918) were born.

It finally became safe for the family to return home, and they bade farewell to Pocklington for good in 1919 - for 100 years, that is, until Albert's trip back to his father's birthplace last week.

Albert reads his thanks to the people of Pocklington for offering refuge to his grandfathers family in ww1 and for the people of Britain for their help in liberating his country in 1945 at the 75th D-Day memorial ceremony.

It was a week packed with visits and events. The Haler's busy programme included a tour of Faircote House, now Pocklington School's girls' boarding house, where they were shown round by the current housemistress, Cassie Thackray, and Geoff Todd, who married Dr Fairweather's daughter and lived at Faircote before it was taken over by the school.

Other Pocklington activities included him representing Belgium in the D-Day memorial service - Albert followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father in joining the Belgian military; visiting All Saints church, which houses the Denison Triptych that was carved circa 1500 in Brussels where Albert was born; and SS Mary & Joseph's Roman Catholic church where he believes his father was baptised.

Albert also quickly developed a liking for all things Yorkshire, including Yorkshire Tea, and fish and chips at The Feathers, where he sang a word perfect rendition of the county anthem 'On Ilkley Moor Baht Tat' at the end of his meal.

Dr. Kaley Kramer originally from Canada but now lectures at Sheffield Hallam University on English Literature. She was previously at York St. John University where she developed an interest in the early printers of York, and is still part of a study group on the subject. Her talk uncovered York’s printing heritage from its early beginnings into the large newspaper printing presses of the eighteenth century. York’s history of printing began with the arrival of migrant Dutch printers in the late 15th century and continued right up to the present day. The city hosted King Charles I’s printer during the turbulent summer of 1642; became a northern hub of Puritan and Quaker printing during the Commonwealth and was home to one of the earliest regional newspapers – the York Mercury – founded in 1718.

Thomas Gent in 1707 began an apprenticeship with Stephen Powell, a printer of Dublin, but was unhappy there and in 1710 he absconded, and stowed way on a ship, arriving in Wirral, England, then travelled to London where he took up apprenticeship under Edward Midwinter. In 1717 he was admitted to the Company of Stationers, and became a freeman of London the same year. He obtained a post with John White, King's printer for York, at a rate of £18 a year, plus board and lodging, arriving in April 1714. There he met Alice Guy. Gent was seeking to establish himself as a printer in his own right, so that he had the means to marry Alice Guy. However she married Charles Bourne, grandson of John White and inheritor of his printshop, in 1721. Alice was widowed in 1724, and Gent travelled to York, marrying her in York Minster in December 1724, and by marriage, obtained a print business in York. Gent became publisher of Yorkshire's only newspaper, the Original York Courant, or Weekly Journal, previously the York Mercury. John White Jnr, printer of Newcastle, son of John White, who had hoped but failed to obtain the York Press for himself set up a rival business in York; the competition prompted Gent to begin to author his own works, and he published a history of York in 1730. Gent's paper ceased publication in 1728, and White's 'The York Courant' became the predominant local paper. From the 1740s Gent's business went into decline, due to competition from John White Jnr., and other printers who had set up in York; he lost the lease on his house and print premises in Stonegate in 1742, and moved to a house in Petergate, where he continued to publish but with reduced output.

Francis Drake was an English antiquary who wrote the first major substantial history of the city, entitled Eboracum. Drake was born in January 1696 and was baptised in Pontefract, the son of Francis Drake, the vicar of Pontefract and canon of York. Drake was educated locally and was apprenticed to a local surgeon, Christopher Birbeck. After taking over the surgeon’s practice in his early 20s following Birbeck’s death in 1717, he grew in stature locally and was in 1727 appointed at the city’s surgeon. Drake became interested in the history of the city and was given money by the city council in 1731, amongst others, towards illustrations for his new book. Drake was one of the first to research and collate information from the city archives, which the authorities had allowed him to access. The Eboracum book was published in two volumes in January 1736 with 540 subscribers which paid for the creation of the work. The quality of the book Eboracum was remarkable and much superior quality to Gent's printing.

Kaley went on to highlight the importance of strong women in York's printing industry who were widows who prospered their business's after their husbands death. Throughout the 18th century, as in London, booksellers’ shops were busy social spaces, centres of literary and intellectual discussion and dissemination. The first two volumes of Laurence Stern’s The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy were printed in Stonegate; as well as the first newspaper, The York Mercury, in 1718. In the shadow of the Minster, booksellers and printers found profitable shops and work spaces in Minster’s Yard and Stonegate. Printing could be dangerous work that brought publishers and writers to the attention of anxious and litigious authorities. A fascinating talk from a knowledgable and well researched speaker, and we thank her for travelling to Pocklington for the evenings' talk from Sheffield.

The Geophysical survey carried out on the Mile site for Persimmon Homes discovered an Anglo Saxon village.

The AGM this year unusually was started by our guest speaker John Brown (ex-Woldgate School Headmaster). He had an interactive session to extract what was the essence and 'sense of place' for each village, town or city. He went through his early memories with images from each of the important places in his life. Northumberland, Newcastle, Durham, Middlesborough, Tynemouth, London, Pocklington. For each place he showed photographs representing what he felt was a sense of place for each. He then asked the audience to provide an example of their own and to think about Pocklington. This will help with the drafting of the town plan for the town council. The Chairman's address reported a very successful year especially for the exciting archaeology being discovered in the town. He summarised the Archaeology around the town discovered this last year including the exciting find of a unique chariot burial with upright horses, featured on last Decembers 'Digging for Britain' presented by Alice Roberts for the BBC. Newly discovered were the Romano British finds from the Yapham road build by Bellway Homes. He also reported on the progress on the active participation of the group in the Pocklington Heritage Partnership (PHP). This was formed with the objective of creating a heritage centre in the town initially focussed on housing the Iron Age finds from Burnby Lane. The exciting news following close cooperation with Burnby Hall Gardens Trust was the winning of a £54,000 Resiliant Heritage award to carry out a feasibility study into the viability of the new Museum. Next was the Treasurer's report and Peter Green announced he had been doing the job for 12 years and wished to step down this year to become a committee member. He announced a healthy positive balance for the year of £537.65 following last years deficit of £87.96. Peter congratulated Andrew Sefton for the production of the world war one book and expressed gratitude to the Pocklington Town Council for their award of a £1000 grant towards its production cost and helped prevent a loss to the group in the accounts. He proposed Chris Bond to take over his position and this was unanimously approved. The Chairman formally thanked Peter for his years of service in the role of Treasurer. Then followed the re-election of the committee, with the exception of Paul Jennings who had announced his retirement from the committee. The room was asked if there were any new nominations for any of the committee officers, none were forthcoming, each of the present officers of the committee were proposed and seconded with the existing ordinary committee members voted en-bloc. No one volunteered to fill the vacancy on the committee, so if anyone wishes to fill the post, please contact the Chairman or Secretary.

2019/20 Re-Elected Committee: Chairman - Phil Gilbank, Secretary – Jo Green, Treasurer – Chris Bond, Archivist/Webmaster – Andrew Sefton, Committee – Peter Green, Jane Henley (representing the villages), John Brown, Geoff Sheasby, Jane Johnson and David West with one vacancy. Roger Bellingham remains Honorary President.

Andrew Sefton at the launch of the WW1 book "Adieu to Dear Old Pock" at the Pocklington Church Flower Festival

Next was the Archivist's Report. Andrew Sefton reported on a remarkable year for the group. The website continues it's success and received a revamp and refresh including wider format, secure https, clearer menus and an extra button to provide news on the Heritage Centre. Thanks were given to Andrew's son Daniel who made all the changes.

Highlights of 2018/19 included :

New finds and photographs were presented including the discovery of a Pocklington jail cell door from the 19th century in a local outbuilding, one of the letter sorting racks from an old Victorian Pocklington Post Office, a 'Fryer of Pocklington' grandfather clock face from the 1820s, discovery of the missing volumes of 1963, 1964 and 1967 of the Pocklington Times including the precious first edition of 3rd May 1963 which was thought to be lost. The Robson family collection donated to the group, scanning of an old photo album of Melbourne Airfield, Enclosure and Tythe maps published on the website for many local villages and even an old photograph of Harold Key's hi-tech old barber's chair from the 1960's. A very successful evening and the group is in a strong position to move forward to the future and assist in the future plans for the possible new Heritage Centre for the town.

Paula Ware arrived in Pocklington to a packed Arts Centre for the 4th year in a row to update the town on the latest exciting archaeology finds. Coming off the back of winning Current Archaeology Rescue Project of the year in 2018, she expressed surprise that she was returning to present again yet more stunning finds. Excavating in a new area to the north of the town on behalf of Persimmon homes, she said a discovery there was a "Howard Carter moment" for her when her team, MAP Archaeological Practice, uncovered a second Iron Age Chariot from a square barrow buried on the towns perimiter. This time a stunning Chariot burial with Chariot and Horses all buried upright which she said was unique in the UK. It was early days for providing a full report as excavation only finished last November, but some early reports on Osteology and Isotope Analysis were available to present. She showed some videos of the excavation which had not been seen before and reported on the age of the charioteer and likely movements through his life from the Isotope analysis. As well as other burials from round barrows nearby.

As exciting was the uncovering of a full Anglo Saxon settlement with a full community of Grubenhäuser type houses with sunken floors, built to store enough grain in the pit to feed a family for a year, and covered in wooden flooring for day to day living. A full report on all of this will follow. With the additional discovery of Neolithic pottery (Durrington Wall Grooved Ware dated 3500 - 2800 BC), makes Pocklington one of the oldest places in Yorkshire with continuous settlement living on the site to modern times.

Because of the demand to hear Paula speak, permission was granted by Paula to present a replay of a recording of her talk along with her slides. This was presented to three full houses at 2pm, 5pm and 7.30pm on Monday 11th March. Members of the PHP (Pocklington Heritage Partnership) were at hand to answer questions about the future storage of the finds and the plans for a possible new Museum and Heritage Centre for the town.

In 1901 Major Percy Stewart, a teacher at Pocklington School, married Katharine Bridges (who was married before and was nee Priestman) who was the daughter of an influential and wealthy North East coal-mine owner.

He and his wife bought Burnby Hall (then called Ivy Hall) in 1904 and subsequently developed an extensive estate of lands in and around Pocklington, Burnby and Hayton (he became Lord of the Manor at Burnby and Hayton). From this time on the Major devoted his life to creating gardens of outstanding beauty at Burnby Hall; interspersed with eight world tours between 1906 and 1922, when, often accompanied by Katherine, he travelled the globe and visited every continent.

One of the year's discoveries was a photograph of the Market Place of good enough quality to show William Forth the printer outside his shop in May 1890

This years AGM marked the 11th year of the starting of the History group. The AGM commenced with the Chairman's address and he was able to report a very successful year with wide and varied programme and was able to introduce the forthcoming programme of events already booked up for a year in advance up to the next AGM. He also reported promising progress on the active participation of the group in the Pocklington Heritage Partnership (PHP) formed with the objective of creating a heritage centre in the town initially focussed on housing the Iron Age finds from Burnby Lane. The PHP comprises of members from the History Group Committee, Pocklington Gateway, the Town Council, East Riding Council, Pocklington School and Burnby Hall Gardens Trust. This is very much work in progress and further reports on this will follow. He then reported the extra archeology ongoing for the new build housing planned for The Mile and Yapham Road,and hints of further exciting discoveries that may be uncovered. Next was the Treasurer's report and Peter Green announced he had been doing the job for 11 years and was happy to continue for one more but may step down next year. He announced a healthy balance with income from door admissions just covering the expense of room hire, but with speakers costs and other expenses a deficit of £87.96 was reported for the year. Peter again pleaded for a new book, as sales of previous publications had dried up, but was pleased the group are planning release of a new book on WW1 which is planned for launch this year. Then followed the re-election of the committee. The room was asked if there were any nominations for any of the committee posts, none were forthcoming, so a proposal was made from the floor to re-elect the present committee in a block and it was seconded and unanimously approved. Due to the sad death of committee member Denis Moor in the past year, a vacancy on the committee was available. No one volunteered to fill it so if anyone comes forward, please contact the Chairman or Secretary.

2018/19 Re-Elected Committee: Chairman - Phil Gilbank, Secretary – Jo Green, Treasurer – Peter Green, Archivist/Webmaster – Andrew Sefton, Committee – Chris Bond, Jane Henley (representing the villages), Paul Jennings, John Brown, Jane Johnson, Geoff Sheasby and David West. Roger Bellingham remains Honorary President.

Next was the Archivist Report. Andrew Sefton reported the past years events and acquisitions of the group archives. The website continues it's success with growth of the user base rising from about 1,000 unique users per month to now approaching 1,500 users per month. This was partly boosted by announcements of Iron Age finds of the Iron Age Chariot and the Burnby Lane dig winning Rescue project of the year. Various new photographs were shown including a most generous donation from Bob Sissons of a collection of original old Pocklington photographs including a very rare 1922 Whiteheads Directory of Pocklington and District. He also announced the publication of the book on soldiers from Pocklington who fought and died in the first World War and planned to be on sale for the flower festival to commemorate the Centenary of the end of the war in Pocklington Church in September 2018.

Phil examines the precious autograph book of Vera Kidd

Then followed the keynote address for the evening by Phil Gilbank on "The Spaniards from Pocklington who liberated Paris". This was a most unexpected and fascinating tale of how soldiers camped and based in Pocklington and district for a few months just prior to the D-Day landings in June 1944, and how 3 tanks from Huggate driven by Pocklington Spaniards were first in to Paris for its liberation. Phil told how the story developed from original research by Jo Green but which was triggered into life from an email recieved to the history group from Tenerife from a researcher investigating the Spanish resistance fighters. They took part in the Spanish Civil war against Franco were defeated and fled into France to be held in a prison camp only to be offered liberation if they agreed to join the French Foreign Legion. Most took this path and ended up posted to Pocklington and district as part of the Free French preparing for the Normandy invasion. Whilst in Pocklington they were mostly in the drill hall but were dotted all around the town. Schoolgirl Vera Kidd took an autograph book at the time around all the Spanish soldiers in the town, and its remarkable survival with the comments written in it provide us a window into history and a real tangible link with the time. Another key to unlock the story was a photograph of them stood outside the United Services Club and published a number of years ago in the Pocklington Post but incorrectly captioned. See below.