Friday, February 18, 2005

100 years ago: A correspondent using the nom de plume of Ratepayer wrote: "I hope the ratepayers of Heworth and the City will carefully read the notices put up on the land adjoining the footpath between Tang Hall Lane and Bull Lane. It has been used by citizens for over 100 years. Yet the footpath will be stopped unless the ratepayers protest. I ask, why should it be removed 57 feet in a southern direction in Bull Lane? Whom will it benefit?" He went on to ask why, if landowners wanted to improve the estate, did they not make it a thirty to forty foot wide road instead.

50 years ago: Mr Nobody found more on the extent of St Mary's Parish in Drake's Eboracum, which was lent to him by a reader. "Higher up, on Bishophill," it was stated, "and near adjoining to the Back of the Priory of St Trinity, stands a Parish Church called St Mary's, Bishophill the Younger. This church was esteemed one of the great Farms belonging to the Dean and Chapter of York. The Town of Copmanthorpe belongs to this Church and Parish of St Mary's, the Dean and Chapter having the Tithe-Corn and Hay thereof, usually left to Farm at the Rent of 16L per ann. The Town of Over-Poppleton belongs to this Parish also." After describing the gallows tree which stood "in the Midst of the High Road, betwixt Dringhouses and the City", it continued: "Near this is a Piece of Ground belonging to the City, called Hob-Moor. How long is has borne that Appellation we know not, but the Pasture Masters of Micklegate Ward some Years ago had a mind to perpetuate it by placing an old Statue on a Pedestal, and putting under it this Inscription: This Statue long Hob's Name was bore, Who was Knight in Days of yore, And gave this Common to the Poor. The Figure is no more than that of a Knight Templar of the Family of Ross, as appears by his Shield, and it was very probably dragged out of the Ruins of some of our demolished Monasteries."

25 years ago: The first vessel to be launched sideways this year at Selby was the Angelonia, a cargo ship costing more than £1 million, built at Cochrane's Shipyard. The 1,300 tonnes vessel was the second of a pair of identical general cargo ships built for J Wharton (Shipping) Ltd of Gunness, Scunthorpe. Her sister ship was the Lizzonia, launched last December, who had already taken on her first cargo of grain and was bound for the Continent.

Updated: 09:18 Friday, February 18, 2005