Monday, November 22, 2004

100 years ago: At the Howden Petty Sessions a local man, who was a Justice of the Peace for the East Riding and a County Councillor, was charged on twelve separate summonses with the illegal employment of children of school age. The cases aroused considerable interest in the district, and a large number of people turned up at the court to watch the cases, however it was agreed at the outset to take one case and thus shorten the proceedings. The defending solicitor had written to the prosecutor, representing East Riding Education Committee, admitting the offence and agreeing there must be a conviction made. It appeared that the defendant engaged a number of boys for bush beating on the occasion of a shoot on his estate, something which the magistrates considered was a trivial case. They imposed a fine of 1s in one case and asked the defendant to pay the costs in the others.

50 years ago: Deposits of gypsum, a mineral valuable to industry and agriculture, had been revealed as a result of test drillings at Sherburn aerodrome. It was understood that the deposits were extensive and bore holes which had been sunk proved the existence of a bed of gypsum at a depth of about 200 feet. Some local farmers, it was believed, have already sold small areas of land for future exploration. It was not yet known whether full-scale mining of the mineral would be undertaken.

25 years ago: Contracts had been signed for the construction of a fabrication depot to store materials at Hambleton, and a start had been made on the approach road to the depot site from the A63, these developments marking the start of preliminary work for the diversion of the East Coast main line between York and Selby. The diversion was the largest project undertaken by British Rail in the 20th century, the last comparable undertaking being the laying of double track from Nottingham to Marylebone in 1899 by Great Central, and would include the building of 20 new bridges. It would take the line around Selby coalfield, with new track from Colton following the Leeds-Selby-Hull line from east of Monk Fryston to Hambleton, rejoining the present main line at Temple Hirst.

Updated: 09:14 Monday, November 22, 2004