CHAPTER 7

Bransholme Farms - Balloon Barrage

New Parsonage and

Victorian Renovations in Sutton Church

The Vicars - Thomas Blashill

At Enclosure, Hull Corporation received 212 acres, a tiny fraction of what is was to own two centuries later. The farmstead of High Bransholme was built upon the Corporation's chief allotment, close to the drain once called 30 acre dike, now Holderness Drain, the boundary of Swine, and far away from any road. The dike seemed the easiest method of getting produce away, for Bransholme Lane was a deep and muddy roadway. However, the next generation deemed it preferable to risk the perils of the road, so a new farmhouse was built near the Lane. It is from the Corporation's meticulous records that we know the old field names and the crop rotations of their farms. We can see how in 1823 the wheat crop in Wawn Close Field on the banks of the Foredyke, was ruined by floods, an ever-present problem; we see that Bankside was reasonably profitable. The premises, too, are scrutinised. After a typical inspection, William Stickney wrote to the Corporation in 1831:¹

.... I have examined the Farms at Bransholme and Sutton belonging to the Mayor and Corporation of Hull and below is my valuation and System of Cultivation. I have found the arable land and Buildings in a very deteriorated state of dilapidation - the whole of the arable land should have a complete Fallow as soon as possible . . . I would recommend that the Tenant should be enjoined not to sow the lands in the low grounds more than 3½ yards broad and with deep water furrowing in order to facilitate the discharge of water when it comes upon it.

Outline of Cultivation:

1 Farrow with manure        6   Fallow with lime

2 Wheat                               7   Oats or barley

3 Clover                               8   White Clover to Graze 2 years

4 Wheat                               9   Wheat or Oats

5 Beans or Peas                10   Beans or Peas

Thomas Rodmell employed seven men on High Bransholme Farm in 1851; he was still there 20 years later. By 1897, Arthur Wilson was the tenant. He had moved to Castle Hill by 1911.

Arthur Wilson having a spot of bother

Mr and Mrs Scott succeeded the Burrows' family at High Bransholme in 1968. Soon after moving in, the Scotts also took over the tenancy of Low Bransholme, retaining this until about 1980; the old farmhouse has since been demolished. The life of High Bransholme was abruptly brought to an end when the wall fell out. The Scotts now occupy a bungalow further down the lane.

Mrs Scott and local children bring sheaves from the farm to the Harvest Festival, c1991

The unusual name 'Noddle Hill' derives from Nordale or North Dale, being the hill nearest to Wawne. The farm was built around 1826, and comprised 157 acres between Foredike and Bransholme Lane. Henry Blashill, aged 35 was the tenant farmer in 1841, remaining there until he died in 1891, when his son Hudson took over the tenancy. In 1903 Hudson had moved away to Burton Pidsea, and the farm was put up for auction. By the 1920s the Stephenson family were the tenants of Noddle Hill.

Laurence Stephenson of Noddle Hill, 1930s

In September 1921, part of the land was sold off. Edwin Robson, of Sutton House, who owned large areas of land in Sutton and Bransholme, bought nearly four acres on the corner of Wawne Road and Bransholme Lane. He built Bransholme Lodge on half of the land, to be occupied by his son, Cecil Hodge Robson. He lived there until June 1945, when Alfred Race took up residence. In November 1959, he sold to Ernest Raymond North, of Bainton. The house was purchased by the Church of England in 1968 as a vicarage for the new St John's church.

In 1923, the remaining half of land was bought by John G Redfern, who had a messuage built, which he later sold. In 1938 Kenneth Waterhouse, from a well-known Sutton family, occupied the house, then known as The Garth, remaining there with his family for many years. It is now a residential home, Sycamore House.

Messrs I'Anson and Scott became tenants of Noddle Hill in 1937/8, succeeded in 1953 by son Peter Scott and his wife. Mrs Scott recalls the house as being isolated, well away from the road; there was no bathroom, the only running water being from a solitary tap in the kitchen. The toilet was down the garden. There was a dining room, sitting room, three bedrooms and a two-roomed attic.

It was when Noddle Hill was demolished in 1968 to make way for the Bransholme Estate, that the Scotts moved to High Bransholme.

Another farm built soon after Enclosure was called Primrose Hill, situated on the north east corner of Bransholme Lane and Wawne Road. In 1823 it was occupied by Timothy Jefferson. Thomas Richardson, at the age of 24, held the farm in 1851, and by 1871 William Smith was the farmer. He and his wife Elizabeth, died on the same day in 1895, both aged 72 - the result of an accident perhaps? John Dearing succeeded, then Frederick Wilkinson by 1911. When the Cassells held the farm in the 1920s, Mrs Nellie Myers remembers there occurring a serious fire in the stackyard. A Notice of Auction of 27 March 1923, housed in the Hull City Archives, gives interesting details of the Dairy Farm as it was then, under the tenancy of Mr F W Rogerson. There was housing for 21 cattle. Arable and pasture were of similar acreage. As with most of the farms in Bransholme, being primarily dairy farms, the arable side concentrated on fodder for the cattle.

For some years, Charles Edward Cape was the dairyman at Primrose Hill. It was eventually sold to the Council in December 1963, when the tenants were Harold Bayfield and Walter Burton.

The site is now occupied by some of the Garths, by Kinloss Primary School, and the area of the farmhouse itself by Wawne Ferry Public House - rather strange, as it is some three miles away from the former ferry at Wawne.

We have already mentioned Pool's, later Broadley's, farm of Soffham, and how in 1814 his tenant, poor John Taylor, met an untimely death.  Henry Blashill's father, Robert, then aged 54, was appointed Taylor's successor. He and his wife Mary, had five servants there according to the 1841 census. By 1851 Soffham comprised 450 acres and was held by William Rodmell. The farmhouse was re-built in 'classic Broadley style', according to a later occupier, John Redhead, and was nearer Wawne Road than the former one, being more convenient for the conveyance of produce. William Rodmell's son Francis Burnham succeeded his father, followed in 1920 by Joseph Elliott. His successor in the 1930s was Dopkin Pauling, who died after World War Two.

Around 1940, Mr Harrison-Broadley sold Soffham Farm to Frederick Curtis. He never lived there, and it was occupied by his sister, Mary Redhead, and her family.² 

Soffham Farm 1963

In September 1963 the Council bought some of the land from Mr Curtis's executors, and a large part of Bransholme was built on the site, including Northcott School (formerly Dulverton).

One of the most interesting early farms and messuages along Wawne Road was Lamwath,³ one of the very few still standing, though much changed. Early occupiers were William Bolton and Thomas Mitchell. The house passed to Henry Smith, Hull merchant, the owner/manager of seed-crushing mills, in 1868. He and his wife Ada, had eight children by the census of 1891, and a niece and cook, housemaid and kitchen maid were in residence at the time. The cottage and lodge were also occupied. The youngest daughter, Florence, lived in Sutton for a number of years.

In January 1896, a Notice of Sale attracted the attention of Mr Charles Hellyer (1846-1930), then living in a large residence in Anlaby Road (now a hotel).⁴  His and his second wife's little boy had drowned in the garden pond there two years previously. Charles was born in Devon, but came to Hull as a child and attended the Grammar School. He was now a fishing vessel owner and a member of the Hull Chamber of Commerce. He already owned large parts of land in the Bransholme area, at least from 1891. His agent was William Curtis, a stalwart of the Wesleyan Chapel in Potterill Lane, Sutton.

Mr Hellyer's letter to Mr Curtis, arranging to inspect Lamwath.

Lamwath: a square, imposing residence of light grey brick – 1896

Shortly after purchasing this gracious house, Charles Hellyer had it knocked down, and re-built the present dwelling, of red brick, though retaining the old cottages and stable-block. It was completed and ready for occupation by 1897/8. During the building programme, the family enjoyed a picnic:

Charles Hellyer, centre back

Charles and Jane settled in the new Lamwath. It was spacious, and, in keeping with other large residences, boasted a school room, library, billiard room and two wine cellars, as well as the usual reception and bedrooms.

Billiard Room at Lamwath c1908.
Llando Hellyer is seated, Charlie stands
(two children from Charles' first marriage)

The Hellyers sent their two remaining children, Sydney and Marjorie, to the Misses Wilkinson School in Sutton (possibly the private school at 1 Chamberlain Street⁵).

Misses Wilkinson School, Sutton, 1898.
Marjorie Hellyer 2nd row from back, 3rd right;
Sydney 2nd row from back, 5th right.

In 1897, the neighbouring farm, Sutton Fields, was up for auction. The plan of the estate survives, providing valuable information about a farm of which no trace remains, no hedgerow, field or tree. Charles Hellyer seized the opportunity, far too good to miss, to purchase a farm so close to his own. On 24 March 1897, he writes a triumphant note to Mr Curtis, "I have bought the farm!", and outlines his ideas for a farm road, repairs, and a suitable tenant.

By the turn of the century, the Hellyers also owned Bransholme Lane, West Field, East Field, Westfield Cottage, West Carr North, and West Carr South Farms, comprising some 407 acres of land in Sutton. Not all Charles' tenants were happy with work conditions. Fred Caley, cowkeeper and tenant of Bransholme Lane Dairy Farm since 1895, was put out three years later when his boss wanted to increase the rent. He had 'given Bransholme a fair tryal,' he wrote,

'but the milk business is poor

it's a long way from the town

it's a dull place

and I can't make a living.'

Lamwath Dairy Farm was built behind Lamwath Hall, in 1910 Herbert Clarke being the farmer. A sports field - 'Lamwath Back Field' - was set up for rugby and hockey.

Mixed Hockey on Back Field, early 1900s. Owen Hellyer centre front

Frank Clarke was the tenant in 1925, and Charles Ogram, dairyman, in 1937. Older residents in Sutton now recollect Highland cattle grazing on this Bransholme land.

Charles Hellyer himself is remembered as an indulgent grandfather. When he retired in 1911, he and Jane returned to his native town of Brixham, bought another house which, true to form, he immediately knocked down and built another, and lived there until his death in 1930. Their son, Sydney, died from wounds sustained in the second battle of Ypres in 1915.

After Charles' retirement in 1911, the house of Lamwath and the surrounding estate came into the possession of his elder son (by his first marriage), Frank Orlando. In 1923, extensive alterations were made, including a school room to replace the former dining room. The billiard room was then converted into a dining room.

In 1924 Marjorie, the only surviving child of Charles' second marriage, moved with her husband, Henry Mackrill, into Lamwath, first as tenants and later as owners. They had three sons, Ian, Graham and David. Before the war, Marjorie purchased Sutton Fields, which was farmed for many years by Harry Medley and his family. Like their predecessors, the Mackrills were very happy in Sutton.

Painting of Lamwath, 1964

Carol singing at Lamwath, 1967. Marjorie & Ian Mackrill in front.
The vicar is Rev'd William Richardson

They lived at Lamwath until 1968 and inevitably,the Council bought the whole complex of land.  The tree-lined driveway to Lamwath from Wawne Road still exists, as do some of the trees, such as traces of the spinney in the approach road.

Across Wawne Road from Lamwath stood Westfield Farm. The plan of 1873 shows Sutton Drain (Foredike) running through the middle, and the farmland bounded by Pool's Road (leading to Soffham), later called Green Lane. The Corporation farm of 35 acres was situated in the right angle between Wawne Road and West Carr Lane (Worlds End on the plan), and was occupied by John Storey in the 1820s.

Plan of Westfield 1873

The 1851 census records William Stephenson, aged 59, living at Westfield, a farm of 135 acres. By 1891 William Bean, farm foreman, occupied the property. His successor was Joseph Tomlinson, cowkeeper, followed by John Alfred Wood. By 1903 George Rennison is shown as foreman to Mr M.H. Ringrose, of Westfield.

George Rennison

As shown on the OS map of 1910, Charles Hellyer had bought part of Westfield, and established West Carr North and West Carr Lane Dairy Farms. Eastfield Farm, contiguous with Westfield, was also built by Charles Hellyer, Joseph Tomlinson being the tenant. It comprised 54 acres. By the early 1920s, Percy Hall and Edith (née Salvidge) with their daughters Beatrice and Phyllis, were living at Eastfield. The Mortimers then lived at Westfield. The Directory of 1939 records Edwin Wastling as farm bailiff to Stamford Smith of Westfield.

When War threatened in 1938 (or earlier, as accounts vary), the site of the Halls' farm was required by the RAF, and the family was ordered to move. A balloon barrage station was set up in the fields, for maintenance and repair, and for vehicle maintenance, and after the war, for the maintenance of aircraft in general.

RAF camp 1954 (Soffham Farm top right corner)

Eastfield farmhouse itself caught fire and was destroyed in the 1940s. Stamford Smith remained the tenant of Westfield until the owner put it up for auction in January 1948. By that time it was a small dairy farm of some 28 acres, with standings for 60 cows. The Council bought the farm, along with six others belonging to the owner.

In 1969 it was decided that demolition and site clearance should be carried out at the former RAF station, in order to continue the redevelopment of Bransholme Housing Estate. The hangars were removed (occasionally to turn up as warehouses in unlikely places like one at Stoneferry), and the gates were installed at the Gillshill Road entrance to East Park. Thanks to Len Bacon and Lord Mayor Brian Petch, these were renovated and restored at a ceremony on 30 June 1999.

The plaque reads: Originally sited at the Royal Air Force Station, Sutton-on-Hull,
these gates commemorate those who served and trained there . . . 1939-1969.

The area of Westfield Farm is now occupied by Sheldon Close/Honiton Road housing areas, and North point Shopping Centre stands on the Eastfield lands.

If we begin making our way back to Sutton, crossing West Carr Lane around 1840, we might witness a small dairy farm being built in the style of a Gothic cottage, then fashionable. This was Westfield Cottage Farm, owned by Abraham Rodmell, and in 1891 the new tenant was John Wood, cowkeeper. He was to remain there until he died in 1926, then well over 80. He had seven daughters, and his wife Sarah began to find a suitable school for the younger children. Being 'church' herself, Sarah was inclined towards St James', but was appalled when, on entering the cloakroom, she saw two or three coats on the floor.  She was already dubious about her daughters having to mix with the Stoneferry children who had no school of their own, and who had to eat their lunches from old newspapers, so Sarah took her girls to the Wesleyan school in Potterill Lane.

The Stoneferry boys outside Sutton School eating packed lunches

John Wood and his family

Sarah died in 1895, leaving the eldest daughter Frances, with six sisters to look after, and also help with running the farm.

Wesleyan School c1897. Clara Wood 2nd row from back, 4th from right.

John Wood's grandson, Peter Lund, describes the farmhouse in the 1920s :

‘The front of the house faced east, and the windows were very church-like, interlaced with a double-front on either side of the door.  There were two main rooms; the left-hand room going in, was the front room, and I always remember the smell of fustiness and the green colour. There was a piano with a fretwork front. It had two candlesticks on it to provide the lighting, as in those days there was no electricity. Lamps were the usual lighting. My aunt Florence organised little whist drives, probably three tables of about a dozen people altogether.

‘Immediately as you went through the door, there was a staircase ahead of you. To the right of that was the main living-room; the room with the fire grate with the side oven and the water boiler by the side; the pricked rug in front of the fire; the high fender that went round, with the big tongs and poker for dealing with the coals.  I can remember baskets of chicks in front of the fire. There was a large sideboard, a wooden chair and a big kitchen table where we could seat ten or a dozen people, and this is where I can remember Christmas tea.

‘This room led into an area where hams and piece of meat hung from the ceiling; and it was a storage area for dairy equipment which had been cleaned. From this room, leading to the right, you went down a couple of steps into the larder or dairy.  Milk and butter were kept in there and it was very cold.

‘If we go back into the room where the hams were hung, and walk left, we go into the area which was the washing place for all the dairy equipment. That was the only running water in the house.’

Peter Lund describes the three bedrooms. He writes about a typical dairy farm of the time, the fold-yard and cow-sheds, the barns and granary, the pig-sties, the meadow for grazing, the pond, the pasture, the orchard . . . and the only toilet, an earth closet 30 yards from the front door. The night soil collector must have been a welcome visitor.

Nightsoil cart outside Westfield Cottage

John Wood's youngest daughter, Alice (1890-1972), worked as milkmaid on the farm, a familiar figure on Bransholme in her pony and trap loaded with churns and cans. She married William Smales and they lived in Jessamine Cottage in Sutton for some years.⁶ 

Jessie, Mr Wood's middle daughter, married Joseph Lund in 1907. There was a strong sense of community in the area of Sutton and Bransholme, ample entertainment and interest, and no need to go out of the village.  Joseph was a member of the Bowling Club and Reading Room.

Sutton Reading Room 1914/15, Joseph Lund centre front, James Calvert front, 2nd left.

He was a member of the Church Council, sang in the choir, and was a Foundation Manager of both Sutton schools. But at the age of 43, in March 1926, he fell ill. As a sign of respect, straw was strewn on Leeds Road, where the family lived, to muffle the sound of the horses hoofs. Sadly, Joseph Lund died shortly afterwards.

Like many widowed women of her time, Jessie opened her front room as a parlour shop, serving from the window.⁷

After John Wood died, Florence remained at Westfield Cottage, but she died only four years later in 1930.⁸ Mr G Walker succeeded as tenant until 1947, and shortly afterwards it was acquired by the Council.

Next door to the Wood family lived the vicars of Sutton. Way back in 1840 the 'profligate' Nicholas Walton was the first to be resident, but he had private means.  J.A. Eldridge also lived in the village. But in 1865 a brand new Parsonage was erected in Wawne Road, nicely away from Sutton church, as the schedule records, and so 'clear of all nuisance and obstruction'! Interestingly, the architect was Thomas Blashill, whose name we have already encountered. He was the grandson of Robert of Soffham Farm, eldest son of Henry and Mary of Noddle Hill Farm, and brother of Hudson, of Noddle Hill. In fact, the Blashills trace their Yorkshire ancestry to the twelfth century.

Thomas (1831-1905) lived through the great changes of Victoria's reign. Born in Sutton, he attended a village school before completing his education in Hull and Scarborough.  At 20 he joined his uncle, a surveyor, in Hereford, where he studied for three years before going to London and eventually becoming an eminent architect. He worked tirelessly in the work of clearing slums, and erecting houses and dwellings for the working classes. His achievements make absorbing reading.

Thomas Blashill always maintained his interest in Sutton, frequently returning on visits to relatives and friends. Although he and his wife had no children, they were loving towards their nephews and nieces. He gave talks in Hull and wrote articles for journals, including a brief history of Sutton to raise money for the new St Saviour's Church, Wilmington, in 1903.  His work, Sutton-in-Holderness, 1896, is a definitive history of 'The Manor, Berewic and Village Community'.

After he died in 1905, a curious obituary appeared in the Herefordshire Journal recording the 'profound sorrow ... of the city and county of Hereford ... to hear of the death of Mr Blashill who was by birth and training a Herefordshire man.'

Henry? Thomas, Hudson Blashill ⁹

Thomas Blashill, F.R.I.B.A. collected £52 fees as architect of Sutton Parsonage, the cost of building being £814. It was designed for the Revd John Carter, a spacious and solid dwelling house, comprising two reception rooms and study, large kitchen and scullery, a wine cellar, and five bedrooms, including one for the servants.

Thomas Blashill's Sketch for Sutton Parsonage, 1865

As the Revd Carter was preparing to move into his new parsonage, an extensive restoration programme began in Sutton church. It would have pleased the Revd Eldridge to see the church reseated, and open pews installed, and, in line with the current trend, to see the chancel arch and floor reconstructed at a higher level, so that there was a clear view through to the altar and east window. This had held in its seven lights the shields of the Sutton family, but now was of five lights, though re-built in the Decorated style. The roofs were reconstructed, the galleries on the south removed and those small windows bricked up. The vestry was built on the north side of the chancel. Regretfully, the aisles lost their massive brick arcades and piers at this time and the massive brick piers supporting the tower were encased in stone. The church was closed between September 1866 and July 1867; Archbishop Thompson preached at the re-opening.

Sutton church today - July 1999

John de Sutton's tomb, having been in its place in the centre of the chancel for more than five centuries, was thought to be inconvenient here, with more people processing through, so the founder was moved to the side. In 1883, the space between church and vestry was filled with another extension - the organ chamber. The north wall was completely dismantled, that aisle re-roofed, and the windows of the galleries removed. A new doorway was constructed.

Before the Victorian era was over, the interior of Sutton church presented an appearance very different from its medieval aspect.

Revd Herbert Holme took over the living in 1878, followed by George Arthur Coleman (in Sutton 1894-1921). He and his wife Eleanor came from St Stephen's in Hull, "saw the bluebells growing all along the drive and couldn't resist it."

G. A. Coleman's daughter Clare (1896-1981) recorded in 1975 her memories of the parsonage:

"It was a very nice house and garden, lovely. It had seven (?) bedrooms, with an acre of garden, and lots and lots of lovely trees to climb.  It had two huge beech trees, and 17 lime trees alternating with 17 sycamores. We had two nice lawns which we turned into tennis courts and, of course, a kitchen garden and a formal flower garden.

‘We had a governess who was very strict and had no sense of humour. There was always a cook and a house parlourmaid. They were nearly always Scandinavian because it was a great thing round Hull to employ a Scandinavian maid. We had a gardener and a nurse for the younger ones."

Older Sutton residents recall the Revd Coleman with affection. He was involved in village life, with the school, the Reading Room and, in particular, with the people. It was an age, only a century ago, when church attendance was as natural as going to school or work, and the vicar was, likewise, universally liked and respected.¹⁰  He was an avid photographer, and left behind many glass plate pictures, a valuable resource portraying village life at the turn of the century - and they also reflect a time when it was possible for a vicar, with only 900 parishioners, to set up his cameras and take these photographs at his leisure.

Sutton Group outside the vicarage.
Revd Coleman centre back, Mrs Coleman centre front.

The Colemans had six children, the eldest of whom, May, taught at the village school for a few years before the First War - but she disliked the job.

The Colemans moved on to Dorset in 1921, and George Arthur continued with his hobbies of photography, wood carving¹¹ and painting water colours.¹² 

Revd Jewel Evans                   

Revd Jewel Evans and his wife occupied the vicarage next (1921-1927). "He was a wonderful man. I owe more to him than anyone. He taught us the true Christian faith, and was marvellous with the Sunday School."¹³  Sutton church became the butt of gentle journalistic humour on 14 November 1926 when a Hull Mail reporter sneaked in and sat at the back of the church - "I cannot remember ever to have sat so uncomfortably in church before!" He mentions 50 or 60 incandescent gas burners round the pillars, but too little light made the chancel indistinct and gloomy. "Nobody made any needless movements, nobody talked, nobody fidgeted or looked idly about - the good behaviour was oppressive . . . Pouches are used at Sutton; deep, quiet, respectable receptacles that allow no rattle of money . . . I wished for anything to interrupt the imperturbable, emotionless, irreproachable respectability of that most remarkably self-repressed congregation." The writer likens the Revd Evans to a picture of a "thinnish, fiftyish, sharp-faced, clean-featured fellow, with short, straight hair" who advertises Ginger Ale in magazines - "I never see him without remarking his resemblance to the Vicar of Sutton."

The Revd Basil Challenor was incumbent for four years, after whom came the Revd Charles Paley (1931-1943). "He was the man in the village," said a villager. "He always welcomed children; all three of his own had died. He was a very pleasant man who joined in everything. He worked very hard for the village, and had the church hall built. It was very sad when he died so suddenly during the War."

Mr and Mrs Paley at the Dance
on the opening of the new church hall, 18.10.1933.

In 1943 Revd Leslie Reynolds became the last incumbent to live in the vicarage. He was a sociable man with 'a great sense of humour!'

Rev'd Leslie Reynolds with the Badminton Club, mid-1950s

At home in the vicarage 26.12.1960

In 1961, when the Reynolds family left to take up the living in Walkington, the next vicar, William Richardson, was able to move into the new vicarage, designed by A.M. Mennin, built next to the school. After Canon Richardson retired in 1978, Revd Terrence Doherty was appointed incumbent. He and his wife, the Revd Deana, have served the five team churches and the community for 21 years. Jonas Mdmulla, from Tanzania, shared the ministry for 13 of those years.

The former parsonage in Wawne Road was in use as a Home for some years, but then it was boarded up and eventually demolished in 1991.

George Birch, reader, Rev'd Terrence Doherty, Rev'd Deana Doherty, Rev'd Jonas Mdmilla

The former parsonage was in use as a Home for some years