14. Hull's Churches

An average, law-abiding citizen of medieval Hull had little contact with national government beyond paying occasional taxes.  Instead the most important institution in their lives was the church.  Everyone was baptised within a few weeks of their birth becoming a member of their local parish church, which in Hull meant either Holy Trinity or the smaller St Mary’s.  Then throughout their life the church would prepare them for what was to come after, universally acknowledged to be either heaven or hell.

Many priests worked hard to ensure that their parishioners truly understood their faith and stood the best chance of enduring a pleasant rather then painful eternity.  In the 1350s Archbishop Thoresby of York commissioned the ‘Lay Folks Catechism’ that covered the foundations of Christianity including the Ten Commandants and Seven Sacraments.  Written in concise, accessible English and containing memorable ditties, this book was then used by priests across Yorkshire to teach their flocks.

People were expected to attend confession and mass, said in Latin, at least once a year at Easter.  Ideally of course they should do so more often.  Priests in Hull were granted special permission by the Pope to offer Masses before daybreak to encourage sailors to come to church before setting off on dangerous voyages.  The church had its own system of courts that dealt with actions deemed immoral or unchristian.  These same courts also dealt with more prosaic matters including regulation of marriages and resolving disputes over wills.

Hull’s churches were situated in the heart of the town close by the market place, a location that was really rather practical.  Their clocks were invaluable when determining when markets should open, so much so that the town contributed to their maintenance.  And what better place to store that important business document then the secure, brick built Holy Trinity?  Eager to find out if Edward III and Edward Balliol had managed to recapture Berwick?  Attend church on a Sunday and the priest would give you the latest national news along with his sermon.

Parishioners themselves were responsible for the upkeep of the nave of their church and many took great pride in making improvements.  Whilst on his travels Thomas Gotsman spotted a charming feature in one church; angels that ascended and descended during mass.  Impressed he left £10 in his will to recreate the same in Holy Trinity.  Walls were covered in colourful paintings retelling popular bible stories and tiles on the floor of Holy Trinity depicted birds, flowers and heraldic lions.  During a bustle of busy day church could offer a place to rest protected from the elements amidst rather pleasant surroundings.

Photo: View of Holy Trinity church from North Church Side showing transept built in the 14th Century. 

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13. William de la Pole's Devious Scheme

When in 1337 Edward III went to war with France, he started a conflict that the Victorians would later name the Hundred Years War.  Despite initial easy victories the English army soon became bogged down besieging towns in northern France.  Costs skyrocketed as soldiers bedded in for the long haul and the king’s Flemish allies demanded the payments that they had been promised.

For Edward finding this money wasn’t easy.  Customs duties collected on wool and wine only went so far and parliament had to approve new taxes.  The Italian banking houses weren’t being as generous as previously and borrowing money closer to home wasn't easy.  Officially lending money and charging interest was illegal as it was against church teaching, although there were ways to get around this.

Back during the Scottish wars in 1327, William and Richard de la Pole had lent Edward £7200.  In return they could keep all customs duties paid in Hull and Boston until the amount borrowed had been repaid, plus a little bit extra just to say thank-you.  Presumably the king had considered buying them a present instead but it’s always so hard to know what to get people.

Ten years later Edward turned to William again to help fund his war in France.  William and the Londoner Richard Conduit together thought of a cunning scheme to raise the huge sum needed.  They and other leading merchants formed 'The Wool Company’ and the King granted them a monopoly in trading wool.  Edward also temporarily banned the export of wool to create a shortage in Europe and raise the price.  The company bought 20,000 sacks of wool, which they hoped would fetch £200,000 when sold.  This money would then be loaned to the king and the merchants gradually repaid through collecting customs.

The scheme however collapsed amid rumours of smuggling by merchants looking to keep profits for themselves.  When the king came for his money not enough sacks of wool had, officially at least, been exported to Europe.  Peeved Edward rashly seized those that had and sold them quickly and cheaply.  Although this brought in some ready cash it wasn’t enough and Edward was forced to arrange a temporary truce with France.

Edward III blamed William de la Pole for the fiasco and put him on trial, although this fizzled out when once again the king needed to tap him for a loan.  William though was now on borrowed time.  When a decade later the charges reared their head again, he escaped them by writing off any money that the king owed him and retreating to the safety of Hull.

Photo: Statue of William de la Pole, Pier Head, Hull.

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12. Edward Balliol Sets Sail

Edward Balliol surveyed the countryside of northern France and the estate that following his father’s death was now his.  It was charming but he longed for majestic lochs, porridge and cold drizzle.  Plus he wanted a crown.  His father after all had been king of Scotland when the English had invaded in 1296.  The young Edward had been taken as a prisoner to England and confined there for eighteen years.

Meanwhile the Scottish crown landed firmly in the formidable hands of Robert the Bruce.  However when Robert died it then passed to the far less daunting figure of his five year old son, David I.  Balliol knew that now was his moment to pounce but he needed help.  The River Humber would be the perfect launch site for his invasion and, after a bit of pleading, the English king Edward III gave him permission to use it. 

Disaffected Scottish nobles made their way to Hull, eager to enact revenge against the Bruce family.  They gathered a huge convoy of 88 ships in the Humber, the largest fleet ever recorded in connection with Hull.  On 20 July 1332 it set sail for Fife.  Initially all went smoothly and Balliol achieved his dream of being crowned king.  Admittedly he wasn’t really a proper king as, in return for English assistance, Balliol had promised to accept Edward III as his lord and acknowledge that he only held the Scottish throne due to his benevolence. 

This turned out to be true in reality as well as on paper.  By Christmas Balliol had been forced out of Scotland by David I’s supporters and Edward III realised that he would have to become more personally hands on if the campaign was to be a success. The following summer the English king led a force to recapture Berwick.  Hull was asked to provide 60 men and regularly sent weapons and food up to the east coast to the troops.  Overseeing operations was Hull’s first Mayor William de la Pole, now the pre-eminent merchant in Hull as his brother Richard had moved down to London.

Together Edward III and Edward Balliol met with more success but Balliol’s throne was never fully secured and even the hold he had did not come cheap.  As the fighting dragged on it cost the English king around £25000 a year, an amount he could ill afford once war with France began in 1337.  Edward III eventually sought a compromise with David I and by the middle of the century Balliol was retired with a pension and living in Wheatley near Doncaster.

Photo: Looking down the river Humber towards Spurn Point.

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11. The de la Pole Brothers

At the southern end of Hull’s High Street is a car park, largely unremarkable as car parks tend to be but for one feature.  Along its boundary wall are dotted a number of gated archways, each of which marks the location of a long gone medieval alleyway.  Where bland offices now stand and the A63 squats was once a mass of narrow lanes and densely packed courtyards.

One of these streets was Grimsby Lane, home at the beginning of the 14th century to the brothers Richard and William de la Pole.  Successful merchants specialising in wine, they had also begun to make a name for themselves as competent officials.  Their first appointment had been as joint deputy Royal Butlers administering import duty on wine coming into the port of Hull.  Later Richard was appointed collector of Royal Customs, assessing cargos and submitting his accounts directly to the Exchequer in London. 

Such jobs were prestigious and raised your social standing.  However small a cog in the grander scheme of things, you were nevertheless a royal servant and had a connection to government.  It was advisable to really enjoy this sense of privilege, as you weren’t given any more tangible reward such as a salary.  There were though opportunities to make a bit on the side. 

As deputy Butlers the de la Poles were tasked with buying wine on behalf on the King, who as one of the perks of being monarch could acquire any vintage he chose at a discount.  One particular group of European merchants, whether from truth or malice, accused the brothers of shady dealings.  Allegedly they bought more wine at the cheaper price then the king actually required, then sold this surplus at market value making a tidy profit.

Like all prominent citizens of Hull, Richard and William served their turn as Chamberlains responsible for the town’s finances.  It was not exactly a sought after role for the town often had cash flow problems that forced Chamberlains to fund expenditure themselves.  The de la Poles were unlucky enough to be in office from 1321 to 1324, which meant that they oversaw the start of the building of the town’s defensive wall.  The huge scale of this project left the town owing them £100 to be repaid in instalments.

The brothers could afford such a generous loan as they were doing rather well and by now had expanded into the wool trade.  Through unexciting yet profitable measures, like keeping detailed accounts and organising shipments to make the most of economies of scale, they had overtaken their fellow merchants.

Photo: Car park wall at the southern end of Hull’s High Street showing the former location of Grimsby Lane.

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