Sammy's Point, Kingston upon Hull More on Martin Samuelson.
I originally posted a short version of this on 23/12/18 but as information came to light and a particular painting I thought I'd extend the original post.
During the reigns of Edward 1st, 2nd and 3rd (1272-1377) the underlying development of Kingston upon Hull formed a platform which allowed it to gain prominence as a safe and strategic trading harbour. A number of factors in the 18th century caused the town to gain importance both in defence and shipping, both import and export. The growing importance is illustrated from the number of streets which grew in number from a 32 in 1640 to over 600 in 1892 and the population growth from 15,678 in 1777 to 150,924 in 1881.
Hollar's map of Hull 1640 when the town had 32 streets.
Facsimile Hull CC 1973
By 1892 Hull had become the 3rd largest port, in England, after London and Liverpool. But until the late 1700s the only unloading facility was behind the private houses on the east side of High Street, Hull main street at the time. Many of these houses had their own jetties and goods came away from the jetties though the staithes, narrow alleyways between some houses. For some time these goods were landed without customs duties being levied. Some staithes still exist today.
For a time Hull was the only English port where customs duties were 'legally' not charged but eventually, because this anomaly, the need for revenue and the prospect of growing trade and more revenue the Government threatened close down shipping to and from Hull and move it else where if customs duty was not [paid. This forced the town to think again!
Because the River Hull harbour (the Haven) was getting very crowded and at times shallow due to ballast being thrown out of ships the Town Dock (Queens dock, now Queens Gardens) was built in 1779. The road on the south side of this dock was origina;ly called Legal Quay (now Guildhall Road) and had customs facilities. Between 1779 and 1885 nine docks. two timber ponds and four graving docks were built in Hull. Hull's shipping was on the increase and Hull was on the world map!
Guildhall Road was Legal Quay. The north wall of the town came through the area in the distant right and through the centre of what is now Queens Gardens. Warehouses can be seen on the right, Top left the 102 ft high Wilberforce monument can be seen, moved from the top of Carr Lane in 1935. Photo by Chris Coulson.
Of course this burgeoning town of Hull attracted more entrepreneurs, manufacturers and benefactors to the town; the Reckitts, Pearsons, Thorpe's, Pickering's, Priestman's, Feren's, Rose, Down and Thompson, Spillers, Joseph Rank, to name but a few big ones. The railways allowed connections to other towns and trams allowed easy travel across the town and trade was facilitated by both.
Education, especially technical education, was encouraged and Hull became a bustling town with increasing wealth attracting workers from all over England. In fact higher education took some time to get off the ground and it wasn't until Thomas Ferens (1848-1930) stepped in during the 1920s and bought land for the establishment of a University College that this occurred. The University College was under the auspices of London University so Hull got an institute of higher education in the end even though the town council had resisted it until Ferens stepped in. In fact my father, working part time, graduated from Hull in 1931. He actually became a Fellow of the Institute of Chemisty in 1946 by examination. Very seldom done now.
The University of Hull's coat of arms whose Latin moto 'Lampada Ferens' (Bearing a torch for learning) cleverly incorporates the name of it's founder, Thomas Ferens. He also gave the money and land to establish the art gallery in Hull which bears his name. (Wikepedia Commons)
In the mid 1700s the Blayde's family were important ship builders and among others built ships for the Royal Navy through none other than Samuel Pepys. An eventual problem for the Blayde's was that as wooden naval ships got bigger because they were carrying more guns it was not possible to build them in the River Hull.
Looking across the northern end of Blaydes ship yard next to the River Hull. It has been suggested that the overgrown dock in the foreground was where the Bethia, a collier (1784), was built. This ship became HMS Bounty of mutiny fame. Photo Chris Coulson.
The shipbuilding and engineering industries boomed in Victorian Hull sporning such companies as Earles, once one of the biggest ship building companies in England. Shipbuilding supported many other industries such engineering, as sail making, boiler making, ropes making, ship repairs, food for the ships as well as ice houses for the fishing industry and no doubt pubs!
Enter Martin Samuelson (b 2/1/1825 - d 26/2/1903). Samuelson became an important business and civic figure in Hull during the 1800s as besides his successful businesses he was a Councillor, Sheriff, Mayor (1858) and JP.
Born in Hamburg, Germany, Samuelson served his ship building apprenticeship on wooden boats with Messrs Caird in Greenock. Moving from Manchester to Hull in 1849 he set up a marine and general engineering company as Martin Samuelson and Co on an area of lands left open after the demolition of the military Citadel.
The garrisons Citadel. Demolished Samuelson iron ship building yard in 1860s. Map. Thew 1784, Facsimile Map Peck & Son 1882. Personal
Hull CC 1973 recourse of Chris Coulson
The following two images show views of the River Hull/Humber in the 1800s. They are of interest as they show Samuelson's yard.
Painting (James H Weldon. 1832-1893) of the River Hulls junction with the River Humber. Close examination shows the distant shed to have the sign on it saying 'Martin Samuelson and Co, Iron ship maker'.
Courtesy of Ferens Art Gallery: Hull Museums.
The 'original' wooden horse wash acting as a convenient landing stage for small boats. Beyond the covered waiting area can be seen the sheds of the Samuelson yard on 'Sammy's Point''. The Graphic March 11th 1882.
Besides the application of steel to marine engineering the company also made presses for seed crushing (at the time very important in Hull), steel boilers as well as smaller pieces of equipment. Steel ships, rather new at the time, were constructed at his ship yard on the south east corner of the River Hull/Humber junction. Derived from his name, Samuelson, this area soon became known locally as Sammy's Point and is known as such at the present time. It was here, in the middle ages, that a chain was stretched across the River Hull at night to keep the town safe.
An example of Samuelson's engineering and production in 1859. Courtesy of 'Graces Guide to British Industrial History'.
In 10 years he constructed 95 'iron' ships but taking on so much work led to financial problems and the firm collapsed in 1864 though it continued but without Samuelson in charge. Samuelson opened an engineering works in Neptune Street, Hull.
With the closure of the yard and clearance of the area the land became ripe for the next major development, that of the Deep.
A rather sad Sammy's point in 1993. Courtesy Geograph.Org. UK
The Deep. Hull's premier marine attraction, Photo Chris Coulson
Postscripts
1) The Graphic was a weekly publication started in 1869 in competition with the London Illustrated News. The view of the Graphic's owner, Wiilliam Luson Thomas (an artist and woodcarver), was that other news sheets paid scant regard to their artists who provided the illustrations. The Graphic was an immediate success helped on by it's writers which included George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Anthony Trollope as well as overseas 'reporters'. It's excellent illustrations were eventually superseded by photographs and much of its market was lost. It closed in 1932 under the name of The National Graphic.
2) I remember post war Sammy's Point as a rather mysterious area beyond my exploration. For years there was large red buoy on the mud at the end of the point. I suppose it could have kept ships turning into/out of the River Hull away from the shallows which covered the corner at high tide. The Deep, a premier Hull attraction, stands there now.