Driffield Wolds visit to Trinity House, Hull

On February 22nd, some of our members were lucky enough to visit Trinity House, Hull. Originally established in 1369 as a religious guild, it became a seafarer’s organisation with a succession of Royal charters beginning in 1457 to manage the port of Hull imposing tolls to fund almshouses and provide buoys and pilotage for the Humber Estuary. There was also a school, since relocated, originally specialising in navigation, mathematics and physics to provide recruits for the Merchant Navy and two former pupils,  Captains Watt and Hancock, were our guides.

They gave us a very instructive tour of the site. We were shown round the magnificent chapel, built in 1753 for the princely sum of £3250 and then shown the museum which contained many artefacts donated by former guild members including a tattooed human head and a macabre depiction of human sacrifice. Also present were the actual Royal Charters dating back nearly 600 years. The finale of the visit, only available to private tours such as ours, was to see the collection of silver acquired by bequests over the centuries, and shown to us by Secretary Paul Shearsmith. Some pieces made in Hull were ten times the value of similar pieces made in London, such was their rarity.

The Trinity House motto "Spes Super Sydera" seen in stained glass, carpets and various plaques translates as "Hope Beyond the Stars."

The tour was limited to 12 at a time and so there will be a second visit in April.