Moonlighting Medievalist

28/05/2026

As I’m spending my day transcribing nearly 200 census entries, I fully grasp how tedious the work can become. As such, I genuinely appreciate the sense of humour of those who came before me… 😂

26/05/2026

Of all of the incarnations 17-19 Bethlehem Street has seen, this might just be my favourite! The Rabbit Hole Independent Bookshop has settled into Our big picture and created the cosiest little nook for the readers and unapologetic book‑sniffers (or is that just me? 🤷‍♀️) of North East Lincolnshire.

If you’re in town, do pop in and revel in that new‑book smell…🐇📚

23/05/2026

15/05/2026

13/05/2026

It's Immingham Pilgrims Day. 418 years ago on this very day, Pilgrim Separatists fled England from our shores. Read more below (and see our earlier post too).

📜Immingham Pilgrims Day - Part two of the story

Two days later, on the afternoon of 12th May 1608, the Pilgrim Separatists waited on the shoreline near Immingham. The Dutch hoy arrived and the men began to transfer to the ship, while the women and children waited. To their alarm, an armed troop were spotted approaching them on the shoreline. The Dutch captain decided the best thing to do was sail away, rather than face arrest.

Of those left behind, it was mostly the women who were distraught at watching their husbands leave. All of their possessions were on the barge that had brought them from Gainsborough. Some men were left behind with the women. The leaders were arrested and questioned. The authorities however didn’t know what to do with them. [You can read the court documents of their arrest in Immingham Museum. These were called the ‘Grimsby Depositions’ and you can see electronic versions and their transcripts in Immingham Museum on the interactive touch table.]

It is thought that those left behind sheltered in the porch of St Andrew’s Church. They would have become a burden on the local authorities had they stayed for long.

By August, the group were able to join the others in Amsterdam – but no records show how they made their way across.

Those who escaped from Immingham on the Dutch ship had a treacherous voyage, battling through a storm that blew them off the coast of Norway. Once they arrived in Holland, their faith in God’s will for their endeavours was reaffirmed – they believed they had survived thanks to His providence and protection.

++Thanks for reading++

03/05/2026

02/05/2026

How did Hull begin? 🤔

Come along to a captivating history talk with Jamie Topliss-Yates (Hull History Nerd) and uncover the story of Wyke-upon-Hull — from its earliest beginnings to its rise during the Industrial Revolution.

🎟️ Tickets just £5 per person
https://www.hullmuseums.co.uk/museum-events/wyke-upon-hull-hull-history-hour-talk