History of Pocklington facts for kids
The town of Pocklington is in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a written history going back about 1,500 years. But people lived there even longer ago, about 2,500 years! This means Pocklington has been a home for people for a very long time. It has an even longer history than bigger cities like York and London.
Over the centuries, Pocklington has faced many challenges. These include a terrible sickness called the plague, several invasions, and losing its railway. The Romans also saw it as a less important place. Yet, Pocklington has always managed to do well. It has always been the main place for shopping and local government in its area. At one time, it was even the second largest town in Yorkshire! Many important events in English history have happened near Pocklington.
Pocklington gets its name from an Old English word, "Poclintun." This means "Pocel's (or Pocela's) people's farm or settlement." While the name itself is from around 650 AD, people believe the area was settled much earlier. Some think it goes back over 1,000 years to the Bronze Age.
Contents
Pocklington Through Time
Ancient Pocklington: Bronze and Iron Ages
We don't know exactly when people first settled in Pocklington. Archaeologists have found signs of people from the Iron Age in and around the town. Many ancient burials and other items from the Bronze Age have also been found nearby. In 2016, builders even found an older Bronze Age settlement. It dates back to about 800 BC.
In 1937, wooden pieces of an ancient boat were found near Ferriby. At first, people thought the boat was from 1300 BC. But newer tests show it's even older, from between 1890 BC and 1700 BC.
The Wolds area, where Pocklington is, was a popular place for ancient people to live. They liked to avoid the wet, marshy lands nearby. Before medieval times, the flat land to the west and south of Pocklington was very swampy.
It has been hard for archaeologists to find old remains in perfect condition. Centuries of farming have damaged and moved many ancient items. For example, in 2005, a skeleton was found mostly whole, but its skull had been cut off and crushed by a plough.
During the late Iron Age (around 50 BC), a tribe called the Parisii lived in much of what is now the East Riding of Yorkshire. They were an ancient British tribe, and some of their people also lived in France. It's possible the Parisii settled Pocklington as early as the 5th century BC. There is strong evidence that Pocklington was their main town by 52 BC. This was when the Parisii joined a big uprising against the Roman leader Julius Caesar.
In 2017, an amazing discovery was made in Pocklington. Archaeologists found the grave of a Celtic warrior! It dates back to about 320 to 174 BC. The site included a bronze shield, parts of a chariot, and the skeletons of ponies. The shield is very special. Its design is unique and not like any other Iron Age finds in Europe. Finding horses in Iron Age burials is also very rare, making this discovery extra important.
Roman Times in Pocklington
When the Romans took over Britain, Pocklington became less important. The city of York grew much bigger and more powerful. York became the Roman city of Eboracum around 71 AD. It was chosen over Pocklington because it had better access to water (the River Ouse) and was a natural meeting point for many roads.
Even though a major Roman road, Ermine Street, ran close to Pocklington, the Romans did not build a military camp there. York became a very important Roman city. For a while, it was even the center of the Roman Empire's administration! Pocklington, however, likely stayed a small Iron Age settlement, though it was influenced by Roman culture. Archaeologists have found some signs of Roman life in Pocklington, like a Roman-style bathhouse.
We don't know the Roman name for Pocklington. Some think it might have been Delgovicia, which means "out of the way place" or "backwater." But other towns like Millington and Malton are also thought to be Delgovicia.
Around this time, the Romans formed a local army unit called the Company of Newcomers. There is also evidence of a Roman villa (a large country house) just outside Pocklington. It was probably owned by a wealthy Romano-British chief.
In 2004, workers found parts of a human skeleton from Roman times near Pocklington. They also found Roman pottery from between 70 AD and 410 AD scattered in the same field.
By the 4th century, large areas of land around Pocklington were given to Germanic warlords. These "Foederati" were given farmland in exchange for military service. We don't know how much these new people mixed with or replaced the earlier inhabitants.
Anglo-Saxon and Viking Times
Pocklington got its current name, meaning "farmstead belonging to Pocela's people," before 650 AD. We don't know what it was called before then.
It is believed that the ancient kingdom of Deira had its capital nearby. It's also likely that Paulinus, a missionary, set up the first Christian church in Pocklington. He was on his way to found York Minster. A cross in the churchyard of All Saints' Church says, "Paulinus here preached and celebrated AD627."
The Great Heathen Army of the Vikings took over much of the area in 866. By 876, many Vikings settled permanently in Yorkshire. Viking kings ruled this area, known as "The Viking Kingdom of Jorvik" (York), for almost a century. In 954, the last Viking king, Eric Bloodaxe, was removed. His kingdom then became part of the new Anglo-Saxon state.
Medieval Pocklington
Many English towns are mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey ordered by William the Conqueror. But Pocklington was recorded even before that, in tax lists of Anglo-Saxon kings.
Pocklington slowly grew from Anglo-Saxon times as the main center for farming in the area. Before the Norman Conquest, when King Harold's brother-in-law was the Lord of the Manor, Pocklington was a rich settlement.
The Battle of Stamford Bridge was fought just 4 miles from Pocklington. This battle, in 1066, ended Viking rule in England. Later that year, the Battle of Hastings brought in a period of Norman rule.
After the Norman Conquest, Pocklington became a royal manor. This meant it was owned by the King, and the Percy family managed it for him. Under this royal support, Pocklington continued to do well. The Domesday Book (1086) called it "Poclinton." It's surprising to know that Pocklington was the second largest settlement in Yorkshire after York at that time. This shows it had recovered well after being less important during Roman times.
Pocklington continued to grow through the Middle Ages. Many similar towns declined, but Pocklington prospered. This was largely because it was a local center for trading wool. It was also on the main road to York, which was a big national center for exporting wool to Europe. Wool was England's most important export during the Middle Ages.
Pocklington was given a Royal Charter in 1245. This allowed it to hold a weekly market and regular fairs. These fairs continued until the early 1900s.
The town's All Saints' Church is the only building left from the Middle Ages. It's known as the "Cathedral of the Wolds." It was built between the late 12th and early 15th centuries. It has some parts from an earlier Norman church, and its foundations go back even further to the Saxon era.
Church records show that the Black Death (a terrible sickness) hit Pocklington hard in 1350. This was a year after it first appeared in London.
Pocklington School was started in 1514 by important churchmen and a politician named John Dolman. His family became the Lords of the Manor in the 14th century.
In 1400, Pocklington was one of 30 market towns in the East Riding of Yorkshire. By 1750, there were only 10, and Pocklington was one of them. Over the next 150 years, the town grew three times bigger. Many new jobs appeared, joining the existing farming, brewing, and milling businesses.
Early Modern Pocklington
Pocklington has one of the few special town charters given by Oliver Cromwell. The town's charter was granted on September 8, 1656. This was during Cromwell's 11 years in power.
Pocklington also claims to be the last place in England where a witch was burned. In 1630, the church records say "Old Wife Green burnt in Market for being a witch."
In 1848, over 500 coins from the years 1500 to 1700 were found on the edge of town.
Pocklington in the Industrial Age
William Wilberforce wrote his first public letter against the slave trade while he was at Pocklington School (from 1771 to 1776). He later became a key leader in ending slavery in the early 1800s. The broken chain on Pocklington's town coat of arms celebrates his work.
John Wesley, who started Methodism, often visited Pocklington in the late 1700s. Many other important church leaders were also born or educated in the town. A Wesleyan Methodist Church is still used in Pocklington today.
The town was also known for its entertainment. The famous Flying Man of Pocklington, Thomas Pelling, tried to travel along a rope between the church and the Star Inn in the Market Square in 1733. Sadly, he fell to his death, hitting the church wall. He is buried where he fell, and a plaque remembers him.
In 1759, a Pocklington brewer named Timothy Overland built the Pocklington New Inn. By 1778, it was a busy Coach House, a place where horse-drawn coaches would stop. The building is still used today as the Pocklington Motel.
The main house of the Lord of the Manor moved to Kilnwick Percy Hall around this time. The current house was built in 1784, though a hall had been there for centuries. Part of it fell apart and was pulled down in the 1940s. The rest is now a protected Grade II listed Georgian mansion.
19th Century Pocklington
Pocklington continued to grow steadily in the 1800s. Much of the town was rebuilt during this time.
In 1814, a law was passed to build a canal from East Cottingwith to Street Bridge, near Pocklington. By 1818, the Pocklington Canal connected Pocklington to the River Derwent. It stopped being used as canals became less popular. But since 1971, the Pocklington Canal Amenity Society has been working to bring it back to life. The old mill house by the canal is now a protected historic building. Most of its old machinery still exists.
In 1821, the whole Pocklington area had 2,163 people. Most of them (1,962) lived in Pocklington town itself.
In 1868, most of Pocklington's people worked in farming. Others made ropes, bricks, brewed beer, and malted grain. There were also corn mills, iron factories, and places that made farm tools. These businesses helped the town's economy.
In 1890, All Saints' Church had major repairs. A message describing the work was sealed in a glass bottle with an 1890 newspaper. It was buried under a cross. In 2005, it was found by accident during more repairs. The message and newspaper were re-buried, along with a current copy of the Pocklington Post.
20th Century Pocklington
During the Second World War, five airfields were located in and around Pocklington. Pocklington Airfield was finished in April 1941. The first planes to use it were Canadian Wellington aircraft. In 1942, the RAF's 102 (Ceylon) Squadron took over. They flew night missions to bomb targets in France. They still have a yearly reunion in Pocklington. The airfield closed on October 20, 1954.
A few houses in Pocklington were bombed during the war. This happened because their street was mistaken for the airfield.
Those who served on HMS Volage also have strong ties with Pocklington. The town "adopted" them during the war, sending letters and packages. A new housing area in Pocklington is named 'Volage Court' to remember this connection.
Pocklington used to have a railway line. But it was closed in the 1960s as part of the Beeching Report changes. You can still see parts of the old tracks behind the old railway station. This building is now the sports hall for Pocklington School. There has been talk of bringing the railway back to Pocklington. However, many buildings have been built on the original line, making it hard to reopen. There are also questions about whether it would be financially possible. In June 2020, the local council asked for money to study if reopening the line is possible.
Pocklington grew very quickly in the last 20 years of the 20th century. A lot of green land was used for new houses. This was to meet the demand for homes, partly because more people were living alone. It also met the demand for homes for people who worked in nearby cities like York and Leeds.
Throughout its long history, Pocklington has faced tough times. These include economic problems, wars, and the railway closing. But each time, the town has overcome these challenges and continued to grow.
See also
