Today in 1860

From my front window I have a wonderful view across a public park..............................

There is some dispute over the actual day and date in 1860 of the inauguration ceremony for Pearson Park in Hull, Yorkshire.

The 28^th is cited but the Record of the Proceedings for the event state that the benefactor, the then Lord Mayor of Hull, Zachariah Pearson was requested to plant the first tree during a grand day of Civic pride and activity on Monday 27^th August. 

The weather in the preceding days had been very wet and there were concerns that the small village of tents and viewing balconies erected in readiness for the ceremony would be swamped or damaged by storms. The Saturday of setting up featured a violent wind which was said to have dislocated the woodwork of the main entrance, carried away some of the ornaments and played havoc with the calico-cloth barrier that had been stretched around three sides of the Park. 

Sundays weather was better as although not without showers there was an increase in general temperatures and this drew out a crowd of curious onlookers. This was seen at the time to be against the usual observances of the Sabbath. 

As well as the temporary structures there was great activity to supply and stock booths and stalls with food and drink for what was expected to be a very high attendance by dignatries and the public. 

The Park area will, even with this tarting up,  have resembled a building site as a few of the quality Villas overlooking it were little more than at shell stage but were soon covered in bunting and flags. 

Zachariah Pearson was the man of the moment. His gift of twenty seven acres specifically for a place of recreation, health and happiness of the inhabitants of Hull, his home town had been very well received although his shrewd business brain had long since calculated that the sale of plots on the outer parcels of land would, if fully disposed of to the great and the good, bring in capital receipts to more than offset the cost of the bequeathed land. 

Of course, the gift was for the land only and to some extent the City Councillors would be forced, for fear of being shamed for inaction, to carry the actual costs of setting out the roads, landscaping the greenspace, creating the lake, and providing the amenities and facilities. A Surveyors estimate for a suitable specification was £7577 (around £650,000 in todays money). 

There was some heated discussion on how this cost could be met and proposals included public subscription, using the park on a specified number of days per year for fund raising events but expressly avoiding any levy on the Civic Rates. 

Pearson himself was the first to put his name down to pledge £100. 

The Opening Ceremony could now be planned and it was hoped to meet the expectations and hopes of everyone. A Mr Enderby Jackson was entrusted to devise the amusements having already in 1860 arranged an event at the Crystal Palace in London. 

A procession that straggled over 2 miles set off from the Town Hall just after 1pm to the Park to join the massed ranks of the public on the route and in the Park itself. 

Nineteen steam ships brought some 10,000 from Lincolnshire and beyond, 20,000 came by the North Eastern Railway and 2000 by train from Holderness to the east of Hull. It is difficult to find estimates on how many Hull residents made their way there on foot but in all the total is thought to have been a good proportion of the urban population. 

The crowds appear to have been well behaved even where there was congestion and potential for aggravation. 

Three battalions numbering 1600 Volunteer Troops and two bands led the formal convoy followed by the Mayor’s Carriage, the Sheriff and officials, a further seven carriages with Civic badge holders. A crafted Temple on a float depicted the nine classical muses and tableaux of Shakespeare. A Prize Competition open to the public to write an ode in celebration of the tree planting had been won by a Sergeant Charles Wightman of the Volunteer Rifles. A large four horse drawn wagon with a printing press on it churned out copies of the £5 prize winner as it covered the route. 

There was representation by The Shipwrights Society, Hull Branch of Amalgamated Engineers, The Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, Ancient Orders of Foresters, Druids and trades organisations reflecting maritime and shore based activities and The German Working Men’s Society. 

The procession went through Lowgate, Silver Street, Whitefriargate, Junction and Waterworks Streets, Chariot and Carlisle Streets and Prospect Street before reaching the long run along Beverley Road. 

The Park grounds were said to present a really gay appearance.

The VIP balcony was central to the festivities and access to the two wings could be had for 5 shillings down to 2 shillings. Pastimes and Amusements were carried on from a multitude of colourful tents. The bad weather in the run up to the day caused the parading of the armed forces to churn up a quagmire but no one seemed to be concerned for any safety issues arising. 

At 2pm the Deed of Conveyance to gift the land was signed by all parties and Zachariah gave a rousing speech about his motivations to give the workers of Hull some reward in recreation for their endeavours and to emphasise the status of the City as an important regional trade and manufacturing centre. 

A finely made spade inscribed with a record of the occasion was presented and used to bed in a Wellingtonia Gigantea followed by a prayer by the Reverend Bonnin of Sculcoates Church. After this formality was a review of the troops.

The loose title of “Sports” in the official record of proceedings included eating and drinking, watching magic shows and contortionists, fairground type stalls, jugglers, tight rope walkers, fire walkers, glee singing, a torchlight procession and fireworks. These pyrotechnics were described as being most brilliant and embracing the Mayoral Coat of Arms. 

After they had all burnt out the people gradually left the Park and so brought the merry day to an end.