The Yorkshire Journal

The Yorkshire Journal

Welcome to the Winter issue 2011 of The Yorkshire Journal, which contains more fascinating articles.

The Yorkshire Journal has become very popular, read by thousands of people throughout Britain and overseas. This is because it is a free online journal that does not contain any pages of advertising and can be downloaded wherever you are in the world. Also for readers who need large print the journal can be easily enlarged in pdf by increasing the magnification button +.

In this Winter issue:-

Although Christmas is now over for another year we have two stories that relate to Yorkshire Christmas’s, past and present. First Philip Hartley looks into the connection between Scrooge’s Counting House in Charles Dickens novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ with the offices in Chancery Lane, Malton. Although not specifically written down the Smithson family, were told by Dickens (a family friend) that their office in Chancery Lane was the inspiration for Scrooge's counting house. Plans to make the offices into a museum have now been abandoned due to the lack of money.

In the second Christmas story Jean Griffiths looks into the history of the first turkey brought into Britain in 1526 by William Strickland a Yorkshireman. Strickland became rich on importing Turkeys and was granted arms in 1550; he took as his crest “a turkey-cock in his pride proper” and it is said to be the oldest surviving European drawing of a turkey. The church at Boynton is liberally decorated with the Strickland family’s turkey crest.

Elizabeth Lambert finds out why stocks were a traditional method of punishment in the middle ages and continued to be used until the 19th century. They were used to punish minor offences such as drunkenness, gambling and blaspheming on the Sabbath. Passers-by would throw refuse and verbal abuse at the culprit. A number of stocks have survived in villages and towns which are an iconic feature. Today stocks are used for fun at country fairs and festivals.

Sarah Harrison braves the winter cold and snow to visit Malton, to discover why it is such an interesting busy little market town. The market is held at Market Place every Saturday and the town has traditional streets with interesting shops. Nearby is St. Mary's which is the only surviving Gilbertine Priory Church in England and is still in use for regular worship.

John Stuart visits the newly restored Rotunda Museum at Scarborough which is one of the oldest surviving purpose built museums in Britain. It has been restored to its original role as a Museum of Geology for the region. Before the work was completed the museum was visited by HRH Prince Charles. The restored museum has a new entrance and a new central transparent lift shaft. The displays include fossils and minerals which focus on the scientific processes behind both geology and archaeology.

Jeremy Clarke investigates what could be the world’s only Roman gladiator cemetery discovered at York. About 80 remains have been found and more than half of them had been decapitated. Their skulls were found in another place in the grave, not on top of the shoulders. Experts believe they may form part of the world’s only well-preserved Roman gladiator cemetery. Although no amphitheatre has so far been found in York, its size and importance suggests it might once have had one.

We hope you enjoy these contributions.