My Brid Stuff

Posted in: My Brid Stuff
J. W. Postill and his legacy to Bridlington
By Mike Wilson
Apr 23, 2008 - 6:38:18 PM

John William Postill.

One evening in January 1865, a Bridlington tailor, Mr John William Postill, noticed a group of fishermen struggling to read by the light of a storm lantern. Shortly afterwards he rented a small cottage in Cliff Street, a few yards from the harbour slipway, and allowed the men to read there in comfort. The Burlington Quay Sailors’ and Working Men’s Club had opened its doors to local working men.

Mr Postill owned premises in King Street and was prominent in local affairs. His name occurs time and again in the business of the Sailors’ and W orking Men’s Club. He was Secretary from the club’s inception until 1921, and Vice-President from 1922 to 1927.

From the minutes of the Club, it is shown that Wm. Watson Esq. was the first President and Treasurer, while John Wm. Postill was Secretary. A committee of 18 formulated the rules of the Club and on 5th February 1865 they were unanimously adopted.

The first rule stated that the name of the Club was “Burlington Quay Sailors’ and Working Men’s Club,” the object of which was “to provide Instruction and Amusement to Members, free of Sectarianism and Party-Politics.”

The fifth rule stated that “donors of Five Pounds and upwards shall be Life Honorary Members, and Subscribers of not less than 10s. annually be Honorary Members; Ordinary Members 4s. a year. Is. a quarter, 6d. a month or one and a half penny a week - paid in advance and no tickets transferable.”
Other rules stated “no Cards, Dice, or Gambling be allowed on the premises,” “no Books, Periodicals, Papers, or Entertainments be provided without the consent of three-fourths of the Committee,” and “that no new Rule shall be made, or old one altered, except at an Annual or Special Meeting called for that purpose.”

The bye-laws of the Club stated that “no Intoxicating Drinks, or Intoxicated Person be allowed on the premises,” “no conversation or smoking be allowed in the Reading Room,” “no person to detain a Newspaper more than ten minutes after it has been asked for by another Member.”

Rules for playing bagatelle or billiards stated that “no smoking, leaning on the Board or placing the hands on the cloth, when in the action of playing be allowed.”

Some of these rules were broken by members in later times and their transgressions were duly noted in the minutes.

The newspapers provided for members at the opening of the Club were Manchester Guardian or Examiner, Eastern Morning News, Leeds Mercury, Illustrated London News, and Sporting Life & Standard.

Mr Benjamin Owen was employed as caretaker, his payment being 2s. 6d. per week. He was expected to make the fire, light the gas and clean the room, as well as being responsible for the security of the room at night.

In May, a note in the minutes states “that Spittoons be provided to mitigate the present nuisances,” and in October that “the housekeeper be requested to call out when his time expires before putting out the lights.”

Once the Club became established, items were recorded in the minutes which nowadays would hardly raise an eyebrow. One French gentleman, “having wilfully cut and taken from the reading room certain pieces from three of the newspapers” - an offence noted as being “a grave one and subject to prosecution by law” - found himself fortunate that, “being a foreigner,” he was merely sent an “admonitory letter.”

The Great Gale of 1871.

The Club’s involvement with the lifeboat service was first noted on 13th February 1871 when at a General Meeting held “in consequence of the sad calamity by which six of our fellow-townsmen lost their lives when trying to rescue a ship’s crew in the Harbinger it was declared advisable to defer the Tea-Party to some future date.”

The Harbinger crew, six of whom died in the Great Gale.

The Secretary was asked to write to the widows of Messrs Richard Atkin and David Purdon [the latter being the builder of the vessel] “expressing the deep regret felt by the Club and their condolence with them in their sad bereavement.”

A public meeting on 22nd February 1871 was held “to discuss the advisability of Harbinger coming into the possession of the Club with a view of her being properly taken care of and a proper state of efficiency kept up so that she may be ready for use at all times.” The motion had only one vote against and a general meeting of the Club was planned for 3rd March so that the opinion of members could be gained.

Despite an amendment that the Club should not carry the responsibility for the boat, the Club duly took on that duty. The secretary then read a letter from Count G. Batthany in which he stated he would buy a carriage suitable for the boat so she would be more eficient [Count Batthany, who was from Hungary, had also funded the provision of the Harbinger]. R. D. Preston Esq. also said he would supply a set of life belts, provided they were kept at his house. The Club agreed they would “gladly avail themselves of the offers.”

Once the Club had undertaken to be responsible for a lifeboat, the necessity of another lifeboat became obvious following the disaster of the Great Gale. At a public meeting, four models of lifeboats were displayed and the local fishermen voted on the vessel of their choice. The John Ainsworth boat got two votes, the Appledore boat six, the Filey boat eight and the Tyne boat 23.

A committee was then elected to carry out the procuring of the boat and to efect any improvement they thought necessary. The Reverend Y. Lloyd Graeme, of Sewerby Hall, had offered to pay for this new vessel.

In October the same year , a committee meeting decided that “when the lifeboat arrives, a suitable demonstration be made with her by a parade round the two towns, launched in the ‘Green Dyke’ [near Priory Church], then taken to Sewerby Hall, Marton Hall and home again.” Miss Lloyd Graeme, daughter of Rev. Lloyd Graeme, was to name the boat in front of the Hall.

When the new lifeboat was delivered to Bridlington, several seamen had reservations about some aspects of the vessel. Most felt the air cases were in the way of the rowers, while W. Clarke, coxswain, added “steer rollock too high, steer oar 4ft too long and a grating for the steersman 4in. high. A loose thwart fore and aft for two more men would be an improvement.”

It was also reported that Miss Lloyd Graeme had chosen Seagull as the name for the vessel and that her father had “paid the builders £200 on the boat.”

At a meeting of seamen on 17th February 1872, it was proposed by James Williams and seconded by John Wallis that M. W. Clarke be elected as Coxswain for the Seagull lifeboat. The vote was carried unanimously, only seamen being allowed to vote.

It was then arranged that Seagull be returned to the Tyne so that the builders could carry out all the alterations required and that a telegram would be forwarded when the boat was ready.

The activities of the lifeboat were replaced in the minutes of the Club between December 1875 and February 1877 by the complaint “against Seth Chadwick for insulting and abusive language to one of the committee.” In February 1876, Mr W oodcock sent a note to the Club that he took exception to the expulsion of Seth Chadwick and that he offered his resignation.

Another year passed, and at a further committee meeting it was reported that Seth Chadwick had requested that he be readmitted as a member, promising he would not break the rules of the Club. Several members spoke in his favour and it was carried unanimously that he be allowed to rejoin.

William Clarke resigned his position as Coxswain of the Lifeboats in November 1885. He donated his half year’s salary (£4) to the Life Boat Fund. On Clarke’s resignation, the Secretary requested that George Wallis be Coxswain and asked that, if there were no exception taken to the decision, the appointment be permanent.

At the same meeting, Mr Dale proposed and Mr D. Gray seconded that the Secretary “be empowered to sell the Bagatelle Boards for the best price he can.”

Seagull and Harbinger returned to the forefront of Club business in October 1888. The Board of Trade had sent £7 to the Seagull boatmen “on the occasion of services being rendered to the brigantine Impetuous, wrecked at this place.”

Three weeks later, a committee meeting heard that the lifeboat committee had discussed the future of Harbinger. Coxswain George Wallis and a number of men had examined the vessel and decided she was of no further use as a lifeboat. It was decided to dispose of the boat and her fittings “to best advantage and place the proceeds to the Lifeboat Fund.” It was agreed that Count Batthany be informed of this decision and thanked for the gift.

At the same meeting, it was agreed that “no member be allowed to climb on to the billiard tables or play with his feet off the floor.”

A note in the Lifeboat cash book of 30th June 1889 shows that the sale of Harbinger, less expenses, came to £4 6s.5d.

In 1897, the sixtieth year of Queen Victoria’s reign, the Club sent congratulations to her and also sought permission to rename the Club “The Victoria Sailors’ & W orking Men’s Club Institute” in her honour. It also recorded that the year 1897 terminated the mortgage of the club premises.

In June that year, the Club received a letter from Whitehall stating that “Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to approve of the desired permission being granted.”

The following year brought another disaster to Bridlington’s lifeboat service when Christopher Brown, a member of the Club, lost his life. The club met to hear of the wreck of the Seagull and to decide on what should be done with
the wrecked boat. The members then listened to the tale of disaster.

In response to signals from vessels in a storm, the lifeboat had been launched, against the advice of the coxswain, who suggested that the crew wait until the sea was not crashing against the seawall. In order to quieten the clamour of the seamen and crowd, the lifeboat house doors were open so that the vessel could be launched when the tide permitted.

The coxswain, with the lifeboat secretary [Captain Thomas Atkin], went to the seawall to judge whether to launch or not, and during their absence the boat was taken to the foreshore and launched. Seagull was smashed against the piles and seawall, the crew having to be rescued by ropes, chiefly by those who protested against the launching. During all this confusion, Christopher Brown lost his life while rescuing his son from Seagull.

The wrecked Seagull after the 1898 disaster.

It was learned that the seamen were so incited by the jeering crowd that they had put to sea with no ballast and no anchor. Coxswain George Wallis declined all responsibility when he discovered the vessel missing and forecast “destruction to the boat and disaster to the crew.” Seagull was beyond repair and it was proposed by Captain Atkin that the committee not undertake the responsibility of another lifeboat. It was also decided that the wreck be exhibited on Fort Hall grounds [where the entrance to Leisure World is now situated], proceeds to be given to Lloyd Cottage Hospital.

In October 1898, it was agreed that Seagull be broken up into lots and sold by auction. By February, the vessel and her stores had brought £22 8s. 2d. and with expenses of £l 15s. 2d. there was a balance of £21 13s. 0d.

This sum was added to the Lifeboat Fund and the total of £163 10s. 2d. was presented to the Lloyd Cottage Hospital on condition that “a seaman belonging to the town whose age is not under thirty years who shall happen an accident may be admitted to the hospital free upon application to the proper officials of the hospital by the Club.”

At the meeting which agreed to the above, Mr Martindale introduced “his gramaphone [ sic], which proved a great source of both interest and amusement.”

Over the next few years, the meetings of the Club dealt with more general matters than the lifeboat service, the death of Captain Atkin being duly noted in February 1905, and that of founder trustee Mr Thomas Harland in September 1910.

At February 1913’s annual general meeting, the Hon. Secretary, J. Wm. Postill, was presented with a portrait in appreciation of his long service to the Club. It was also noted that Mr Postill had been responsible for the institution of the Club.

Members of the Club in 1913.

Because the subscriptions for the portrait were more than the cost, Mr Postill suggested that a further portrait be taken of all the Club members by Messrs R. Spurr which would then be hung in the Club. This photograph is reproduced here.

March 1914 saw the rules of the Club being stringently applied when Mr D— was “in the habit of monopolising Newspapers in the News Room and preventing other Members having access to them even when not reading them himself.” The Secretary was asked to write to Mr D— and inform him that further complaints would result in his losing his membership.

One hundred and thirty members of the Club had volunteered for war service, it was announced at 1917’s annual general meeting. Twelve of those had “laid down their lives.” During the war, no elections took place, the committee being reappointed.

At the annual general meeting in 1922, both the President and the Secretary tendered their resignations due to ill health. Mr Postill was appointed a V ice President to retain his connection with the Club.

A set-back for ladies occurred on 8th March 1922 when it had been suggested they be admitted as members to the library only. However an amendment denying them this facility was carried.

In June 1927, the Mayor presented to the Club a barometer given by Miss Postill, the property of her late brother. This barometer is still on the Club premises.

The change of the Club’s name first considered back in 1897 was put back into the minutes book on 14th March 1928. It was proposed that the secretary take the necessary steps to bring about the change of the name to “The Victoria Sailors’ and Working Men’s Club.”

The present-day building in Cliff Street.

To this day, “The Victoria Sailors’ and Working Men’s Club” still exists in the same premises in Cliff Street, Bridlington. And Postill’ s name lives on in Postill Square, a cul-de-sac off Queensgate, part of the council estate built in the early 30s.

The writer is indebted to Elwess Wood, Secretary, for permission to quote from “Extracts of the Minutes Book for the Years 1865 to 1935 Inclusive.”