Documents Library: Curious and Unique Documents Menu
Documents Library
Curious and Unique
This Society is building a digital collection of material holding interesting content regarding the people, places and vessels once found on the canals and rivers of Yorkshire. These documents have been loaned by enthusiasts who want to preserve and publish material about the heritage of an industry which once underpinned the industrial success of the county but today has all but disappeared. We have had them digitised and then returned the originals to their owners.
Sometimes the nature of a document makes it impossible to find an appropriate existing “box” in which to place that document. That happens in the home office and the same applies to this digital collection. We have therfore created this new category to curate together all such documents which have something unusual about them and don’t fit into any of our other categories. We hope you will find unexpected treasures and even mystery documents as this collection grows.
Our collection of “Curious and Unique” documents may be accessed by choosing a topic below and clicking the button:
Shipping Agent’s Notebook, 1851-1854.
When in 2024, John Shaw of Goole purchased a calf skin bound notebook from a dealer in rare books, he did not really know what he was getting. His purchase was largely driven by curiosity as mention had been made in the description of Goole, sloops and bills of lading. The date of 1851 potentially made it a very early record of activity in the port which was only twenty five years old at the time the first entries were made. John has kindly allowed this Society to scan and publish his notebook and we hope that someone will be able to throw light on just what was being diligently recorded over 170 years ago.
Apprenticeship Indenture, 1812.
A mobile phone picture taken in 2018 at the long defunct Yorkshire Waterways Museum, documents the surprising link between two of the key men in the construction and subsequent management of the Aire and Calder Navigation Company’s Knottingley to Goole Canal and the port and town of Goole.
Goole Times Jubilee Supplement, 1903.
Produced in 1903 to mark the 50th anniversary of the newspaper, this supplement is packed with historical material describing the rise of the newspaper itself, but also the development of the port and town of Goole.
It contains numerous photographs of the great and the good of Goole with some interesting views of the docks and town.
The supplement comprises 6 pages and measures width 440mm by height 565mm.
Publication permission for copyright images
We acknowledge that copyright images are being shown for which no explicit permission to publish has been given to this Society. Many of the digital images shown had originally been produced with the knowledge and permission of the now defunct Yorkshire Waterways Museum from original photographs deposited there for public display. Following the closure of that organisation in 2019 and the break up of their collection those original photographs have disappeared and have effectively been lost to the public.
Through an incredible stroke of good fortune digital copies of those images were donated to this Society in 2022 allowing our volunteers to finally achieve the wishes of those photographers and collectors who had made the original donations.
If you are the copyright holder and would like to contact the Society please use the form below.
Become a Supporter
Since 2023 there has been no charge for membership of the Society. You will be sent our regular email newsletter telling you what's new and coming soon. To register simply fill in the form and click Subscribe today!
Donate
Your help and donations in keeping the society, it's research and website running are much appreciated!