B lash ill : Changes in Spurn Point. 



far from the mainland. As this travelling- beach lengthened the 

 deep water channel formed by the back current would move 

 along- with it, so that the men of Ravenser would have farther 

 to go to reach the ships. And before 1235, when the mass of 

 shingle at the extremity had grown larg-e enough, they trans- 

 ferred themselves with all that appertained to them to that site. 

 To this day a solitary farm house in Holderness is called an 

 • odd ' house to distinguish it from the ancient farms always 

 built in the villages. No doubt this was the idea that gave rise 

 to the name of Ravenser Odd. It would be a town of low 

 timber buildings, some of them partly constructed of cobbles 

 from the beach. It was founded upon the area of clean gravel 

 throug-h which the sea water flowed freely, rising- to the height 

 of every tide. If I am rig-ht as to the nature of its commerce 

 there would be little wheel traffic or none. It might be important 

 in relation to other seaport towns of that day, but all were 

 small. The town of Kingston-upon-Hull was not incorporated 

 nor even founded when Ravenser Odd was of sufficient impor- 

 tance to contend with Grimsby for the commerce at Humber 

 mouth. The details of that contention help us to understand 

 what that commerce was. 



There was never in the neighbourhood of Ravenser, or of 

 Grimsby, any demand for the wines or merchandise coming to 

 those ports. There would be a great demand in all the towns 

 on the rivers that were accessible from the estuary and, in the 

 state of the roads, water carriage was essential. Of this 

 Grimsby had had the monopoly, but when the new port was 

 established on the Point of Spurn, Grimsby had to contend with 

 Ravenser Odd for the same traffic. Owing to the intricate 

 navigation the larger sea-going vessels would have to discharge 

 their cargoes wherever they found the best market. The 

 merchants of both ports lived by purchasing these cargoes, 

 which they met at the mouth of the Humber, and sending the 

 merchandise in small vessels up the rivers. For this traffic 

 Ravenser Odd, which jutted out into the sea by which the laden 

 vessels were expected, had the advantage. Hence the accusa- 

 tions of 'forestalling' and the deceits to which merchants and 

 bargainers are liable, and for which they must answer as well 

 as they can. 



We need not be at the pains to disentangle the records of 

 Old Ravenser and Ravenser Odd. Except for the manor house 

 the old town had disappeared, and the port and the commerce, 

 with all rights and responsibilities, belonged only to the new 



1904 September i. 



