Hugh Blaydes 1686 - 1759 Shipwright Kingston Upon Hull, Blaydes House and Blaydes Yard

Blaydes House Kingston Upon Hull home to

Hugh Blaydes 1686 - 1759 Shipwright

Hugh Blaydes was christened on 14 January 1686, in Drypool, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom as the son of Hugh Blaides. He married Elizabeth De La Pryme on 23 April 1728, in Holy Trinity, Hull, Yorkshire East Riding, England, United Kingdom. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 2 daughters. His wife was daughter of Peter De la Pryme and Frances Wood , they married on 28 Apr 1728 in Holy Trinity, Hull. His wife was born on 14 Mar 1705 in Hatfield, Yorkshire. She died on 21 Aug 1772 in Sculcoates.

He was the son of Joseph Blaydes and Jane Mould, daughter of William Mould (Mayor of Hull in 1698). They had six children between 1729 and 1737. Hugh passed away in 1759, age 74 and was buried in Sculcoates, Hull on 11 April 1759.

Hugh Blaydes, Lord of the Manors of Sutton, Stoneferry, and Sculcoates (which he purchased from Martha Lacy of Hull on 13 May 1745). A staunch loyalist, he raised and supported a company of Volunteers from among his own tenants and dependants during the 1745 rebellion.

The Blaydes family were Shipwrights of Hull, who built ships for the British Navy and his shipyard. Their house Blaydes House is part of the University of Hull. Owner of the Hull Shipyard that built HMS ROSE (ordered 1756, Launched 1757). He and his son Benjamin built a total of 14 war vessels at Hull and at Hessle Cliffe (see scrapbook) (about 5 miles west of Hull on the Humber Bank) between 1739 and 1762. He is considered to be the most important shipbuilder of the mid 18th century ("History of the County of York, East Riding, Vol 1 - City and County of Kingston Upon Hull, Allison, 1969.)

Their yard was at Hessle Cliff on the Humber Estuary on the edge of Kingston upon Hull. They had a second North End Yard close to their home at 6 High Street (now known as Blaydes House).

Hugh Blaydes (c.1686-1759) was one of the successful Blaydes shipbuilding family, with his yard just outside the North Gate, where he obtained many naval orders. Blaydes began taking apprentices in 1722, and married Elizabeth de la Pryme, niece of Abraham Reader at Holy Trinity, in 1728.Hugh Blaydes built fourteen warships at Hull and Hessle Cliff between 1739 and 1762, he was the most important shipbuilder in Hull of the mid-eighteenth century. The Patronage of the Church of St Mary the Virgin Hull was sold to Hugh Blaydes in 1737

Research Notes The Blaydes family pedigree gives Hugh's parents Joseph Blaydes and Jane Mould, however, the only birth record I have found is in Drypool (part of Hull) in 1685 with a father named Hugh.

Chronology of Shipbuilding in Kingston Upon Hull

1600 Circa. 'Not surprisingly the increased demand for ships led to the establishment of shipbuilding yards, where vessels of a few score tons could be built' (VCH) ... 'establishing a yard was a simple matter of finding a plot convenient for launching into the river at high tide and with easy access by water for water and other bulky materials'. (A. Credland)

1607 Jos Blaydes, shipwright has land outside the north gate adjoining the haven

1630 Two other men have permission to build in the same area [making the three shown by Hollar?

1693	'Hugh Blaydes was practising before 1693 when he was granted a lease of the corporations land outside the North Gate'. (G J)
1735	Gent's sketch of Hull shows a shipyard beyond the North Gate, the ships in the yard are shown not in dock but aground as if on slipways.

1700 Shipbuilding was the most important industry in Hull in the 18th Century (VCH)

1749	Blaydes shipyard sold.

1760s Dock operations were little understood in England. Hull's first dock was evidence of this as its design and access left much to be desired

1766 ... 'of the 114 ship owners who can be traced between 1766 and 1800 ten were among other things SHIPBUILDERS'. (G Jackson) shipbuilding and repairing was one of the oldest and most important local industries. For centuries ships had been built along the banks of the Hull and the Humber, taking full advantage of the cheap and plentiful supplies of hinterland oak and Baltic masts spars and sail cloth'. (G Jackson) '... by the 1790's the enlarged south end had a shipyard and a dry dock' (VCH)

1772 Hadley's survey of the staithes lists Mr Blaydes yard immediately south of the road to the bridge (140 feet from the water to the street, 183 feet wide at the street front and 250 feet and 5 inches wide at the back next the river.)

1775 Sold to the Dock Company.

1778 The Dock (Queens Dock) opened.

1784 Wm Blaydes shipbuilder.

1787 A notice to customers informs that 'Wm Gibson from Armin has taken the Shipyard and Ways lately occupied by Benjamin Blaydes.'

1791 Benjamin Blaydes, Trippett, Dock Bridge and Wm Gibson, Dock Bridge.

Blaydes House is a grade II* listed Georgian house in High Street, Kingston upon Hull, England. Built in the 18th century for the Blaydes family, it is now owned by the University of Hull's Maritime Historical Studies Centre.

Blaydes House was built in the late 1730s or early 1740s (the precise date is unknown) to the designs of the architect Joseph Page as the residence and business premises of the Blaydes family, one of the leading merchant families in the town and also owners of two shipyards, Blaydes Yard: the North End Dock on the River Hull, near the house, and another at Hessle Cliff, close to the northern end of the present-day Humber Bridge. The yards turned out vessels for the Royal Navy from the 1740s, but their main output was merchant ships, the most famous among which was a collier named Bethia, which was purchased by the Navy in 1787, adapted and renamed HMS Bounty.

The Blaydes family were also prominent in town politics, with Benjamin Blaydes (whose initials can be seen in a carved monogram cypher in the hallway ceiling, “BB” interlaced) serving as Chamberlain in 1736. The Hallway is paved with marble-black and white squares. The staircase is very fine. and the best rooms are all wainscoted and contain fine cornices and good stuccoed ceilings. The family probably remained at the house until the early 19th century, by that time trading as part of the Blaydes Loft Gee & Company partnership. After this firm was wound up the family left Hull and sold the house. Subsequently, it was used as office space by a number of local businesses.

In May 1941, during the Hull Blitz, a large office building immediately to the south was destroyed by a direct hit, but Blaydes House received only light damage.

After a period of disuse, the house was purchased by the Georgian Society for East Yorkshire. In 1999 it was sold to the University of Hull and refurbished to become the headquarters of the university's Maritime Historical Studies Centre.

The private alley or staithe that runs along the righthand side of the building further emphasises the status and power of merchant families within the port of Hull. The exact period of construction is virtually impossible to confirm, primarily since the family left very little evidence behind when they left Hull in the early 19^th century.

However, it probably contains at least two phases of construction, with the rear of the building older than the front which sits on High Street. Most authorities agree that it was partially reconstructed sometime around 1750-60, with the core of the building having been dated to c.1725.

However, local architectural historian David Neave believes that at least part of the rear of it is the seventeenth century, and some architectural details like the shape of the gabling here does support this.

Like many a merchant’s townhouse, Blaydes House served three principal functions. Firstly, it was a place of business, reflecting the family’s maritime activity. Secondly, Blaydes House was a family residence, with living rooms on the ground and first floor, family bedrooms on the east side of the first floor, and the servants’ quarters and probable nursery at the top of the building. The third and least obvious function of the building was as an advertisement. The grandeur of the building was deliberately designed to showcase the wealth and status of the family, and to demonstrate that the Blaydes were the sort of people with whom it paid to do business.

After the Blaydes left Hull, the building passed through a variety of owners and functions. During its life it has housed a seed-crushing firm, timber importer, solicitor’s firm, lighterage company and architect’s practice, before falling vacant sometime around 1990. Although Blaydes House escaped serious damage in World War II, its deteriorating condition led to its owners applying to the council to have it demolished in May 1968. However, the Georgian Society for East Yorkshire purchased the building and carried out substantial restoration work, partly in contribution to the European Architectural Heritage year in 1975.

In November 1999, Blaydes House was purchased by the Maritime History Trust, for the sum of £1 and then worked with the University of Hull to become the home of a new Maritime Historical Studies Centre, formally opening in summer 2001. Since then, Blaydes Maritime Centre, has functioned as a centre of teaching, research, and public outreach in maritime history, and holds one of the best maritime reference libraries in the country. The building itself has a very small belvedere window, a lookout post sited between the chimneys on the south side of the roof, from which a watch could be kept for ships on the river.

Blaydes' Yard was a private shipbuilder in Kingston upon Hull, England, founded in the 18th century which fulfilled multiple Royal Navy contracts. Her most notable ship was HMS Bounty famed for its mutiny.

History

Hugh Blaydes was born in 1686 and started building ships with his sons in 1740. Their yard was at Hessle Cliff on the Humber Estuary on the edge of Kingston upon Hull. They had a second North End Yard close to their home at 6 High Street (now known as Blaydes House).

By the 1780s the yard was being run by Benjamin Blaydes, Hugh's grandson. He took a deep and abiding interest in the commerce of the Town. He occupied the office of Governor of the Poor, he was once sheriff and 3 times Mayor of Hull. He was very tall, given to eccentricity. He had a very dark and tawny complexion and always wore buckskin breeches. He made it a rule to walk to the waterside at tide time to while away an hour and to witness the passengers land and embark. The Blaydes family was very prominent in Hull and provided three mayors: Joseph (1636/7), Benjamin (1771/2), Benjamin (1788).

Blaydes Street in Hull, a traditional two storey brick street is named after the family. The family created the company of Blaydes, Loft, Gee & Co. shipowners. They were the first to commence the Hull and Hamburg trade link, which they carried on with sailing vessels.

James Blaydes married Ann Marvell, sister of Andrew Marvell. Later members of the family left Hull and moved to Ranby Hall, a large country estate.

Their descendants included Frederick Henry Marvell Blaydes and Sir Rowland Blades, Lord Mayor of London.

Blydes' North End Yard has been chosen as the new home of the Arctic Corsair.

Notable ships

· HMS Success, 1740

· HMS Adventure, 1741

· HMS Anglesea, 1742

· HMS Poole, 1745

· HMS Raven, 1745

· HMS Centaur, 1746

· HMS Tavistock, 1747

· HMS Scarborough, 1756