Terrific story in HDM. I love hearing about characters like this. http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Jemmy-Hirst-man-rode-bull-fox-hunts/story-27825455-detail/story.html He rode a bull during fox hunts, had a bear called Nicholas and insisted his wedding be conducted in sign language. Jemmy Hirst's eccentricity even caught the attention of King Edward III, leading to an invite to meet him. Needless to say, Jemmy initially declined – insisting he was busy "teaching an otter to fish" Jemmy was born in 1738 in Rawcliffe, near Goole. His incredible story is still remembered in the village. Even its pub, Jemmy Hirst at The Rose & Crown, is named after him. "He is still well known here," landlord Simon Hicks said. "He lived most of his life just up the road from the pub. We have excerpts from the village history on display in the pub that talk about his life." Mr Hicks is proud to commemorate the eccentric, in his own small way. It is always a talking point for visitors. "People come in and ask about the pub's name and they are amazed by the story," he said. "We asked people what name we should give the pub and they chose Jemmy Hirst. He was such a colourful character, he still resonates in the village all these years on." please log in to view this image A commemorative Jemmy Hirst cup. Jemmy's parents hoped he would become a priest, but the tearaway was thrown out of school because of his pranks. As a youngster, he kept a pet jackdaw and trained a hedgehog to follow him around. Jemmy became apprenticed to a tanner, falling in love with his daughter and becoming engaged to her. But he lost his fiancée in tragic circumstances, which triggered his bizarre behaviour. Jemmy managed to rescue his partner from a flooding river, only to watch her die of smallpox soon afterwards. Following the tragedy, he trained and rode a bull called Jupiter, which used to pull a wickerwork carriage containing a wine cellar and double bed. Jemmy built a simple mechanical odometer on the carriage, which rang a bell after every mile travelled. An even more bizarre use for the beloved Jupiter was his role in fox hunts. Jemmy would ride the bull and used pigs instead of pointer dogs. As part of his menagerie, Jemmy also had a tame fox, an otter and a bear called Nicholas. Mixed in with his eccentricity was a fair dose of compassion. He would summon the poor and elderly to his house for tea, which was served from his favourite coffin. please log in to view this image Jemmy Hirst's home in Rawcliffe. The eccentric later married his housekeeper. During the ceremony, he wore a toga and insisted it should be conducted in sign language. Such behaviour eventually attracted the attention of the country's most powerful figure. None other than King George III invited Jemmy to London. Despite initially declining, he eventually arrived in a flamboyant outfit of an otter-skin coat, patchwork breeches, red and white-striped stockings and yellow boots. One noble collapsed in laughter so Jemmy threw a goblet of water in his face thinking he was clearly "having hysterics". Jemmy returned the favour by inviting the King to visit him in Rawcliffe for a good brandy. But George III did not oblige. The maverick died in 1829, leaving £12 in his will to 12 old maids to follow his coffin. Only two maids turned up so ten widows were hired. He might be best remembered now in the name of a pub. But even in death, Jemmy had one last joke up his sleeve. The maverick left his accountant a piece of rope – so the man could "go hang himself". More colourful characters THE exhibition at Skidby Windmill focuses on a number of East Riding characters. Called Local Worthies, it has been produced by the Skidby Mill volunteer team. It includes well-known personalities such as the writer Winifred Holtby and archaeologist John Mortimer, alongside less famous (but equally colourful) characters such as Jemmy Hirst and Snowden Dunhill, a notorious 19th-century convict from Spaldington. David Marchant, museums registrar at East Riding Council, helped put the display together. He said: "The volunteers hold an exhibition a couple of times a year and wanted to look at characters in the East Riding. Hirst was notoriously eccentric, which was why he was chosen. "We managed to glean quite a bit of information from the archives and public records, as well as online. He was certainly an interesting character to research." Jemmy's story, perhaps, stands out from the crowd. But the others featured also played an important role in East Riding life. Mr Marchant said: "This new exhibition is a real cross section of East Riding personages, from the great and the good of local society like the famous Wilson family who owned the hugely important Hull-based Wilson shipping line, to the definitely not-so- good Snowden Dunhill, who ran a criminal gang that terrorised his neighbourhood before he was transported to Australia. "All are worthy of our attention, if not necessarily of respect." The mill is open daily from 10am to 5pm, and the exhibition runs until February 29, 2016. For more information, call 01482 848405.
This chap - Harold Davidson - was a bit of a case: http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/extra/series-1/vicar_lion.shtml
Pub that still bears his name in Rawcliffe....great little Real Ale pub, visited a few times please log in to view this image
