The Drawings & Paintings of Great Grimsby
NORTH EAST LINCOLNSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY
- 1880
JAMES JILLOTT 1800
JAMES JILLOTT
1800 - 1880
The Drawings & Paintings of Great Grimsby
Compiled by Graham Parratt
Designed by Stuart Turnbull of Waltons Publications
Published in 2021 by North East Lincolnshire Archaeology and Local History Society. Included in this work, of immense local historical importance, are a small sample of the water colours, drawings and sketches carried out over a period of almost sixty years by James Jillott.
They capture many buildings that formed the townscape of the 18th century and some nineteenth century buildings completed following the creation of the new dock, opened in 1800. Many of the buildings were drawn just prior to their demolition and are, in many cases, the only surviving record of these buildings.
The new town was being developed along the east side of the dock before the railways arrived and significantly influenced the future development of the town.
This work was only made possible due to the original photographs and notes provided by Stephen Birch and the generous deposit by the Wilkinson family of the original documents.
Many of the works are in a very fragile condition and the fact that they have survived at all is remarkable.
Many of the sketches and drawings were never intended as anything other than preparatory sketches and were in the process of being destroyed when they were rescued from destruction.
This publication has, in part, been made possible by the generous donations towards the cost of production by Dorothy Dowling, Annie Smyth, Brian Patterson, Janice Paterson, Graham Parratt, Marion Piggott, David Robinson, Vic Waller and Anne Taylor-Rose, together with the support given by Waltons Publications.
The sketches, drawings and paintings from the Jillott Collection are included with permission of North East Lincolnshire Archives and North East Lincolnshire Museum Service.
A plan of Great Grimsby 1815 William Cook
1
South St Mary’s Gate
Pencil drawing. Figures have been added to the composition.
2
JAMES JILLOTT
Artist, Gentleman, Local Historian and Recorder
Born in 1800 – the son of John, a baker, who married James’ mother, Mary, in 1799. James’ first painting was of his mum, on ivory, staring out in her mob bonnet and frilled collar.
James, a deeply religious man, lived at 1 Burgess Street and he owned his and the four adjacent houses. He became a schoolmaster and taught at the old Mechanics Institute –the foundation for the public library – later to be destroyed during the war.
Later he taught at his own school at the junction of Victoria Street and Pasture Street. He married and had four children, a daughter and three sons, Frederick, James and Albert, all going into the world of printing for the firm Skeltons – which later became Gaits.
James developed his remarkable talent as an artist and a recorder, doing his work certainly for the next generation and beyond, sketching, painting and capturing the mood and feel of old Grimsby. His drawings are a vivid, detailed and characteristic documentation of the buildings at that time and through the 1850s, 60s and 70s.
Many of these buildings would have been on the plan of Great Grimsby 1815 (see map image 1).
Jillott often recorded his art on odd pieces and small scraps of paper, some now appearing weathered and torn but thankfully still legible.
In 1880 he sadly passed and was buried in the parish churchyard. Fortunately though we can remember this gentleman as a fine chronicler, talented artist and important figure in local history for his visual recording of Great Grimsby.
Junction of Victoria Street North and Grime Street.3
Town Hall from North
4
Drawing on blue print paper.
TOWN HALL & COUNCIL CHAMBER,
HIGH STREET
Council Chamber of the Old Town Hall, December 1867.
Pencil and ink sketch with some measurements and annotations.
‘All the witnesses for this case go out of court’ is written at the bottom of the sketch. Pencil sketch with ink.
Town Hall Plan providing some measurements and reference points.
6 7
5
The Town Hall, West End
The White Hart public house is on the right and on the left are a row of cottages backing onto St James’ church yard.
8
TOWN HALL
9
Pencil sketch on paper.
Osbourne Street with corner of George Street
10
The street sign for Osbourne Street is on the right-hand side of the building just above a sign for Whatley Plumber & Glazier.
GRIMSBY TOWN CENTRE
OSBOURNE STREET & GEORGE STREET
Pencil Sketch of Osbourne Street (now Osborne Street) and George Street.
Robert Bates’ House
Pictures 12 and 13 show Robert Bates’ House, which stood on the corner of George Street and the present day Victoria Street. Robert Bates was a ‘Chair Turner and Spinning Wheel Maker’ as indicated by the sign on the side of the building.
On picture 13 are two figures, one on either side of the fence, appearing to be deep in conversation. The male figure is possibly Robert Bates himself.
Back view of Robert Bates’ House. Pencil sketch with pen and ink over.12 13
Pencil sketch with pen and ink over. Corner of George Street and Victoria Street.
11
Water colour titled ‘Market-Place 1855, J. Jillott’. The
Market Place
14
Inscribed ‘This part fell down Christmas Eve between 10 & 11 December 24 1868’.
BETHLEHEM STREET & THE BULL RING
Tithe Barn, Bull Ring
The Tithe Barn stood in the Bull Ring next to St. James’ Church House which was demolished as part of the redevelopment of the area. The Tithe Barn was used latterly as a shop selling besoms, which can be seen leaning by the doorway.
This drawing shows the Fruit Market and is looking towards the Market Place (image 14).
The Town Hall is to the left of the building. The figure beside the low building is standing in Butchery Lane reading about the fall of Sevastopol in 1855.
The Old Tithe barn stood in the Bull Ring close to St James’ Church.
15 16 17
The Old Queen’s Head, Victoria Street
Pencil, pen and ink with colour wash.
18
The Old King’s Head
The Old King’s Head stood between the River Head and Haven Street and was replaced in the Victorian era by an up-to-date building. This is the earliest sketch we have by Jillott and also shows the keen interest he had in recording many of the old buildings in the town. He would have known this building very well as his father’s bakery was on the opposite side of the road.
VICTORIA STREET & SILVER STREET
The pencil sketch from 1822 shows the public house described in 1891 by Anderson Bates (a prominent Grimsby townsman and local historian) as the “Old King’s Head”. Adjoining it, on the present day Victoria Street, are several 18th century cottages.
Heavy pencil sketch of the Old Queen’s Head, Victoria Street, dated May 22nd 1874.
19 20
The Old Porch House, Bargate - ‘Spetyall House’
Pencil sketch with colour wash endorsed ‘Sketch by James Jillott, Oct 4 1873, Old Porch House’. The paper is damaged.
21
The Bargate Cottages
‘Thomas Wilkinson’s Cottage, Grimsby. He died some years ago. Had been Old soldier under Gen. Whitelane. Near the Wheatsheaf’.
The brick built, single storey cottage has a large central brick chimney stack and a pantiled roof. There is a door in the centre with a leaded window on the right hand side and another window. In the back garden is a privy.
Anderson Bates records that, ‘Nearly opposite Mr. Cook’s house, was a cottage and garden occupied by Tommy Wilkinson, an old Waterloo man.’
BARGATE
Inscribed, ‘Pencil Sketch by J. Jillott, July 13th 1870. Levelled 1873.’
Pencil, pen and ink with colour wash.
22 23
Captain Hand’s Summer House, Cartergate
Heavy pencil sketch with annotations on a very flimsy piece of paper.
24
CARTERGATE & FLOTTERGATE
25
Light pencil drawing with pen and ink. Dated May 1870.
Grime Street towards Marshall Knott & Baker
Pencil drawing 1877.
26
GRIME STREET & LOWER BURGESS STREET
Little remains of Burgess Street apart from Spring Church and the Lecture Hall. Pencil sketch (damaged), 1874.
27
28
Lower Burgess Street
Lower Burgess Street, as it is today.
Lock Hill
Pencil with pen and ink and a light colour wash with annotations.
Preliminary sketch for a possible painting.
29
GRIMSBY DOCKS
AND RIVER HUMBER
30 Lock Pit Looking North
Pencil sketch with annotations. ‘The Old Bell Post was removed in 1864’. Pencil sketch of Lock Hill Buildings showing the Dock Offices on the right hand side.31
Looking from King Street
Pencil sketch with damage to the top and side.
32
WEST DOCK STREET AND CUSTOM HOUSE
Pencil and pen and ink sketch with annotations on damaged and extremely flimsy paper which has been joined.
33
West Dock Street & Custom House
Dial Square - Wilkin’s Yard
Pencil sketch with colour wash and annotations in ink. The sun dial that gave the square its name can be seen facing onto Victoria Street. Gates enclose the yard.
34
The Last of the Old Wellow Cottages
Dated 1874. 35
Gavin’s House, Haven Street
Watercolour of a large house in Haven Street looking towards the present day Victoria Street.
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