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Ellen PALMER (1899-1991) was the youngest child of Thomas Palmer (1861-1944), master plumber at 15, Souttergate, HEDON, and Ida Dinah Palmer, (Nee Read), (1865-1957).  Ellen was educated at the local Hedon School.

The earliest Palmer about whom anything is known was also Thomas, (died 1820), a respected schoolmaster in Withernwick. He had five sons and eight daughters, Ellen’s father being a son of the youngest of these five boys.

Cecil William RUTHERFORD, (1913-1990), was the eldest son of Ellen’s eldest sister Annie.

For a time Ellen worked at Madam Clapham’s – a Couture House in Kingston Square, Hull which made clothes for royalty.  At one time Ellen modelled and acted as mannequin for costumes for the Queen of Norway whose measurements her own figure equalled.

She was an expert needlewoman and won many prizes for crochet and even more for knitting.  She opened her own business for babies’ wear at 212 Beverley Road but eventually closed this and returned to helping her parents. She helped in the shop, (adjacent to the house in Souttergate and now, since 1992, Bygone Antiques), and took over keeping the books from her mother.  She continued to do this until the death in 1990 of her nephew Cecil, (aged 77), for whom she had kept house.

Ellen lived in this same house all her life except from the last year and two weeks.  She died in The Weir, a private residential home in Hessle, still alert until her final few days – glad to arrange for someone to cook for her.  She only learned to cook when her mother, Ida, died and she never enjoyed it.

Cecil went to live with his grandparents when he was seven.  A weakly child, it was thought desirable for him to move out of the Hull atmosphere and he was cared for by his grandmother, a former midwife.  He remained in Souttergate for the rest of his life; was apprenticed to his grandfather and uncle, (also Thomas), eventually taking over the business.

Thomas Palmer bought his business in 1883 having previously worked for the owner Beale.  Before that it was Belton’s.  Formerly 15 Souttergate had been four properties.  In the back yard was a pump from a spring which provided excellent water and never ran dry, supplying the original properties.  The pump was maintained and serviced by the plumber for a peppercorn rent.  Until after Ellen’s death (in 1991!), this Hedon house remained the only property without a piped water supply, having no such need. In times of drought, in Thomas’ early days, other Hedon residents would come for water at one penny per bucketful.  There was also an underground reservoir in which soft rainwater collected for use in laundering and for hair-washing.

Like many Hedon tradesmen the Palmer family had a long tradition of public service, from grandfather, uncle, nephew.  All gas mantles in Hedon Church were regularly cleaned and changed every year in preparation for the Harvest Festival either free or for a nominal charge.  The lead roof and leaded windows were also maintained for minimal fee.  Some of the lead for the roof of Beverley Minster was cast on the floor of the shop.

There was a forge at the rear of the premises and the bellows used for casting this roof lead is now in the possession of the Hedon Museum Society, along with a number of tools used.  Old lead working and plumbing tools from the business were given to Hedon Museum and some to the Hull Waterworks Museum at Springhead.

Cecil Rutherford and his four younger brothers were all educated at St. John’s Church of England School, Newland, Hull.  The family over the years trained a number of apprentices most of whom would have come from the South Holderness catchment area.  Cecil did work for the South Holderness Comprehensive School, Station Road, Preston.  Therefore these two schools were chosen by Ellen Palmer as beneficiaries under her will.  The subjects chosen by her for scholarships, namely electricity, plumbing, building, architecture and medicine, represented work interests of various members of the family from her father’s uncles to his grandchildren.

The money for the fund became available for use in 1995. A scholarship has to be awarded to ex-pupils of each school every other year and the Trustees started with South Holderness School.