In walking around the town have you noticed blue information plaques attached to some buildings? Since 2009, Selby Civic Society has installed four Blue Plaques in Abbey Place, Finkle Street, The Quay and Micklegate. But what are they for?
Blue Plaques started to appear in London in 1866, to link famous people or an event to a particular building or location. The scheme in London is now run by English Heritage, but there are dozens of similar schemes throughout the country run be community heritage groups, such as Civic Societies, local authorities, business associations and scientific societies.
In Selby the plaques are dedicated to:
Henry Beauclerc – 4th son of William the Conqueror and Matilda, reputedly born in Selby in 1068 and destined to become King Henry I in 1100, reigning until his death from eating “a surfeit of lampreys” in 1135. This plaque is located on railings on the north side of Selby Abbey in Abbey Place/Church Avenue.
Sir Jonathan Hutchinson – a nationally eminent surgeon, scientist and educator – born in 1828 in a house on The Quay, now the offices of Westmill Foods, where the plaque is located. He set up a museum in the former Museum Hall in Park Street, now the Jinnah restaurant, which was closed in the 1960’s.
Smithson Tennant – born in 1761 at 12, Finkle Street, he went on to become one of Europe’s most famous scientists, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society at the age of just 23, then went on to isolate and name two chemical elements – osmium and iridium in 1804. The plaque is on the wall of his birthplace, now the “Zu Zu Lounge.”
David Foster – lived at 78, Micklegate for some 40 years. In 1890, in this house – since 2015 bearing the plaque – he devised and patented the first equipment for a table rackets game which became the world-wide sport of table tennis, now played by millions.
Now you may have noticed that all these famous Selebians are MEN. The Civic Society is keen to recognise and dedicate their next Blue Plaques to notable FEMALES with links to Selby. Nationally, just 14% of Blue Plaques celebrate achievements of women.
So, we are asking readers of the Selby Times to let us know of suitable female candidates that have demonstrable achievements and links to Selby Town or District.
Before sending us your suggestions, these are the criteria to consider:
• At least 20 years must have passed since a candidate’s death.
• At least one building or clearly defined location associated with the figure must survive.
• The building/location must survive in a form that the commemorated person would have recognised and be clearly visible to the public.
• Buildings with many personal associations, such as churches, schools and theatres, are not normally considered for plaques.
• Nominations will not be considered where a person’s association with the relevant building is already clearly and permanently marked or commemorated in some way, by local authorities, privately, or under some other scheme.
A spokesman for Selby Civic Society said “A few female candidates have been identified and considered but all have failed to comply with some of the necessary criteria. That’s why we are casting the net wider in the hope that your readers will come forward with some good suggestions.
Nominations will be subject to thorough historical research and assessment by the Society’s assessors. Proposals may be turned down for many reasons, for example if a subject’s historical significance is felt to be insufficiently clear and significant or if the connection to a surviving building or location is too tenuous.
Please send suggestions, with a summary of why the nominated person should be considered, to:
Email – selbycivicsociety@yahoo.co.uk or by
Post – Selby Civic Society, Secretary, 3 Great Close, Cawood, Selby, YO8 3UG.
Telephone – 01757 268 418