Living with water and flood in medieval and early modern Hull

McDonagh, Briony; Worthen, Hannah; Mottram, Stewart; Buxton-Hill, Stormm

doi:10.3828/whp.eh.63830915903577

Living with water and flood in medieval and early modern Hull

McDonagh, Briony; Worthen, Hannah; Mottram, Stewart; Buxton-Hill, Stormm

Authors

Professor Briony McDonagh B.McDonagh@hull.ac.uk
Professor of Environmental Humanities

Dr Hannah Worthen Hannah.Worthen@hull.ac.uk
Post Doctoral Research Associate

Professor Stewart Mottram S.Mottram@hull.ac.uk
Professor of Literature and Environment

Stormm Buxton-Hill

Abstract

This paper explores Hull's histories of living with water and flood in the period between the foundation of the town in the 1260s and c. 1700, examining how the inhabitants, Corporation and Commissioners of Sewers managed and governed water in order to survive and thrive in a risky yet resilient estuarine environment. It does that as part of a bigger project utilising 'learning histories' drawing on Hull's 800-year experience of living with water and flood to drive climate awareness and flood resilience in a city which has experienced major flooding in recent years and is increasingly vulnerable in the face of future climate change. Here, we use civic and other records to reconstruct a flood timeline for medieval and early modern Kingston-Upon-Hull, revealing a history of repeated flood events impacting the town and surrounding area in the centuries after its foundation in c. 1260. We explore who managed and governed water and flood risk, and how this was achieved, arguing that water management was a pervasive concern as well as a collective and shared responsibility which ultimately generated a 'living with water mentality'.

Citation

McDonagh, B., Worthen, H., Mottram, S., & Buxton-Hill, S. (2024). Living with water and flood in medieval and early modern Hull. Environment and History, 30(4), 585-614. https://doi.org/10.3828/whp.eh.63830915903577

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Oct 2, 2023
Online Publication Date	Feb 12, 2024
Publication Date	Nov 1, 2024
Deposit Date	Dec 14, 2023
Publicly Available Date	Oct 8, 2024
Journal	Environment and History
Print ISSN	0967-3407
Electronic ISSN	1752-7023
Publisher	White Horse Press
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	30
Issue	4
Pages	585-614
DOI	https://doi.org/10.3828/whp.eh.63830915903577
Keywords	Water; flood; governance; risk; resilience
Public URL	https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4483010