A book of Jessie Wilson’s musings and observations, along with photographs, maps and more, has been published
The transcript of a hand-written diary charting life in a wartime East Yorkshire village and beyond has been published. North Ferriby resident Jessie Wilson captured all the everyday goings-on from January 1941 to 1945.
A book of her words has been published by Swanland Heritage Centre. Jessie Wilson’s diary, North Ferriby in the Second World War, is an illustrated transcription of her hand-written notes.
Deborah Parry, treasurer of Swanland Heritage Centre, said: “On January 1, 1941, Jessie Wilson began writing a diary in an exercise book. She recorded events happening in North Ferriby – including ‘hatches, matches and dispatches’ – everyday life and wartime events affecting Hull, East Yorkshire, the United Kingdom and overseas.
“Her entries concluded with the end of the war with Japan on VJ Day, August 15, 1945.” Jessie was born in 1896 and, as a child, lived at 1 Garth Cottages in Low Street, North Ferriby.
Her father, Thomas Wilson, was a coachman and later chauffeur at Ferriby Garth. By the time the Second World War started in 1939, Jessie and her younger sister, Carolla, (both single ladies) lived together at 2 West View, North Ferriby.
“Before her death in 1987, Jessie had been burning the notebooks and scrapbooks that she had created over the years as she thought ‘nobody is interested in these’,” said Deborah. “Her wartime diary and a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings were saved from destruction and eventually came into the possession of Pam Walton, a long-time resident of North Ferriby.
“Pam, together with friends Christine Bray and Janet Black, set about transcribing the diary.”
Pam subsequently met some of the committee of Swanland Heritage Centre and offered to donate the original diary, the transcript and the scrapbook to the centre, to add to its collection of local history materials.
“Having read the diary, the centre decided that it deserved a much wider audience and so began preparing to have it published as a book,” said Deborah. “The finished book was launched at VE Day events in Swanland Village Hall and in North Ferriby Village Hall, on May 8, 2025.”
The book, in addition to containing the full contents of the diary, also has maps, over 50 illustrations of places mentioned in the diary, taken from photographs, postcards and newspaper cuttings, and more than 130 footnotes, providing more information about the people, places and events mentioned in the diary. The A4-sized book runs to 106 pages and costs £8 to purchase.
Copies can be obtained from Swanland Heritage Centre, in The Institute, Main Street, Swanland (by the pond) during its regular Saturday morning openings from 10am to noon. It is also available from Rogers Stores, 40 Church Road, North Ferriby, or can be ordered from Deborah Parry by emailing dparry@inbox.com or by calling 01482 632576.
There is free delivery to North Ferriby and Swanland addresses. Copies, posted second class, cost £10.20 each.
Find out more about Swanland Heritage Centre via its website and on Facebook.