Christopher G. Pickering (9 November 1842 – 22 December 1920) was a British businessman and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

. He made his fortune as a merchant and ship owner, particularly in the

Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull, usually shortened to Hull, is a historic maritime city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Est ...

fish trade. In 1914 he founded a park,

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...

s, church and children's home in west Hull. The park and almshouses still bear his name.

Biography

Christopher Pickering was born in 1842, the son of a tailor. In 1861 his occupation was that of a fish curer in Kingston upon Hull, and subsequently he became a fish merchant, and by 1881 a ship owner. He controlled together with a Mr. Haldane Pickering & Haldane's Steam Trawling Co. and the fish and ice merchants Pickering, Haldane & Co. He married Rachael Blakestone, lived in 114 Coltman Street, Hull, from 1874 to 1889, and moved to

Hornsea Hornsea is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The settlement dates to at least the early medieval period. The town was expanded in the Victorian era with the coming of the Hull and Hornsea Railway in 186 ...

in 1889 when he purchased The Hall. He founded six almshouses in Hornsea in 1908, and in 1914 he built almshouses, a church, park and children's home in the west of Kingston upon Hull. He was presented with the Freedom of the City of Hull in 1920. He died in December 1920 aged 78.

Legacy

Both the Hull Almshouses (Christopher Pickering Lodge is now a grade II listed building) and the park ( Pickering Park, Kingston upon Hull) he built still bear his name, as does a local council ward (Pickering Ward). The restoration of his Coltman Street home was featured in the third season of the BBC television series '' Restoration Home.''

References

1842 births 1920 deaths Businesspeople from Kingston upon Hull {{UK-business-bio-1840s-stub