 Kirk Ella was once one of the parishes of the county of Hull (Hullshire), established in 1440, and incorporated West Ella, Willerby, Wolfreton and Anlaby, and included a detached within modern day Hull roughly halfway between Hull and Hessle town centres.By the 17th century lands in Kirk Ella had become the property of several persons including Ralph Ellerker of Risby; George Whitmore; and John Anlaby of Etton.From the 1750s onwards many of the wealthy merchants and shipowners of Kingston upon Hull began moving their residences out of Hull, mostly westwards towards the higher ground of the wolds foothills and in an opposite direction to the prevailing winds, which carried the factory smells and other pollution eastward.