Hopping (1855): fire kills baby.

Post date: Apr 17, 2012 10:37:54 AM

The following extract from the Liverpool Mercury of 14th September 1855 concerns a fire in Nettlestead rather than in Wateringbury, but it is an excellent illustration of the dangers of life in a hopper camp. The fact that Wateringbury Place had its own fire engine shows that fires must have been frequent. See Wateringbury Place contents sale 1876 when the fire engine was one of the items put up for sale.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AND LOSS or LIFE.-

The hop season, usually prolific of fires amongst the dwellings of the pickers, has this year been inagurated by a fearful calamity. Preparations for the accommodation of the pickers had, as usual, been made on the homestead of Mr. C. Gibbs, at Nettlestead, near Wateringbury station-various available lodges and sheds having been approriated to their use.

In one of the barns, a female infant, about twelve months old, named Bridget Donovan, was sleeping on the straw, at about one o'clock on Saturday, whilst a girl, about eight years of age, named Julia Sullivan, was charged to watch over her. This girl was engaged, about by the time mentioned, in cooking something at a fire outside the gate of the yard, when her clothes caught, and it is stated by persons who were on the spot at the time that the poor child in her fright ran into the barn, and probably rolled in the straw, to subdue the flames rising around her. The straw became ignited, and in a moment the barn was filled with fire and flame. The alarm then became general, and all hastened to render assistance. Foremost among these was a poor Irishwoman, who it was said had charge of the children. She ran into the barn, and through the smoke and flame succeeded in grasping the elder child, when she flew to a pond a few yards distant, with the burning child in her arms, into which she threw her. The poor girl was soon rescued from this second chance of destruction, and the remains of her clothes were removed.

In the meantime the fire had progressed with the utmost rapidity and several buildings became involved. In a barn was a quantity of wheat, oats, barley, and peas, and about 200 trusses of wheat straw and adjacent were one stack of oats and two of clover, which were all destroyed, as well as a stable, the barn and lodge, and other buildings.

A telegraphic message was sent to Maidstone shortly after two o'clock, and the engines arrived at the fire at a quarter to three. Previous to this, the engine kept on the property of Alderman Lucas had arrived, and had been brought into play. It was, however evident that nothing could save the buildings or the stacks, as the roof had fallen in, and nothing was left but an immense mass of blazing ruins on the ground. The engines played upon the flames for about half an hour, particularly upon the spot where the body of the child lay, and the trunk was then recovered, the extremities having been burned away. The elder child was taken to Coxheath union-house, where her injuries were attended to. She was alive on Monday afternoon.

The stock destroyed, of the value of about £500, was insured in the Sun office; but the buildings, the property of the Right Hon. Pemberton Leigh, were not insured.