Hopping (1894): 3 deaths; strikers in streets.

Post date: Mar 15, 2012 5:1:37 PM

Extract from Parish magazine of October 1894:

BURIALS.

" Until the day dawn and the shadows flee away."

Sept. 14. Louisa Loft, aged 20 months

„ 22. Guinevere de Boisy, aged 17 years.

,, 24. William Robert Godfrey, aged 3 months.

All the burials last month were connected with our hop-picker immigrants. The case of G. de Boisy was exceptionally sad. She had only arrived in the hop grounds a few days before her death, which occurred quite suddenly as she was standing at her bin, the Coroner's jury returning a verdict of ''Death from from pulmonary apoplexy." A large concourse of hop-pickers attended her funeral, and the attention with which they followed the service, and listened to an address from the Rev. W. P. Thorp, joining also in "The Lord's Prayer" by the grave side was deeply impressive. The young girl was an orphan, a native of Jersey, and had been in Dr. Barnardo's Home, whence she had been sent to a laundry in this neighbourhood. This, it appears, she ran away from, and she arrived in the hop grounds very insufficiently clad, and the damp cold weather brought on the disease which so suddenly ended her life. A Coroner's inquest was also held to investigate the cause of the death of W. R. Godfrey, resulted in a verdict of " Death from natural causes."

Extract from Parish magazine of November 1894:

THE HOP-PICKING SEASON.

The season this year was tedious and prolonged, owing partly to the wet weather and partly to growers beginning to pick at such different times. The immigrants into our own village were quiet and well behaved, but there were some unpleasant scenes amongst strikers from a neighbouring village, who made our streets their battle ground. The veteran Missionary, Mr. Leach, was again at work, and Mr. Marchant occupied his old position at Canon Court Farm. The attendances at the Tent Services were satisfactory, and the Sunday Schools held by Miss Goodwin, at Canon Court, and by Miss Phillips, at the Upper Mill, were very popular. Mr. Colby exhibited his Magic Lantern