The Hoppers' Memorial, Hadlow

[poliphilo]

On the 20th October 1853 a waggon was taking a party of hop-pickers back to their camp in Golden Green, Kent when it came to grief on the badly maintained wooden bridge over the river Medway at Hartlake and tipped them all into the water.  The river was in flood.  11 made it to the banks. 30 drowned.

The victims were Romanys, many from one extended family, some from Ireland.  All were buried in a mass grave in the churchyard at Hadlow, at the expense of the parish, near the farm where they'd been working. The youngest- a two year old girl- is listed on the monument as "baby girl"  because the only people who knew her name died with her.

Comments

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

It's nice to think that some cared enough about them to erect a memorial. I wonder if that would happen in today's UK - or Denmark or anywhere in Europe, for that matter.

Not, of course, that it really matters much what happens after we're gone.

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Baby girl...

Oh, that's so sad.

But it's good that they are remembered, even now.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I think I remember reading/hearing that not all Irish travelers who picked hops were Romany. I must look it up.