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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Kent => Topic started by: louisa maud on Wednesday 09 March 16 16:09 GMT (UK)
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Having been searching the 1939 register I am finding quite a lot of split families, one in particular had the wife and daughters living in a "Hut " in Swale RD, it now occurs to me that these might have been hop pickers, no address given except the nearest is Dover Square, I wonder where that is, obviously hop picking area
Louisa Maud
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In 1939 Swale Rural District Council and Sittingbourne and Milton Urban District Council were separate entities . In 1974 Swale Borough Council was created Absorbing the above and Faversham Borough Council and Queenboro onthe Isle of Sheppey.
The point being Swale Rd was mainly an area centered arround Sittingbourne much smaller than the modern Swale Borough District . As the register was compiled 29 September 1939,you are quite right assuming she was in a Hoppers Hut as it was picking time. Unfortunately there were hundreds of hopping camps in the district so you will have a job to pinpoint the location.
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Sorry I didn't return earlier but my hard drive on my main computer has burnt out, at this very minute I am not sure if my 22 years of FT can be saved, stupidly not backed up
anyway, many thanks for your helpful reply, it makes sence now as to where they are on 1939, also might help others with lost souls on the register who had hop pickers in the family
regards
Louisa Maud
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I realise this is an old post but I too have just found a relative in a Hut in Swale in 1939 and am very grateful for the post and the explanation.
I notice the listings on the register are all women and children in these huts - where are the husbands? (Can't find mine listed anywhere).
(Being from the other side of the world I've not encountered Hop Pickers before, so now have some reading to do) :)
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The 1939 National Register doesn't include any men who had signed up ;D
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thank you for your quick reply.
So all the husbands of these women listed in the Huts would be away in Army barracks or posted somewhere??
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I think some of the husbands would be still in London, working. Hop picking at that time was often done by women and children, and was a sort of country holiday for families from the poor East End of London.
Lots of information and pictures on line.
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Yes, thanks for that - I've already hit the google and am learning lots. Amazing piece of history.
Cheers!
♥
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I started this subject but it is interesting to find out more details, my grandmother and all the females would pack up and go to somewhere near Peckham during the season, I went for a weekend when I was very young, I think Friday night were interesting when families returned from the local pubs, the accommodation was only corrugated and you could hear everything,
I think everyone enjoyed it, somehow I think they thought of it as more of a holiday
Louisa Maud
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Hi Louisa, thanks for your reply. My interest stemmed from "fleshing out" a side shoot of my family tree. My curiosity was piqued when I realised the whole page of the 1939 register contained women and children in "huts". My first thought was perhaps they were perhaps army housing, but hop pickers makes more sense. I now need to quiz my father-in-law, as I seem to recall him telling me he went hop picking as a small boy. Not as early as 1939 but possibly late 40s.
Corrugated iron would have been rather cold also, I should imagine! The photos online seem to show a lot of happy families, and I've just read a newspaper excerpt from "Hopping" by Melanie McGrath. I might even purchase the book, it looks a good, insightful read. It mentions there that the annual pilgrimage to the hop fields was just like moving the inhabitants of the whole street to another side of the city. It appears to be the only "holiday" some families were able to have, and the money earned saw them able to have new shoes or coats for the winter. So far removed from my life and times. I'm really enjoying this journey. Thanks again for your initial post! :)
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I have a feeling one aunt went for August and part of September as did my grandmother, a lorry would arrive and almost everything would be packed up on the lorry, my uncle would stay at home and my mother would cook his evening meal, my mothers family were not hop picking people but my fathers were, in fact my grandmother's family were bargees on the grand union canal and the easily another way of life.
I remember the lorry turning up and everything piling on
Happy memories for some as it was a carefree time for the children
Louisa Maud