Hopping Or No Hopping ?

[Howard Brown]

Simon Wood mentioned this 4 years ago.....

10-03-2009, 12:16 PM #4 Simon Wood


Posts: n/a



Hi Howard,

The 1888 hop season was disastrous. Hop pickers were schlepping back to London in droves even before Kate and John allegedly set forth for Hunton.

I don't believe they went to Kent any more than I believe Kate spent the night of Friday, September 28th in the Mile End Casual Ward.

Regards,

Simon

[Howard Brown]

This letter to the City Police mentions someone who had been hopping and who knew one of the women who were murdered :

[Lynn Cates]

Tompkins

Hello Howard. Thanks for posting this.

Think it refers to Tompkins?

Cheers.
LC

[Howard Brown]

Lynn:

Not sure, buddy.

[Edward Stow]

That letter seems to have been from a D Longley from Yalding - near Hunton, the next village over in fact.
He should be traceable.
Do you know if anyone has tried?

[Debra Arif]

Interesting spelling mistakes.

[Debra Arif]

That letter seems to have been from a D Longley from Yalding - near Hunton, the next village over in fact.
He should be traceable.
Do you know if anyone has tried?

There's a William Longley in Yalding with his wife and family.There doesn't seem to be any other Longleys at all. He is a carpenter and his wife is a sweet retailer. They have a few kids.
He's living Mr Treasurer cottage, Yalding.

[Edward Stow]

It could be W not D

[Jeff Leahy]

Yes I'm struggling on the spelling and writing also if any one thinks they can translate it would be appreciated

But this might give you a lead Ed?

Longley might help pin point the Hop Farm?

Yours Jeff

(PS I'm currently doing some work for Maidstone museum- let me know if your down there)

[Debra Arif]

It could be W not D

Yes. It's identical to the W in Whitechapel.

[Paul Kearney A.K.A. NEMO]

It says...

Private
Yalding
Oct 3/88
Colonel Fraser
Sir, seeing your name in the daily paper I take the liberty to write to you to inform you that I heard yesterday that there has be down here some of the Whitechapel People hoppicking who know one of the women that has been murdered, I also heard that they said they should not be surpprised to hear that the murderer is one of the slaughter men that work at the publick Slaughter House close bye, as there is one man there that cannot bare the sit of a woman and hates them.
Please keep this private as it is only a hear say as I was passing through our village
Yours obediently
D Longley
PS Please do not use my name or make it Publick, but act as you think best in the matter, as I cannot vouch for the rumer

[Jeff Leahy]

It says...

Private
Yalding
Oct 3/88
Colonel Fraser
Sir, seeing your name in the daily paper I take the liberty to write to you to inform you that I heard yesterday that there has be down here some of the Whitechapel People hoppicking who know one of the women that has been murdered, I also heard that they said they should not be surpprised to hear that the murderer is one of the slaughter men that work at the publick Slaughter House close bye, as there is one man there that cannot bare the sit of a woman and hates them.
Please keep this private as it is only a hear say as I was passing through our village
Yours obediently
D Longley
PS Please do not use my name or make it Publick, but act as you think best in the matter, as I cannot vouch for the rumer

MAny thanks Jeff

PS ED- Might be worth checking the name, Yalding and Hunton are basically next to each other..

[Edward Stow]

Yes - it at least suggests that she worked in a farm in the part of Hunton that borders on Yalding and hopefully I will be able to pin point where Longley lived.
Alongside the evidence from the shop in Maidstone where they bought some boots this makes it clear that they were genuinely in Hunton that Autumn.

I may be able to pop onto the Local History Museum/Library in Maidstone this Friday or next week.

[Edward Stow]

The nearest Hunton hop fields to Yalding where on the Cheveney estate – the oast houses there are right on the border with Yalding.
In the 1885 directory the interestingly named Thomas Shafto lived there.
For the 1886 tithe the landowner is listed as Lt Col A C Borton.

[Debra Arif]

William Longley lived at 'Mr Treasurer Cottage' listed just before workhouse Row which is mentioned in the enumeration district description here: