Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915 - part 9

This is a continuation of the Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915 - part 8.
Alternatively, see all the previous parts of the Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915, together.


Narrator   
What good organisers, the people of Lowick are or were!

The Steffen family, at Haggerston Cottages, had the sad task of burying two young children in Lowick churchyard; the ‘heretic cemetery at Lowick’ as recorded in the Roman Catholic Register of Deaths. Josephina aged 3, buried in November 1914 and Jan aged 4, in December, died from bronchitis and convulsions, as certified by Dr Elliott. Hendrik, their 13 year old brother, used English for the first time to ask for milk for his sick brother and sister.

Edward Steffens and Elisabeth Neutjens (in later life)

A report, in the Advertiser, of a concert held in December, at the Catholic School, Lowick, stated that a grant had been received from the Berwick Belgian Relief Fund which together with the work of the local committee had put the provision for the families on a sound footing. All the able-bodied men were employed and earning wages, although some of the work was seasonal and casual.

Van Puyenbroeck family in November 1918

The Van Puyenbroeck family joined in the singing with great enthusiasm.

During the first few months of 1915, fund raising for the Refugees continued in Lowick and elsewhere. On April 29th, a public meeting was held in the Lowick Subscription School by the Belgian Refugee Committee. As there was a balance in hand of £37 7s 11d (£37.40) (943.35 Belgian francs), it was decided to discontinue the monthly subscriptions, leaving it to the Committee to resume them as and when they thought necessary.

As 1915 wore on, appeals appeared in the national and local newspapers reminding the ‘Britishers’ what they owed the Belgians and asking for a greater show of liberality both in money and energy to aid local refugees and those in Belgium. In Northumberland, the refugees, now numbering about 900, were in a great need of summer and under-clothing. It was felt necessary to point out that as most were the better class people, they would not accept dirty clothing.

The Mayor of Berwick decided to ignore the June appeal for funds for Belgium, but was upset when Berwick was left off the list of Northumberland towns that were ‘doing their bit to keep alive the unfortunate millions’. He pointed out that shortly after the War started, £400 cash and £100 of valuable goods were sent to Belgium. While aware of the needs of the Belgian people, efforts still needed to be made for the French and Russian funds and he felt it unadvisable to make any further special effort.

Extract from Lowick School Register

Official letters confirm the presence of the De Roover family in Lowick between July and November 1915. PC Henderson, the Lowick Constable, and the Chief Constable, who you have already met, will explain further.

Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915 - part 7

This is a continuation of the Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915 - part 6.
Alternatively, see all the previous parts of the Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915, together.

It was performed as a "radio play" in Berwick Guildhall on 25 April 2015 at Discover Berwick’s First World War Story. Researched and written by Julie Gibbs.


Narrator  
We may never know the truth.  Such cases must have been very common and time consuming.
You will be pleased to know that for the benefit of the Belgian Refugees in Lowick and Haggerston District, who now number over 60, the Berwick Journal on 22nd October 1914  included a short summary of the news from Belgium, in Flemish.

The day before, the Medical Officer of Health visited Lowick. He reported to the Glendale Rural District Council that the water supply was almost gone.  Water could only be got at one pant (in Northumberland, a pant is a pump, water trough or fountain to supply drinking water for people or animals) or in the middle of the village and that he understood only occasionally. He felt it highly desirable for matters to be expedited, for with an influx of refugees and a possibility of wounded being brought to the village, the scarcity of water was liable to bring about a serious condition. (Lowick’s water supply had occupied the minds of the Parish Council and Glendale Rural District Council for years and continued to do so for years to come!)

Meanwhile more families arrived as reported by the Lowick Correspondent for the Advertiser, 30th October.

Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915 - part 2

This is a continuation of Lowick and District’s Response to the Belgian Refugees 1914 – 1915 - part 1.
It was performed as a "radio play" in Berwick Guildhall on 25 April 2015 at Discover Berwick’s First World War Story. Researched and written by Julie Gibbs.

Narrator
Now ladies, if by late October, you are still unclear as to how you can help, ‘Border Woman’ will put you straight.  You no doubt read her regular ‘Women’s Work and Interest’ column in the (Berwick) Journal.

Border Woman    (22 October 1914)

Good Afternoon,
‘Women of Berwickshire', let us put our shoulders to the wheel and see what we can do, now, immediately, to help our friends and allies, the Belgians. Just imagine how it must feel to leave everything behind and then be plunged into a country in which you cannot make yourself understood by your neighbours – in which it is extremely difficult to glean news even of what has happened in your own land since you left it.
 I implore you not to say, “There is so little that I can do. I have had so many calls on my purse lately” – every one of us can do something, and every one of us must do all that lies in her power; and please, when you are asked to help, do not say “Yes, yes, but they’ll have to find some work to do.” Find some work to do! You cannot imagine how anxious they are to find work, nor how difficult it is to find it. Those who have a home in a farm cottage will probably be given odd day’s work by the farmer, but as winter comes on, and the odd day’s work is more and more difficult to find, we must help and help and help again.

To begin with, all who have “summer cottages,” or unoccupied furnished homes, can offer to lend them free of rent and taxes. The War Refugee Committee promises to put only responsible people of the educated classes into such houses - people who will understand how to take care of them. While few of us possess such a house, all however, can help with the Belgians of the working class, by finding every suitable empty cottage in the country, and buying, begging or borrowing furniture and then asking all one’s friends to guarantee a regular weekly contribution towards helping that family through the winter – 3d (1p) to 2s 6d (12½p) a week – whatever they are able to promise regularly in money or kind.

If you cannot help in this way, there are already 59 Belgians in the Ancroft, Lowick, Haggerston, and Cheswick districts. In the two former, the organisation is under Mr Riddell and Mr Middlemass, South Berrington; Mrs Crossman, of Cheswick House, and Mrs Leyland, of Haggerston Castle, are responsible for between 20 and 30. The Belgians who have come are extremely thrifty, industrious, and intelligent- indeed it is wonderful how well they have been able to make themselves understood, although three weeks ago they did not know a word of English. The families are in need of furniture, clothing, boots, food, and money. And if your children have toys or picture books that they could put into the parcels for all the poor mites, I think it would be very nice.

 Let it be quite clear that no portion of the Belgian Relief Fund has yet been used for this work; all that has been expended so far, has been sent to Belgium. The cottage people themselves are helping up to the limit of their capacity, but help from outside is really much needed.

(Border Woman  sits down.)