Belgian refugees (1914)

Post date: Mar 07, 2014 12:2:51 PM

Although not about Wateringbury this extract (not full) from Kent Messenger of 12 September 1914 (not available online) does reflect a wider range of attitudes to Belgian refugees who came to Kent and to Wateringbury, than those in the Wateringbury Parish Magazine.

THE BELGIANS IN KENT

FOLKESTONE THE SANCTUARY

THE FUTURE OF THE EXILES

Folkestone was never so cosmopolitan as it is today, and from that point it is possible that cosmopolitanism may penetrate further into the county. It is curious that in the year when, as an enterprise of peace, efforts have been made to attract Continentals to English watering-places, this particular resort should be so full beyond all expectations of non-English speaking peoples. Months ago when the advertising began, it was not foreseen that before the summer was out, Folkestone would be the port for Boulogne, Havre, Antwerp and Dieppe, as well as Calais and Flushing. Yet so it is-not by normal enterprise but by the stress of war., which has driven to these hospitable shores, refugees from nearly all countries engaged in the fighting.

Belgians probably outnumber all the other foreigners in the town, and foreigners certainly outnumber the Britishers to be seen on the Leas at any time of the day. These are refugees in the sense that they have fled before the enemy, but they do not appear by any means, for the present at any rate, to be in financial distress, seeing that they are accommodating themselves at the best hotels and boarding houses, and air themselves in the latest fashions-the ladies at least for their men folk are behind ours in smartness. But they are obviously well to do, and Folkestone is reaping unexpected custom which is going a long way to make up for that of the British holiday maker, which is now infinitesimal.

Folkestone also has its poor refugees. They are housed in the old town and their rent is paid for them from a local fund which was started by a Belgian gentleman with £300. Moving among these, one begins to understand the terrors they have been through. It is very difficult to gain their confidence, for they seem to have lost faith in both God and man. They have to be befriended in families. Rather than be separated, even by a partition, families of seven and eight, from the grandmother to the grandchildren will herd in one room night and day. Many have long families and this does not reduce the difficulty of dealing with them. Of course only a sprinkling of the thousands that have landed at Folkestone have remained there-the majority go direct to London- but enough have stayed to create a problem for the authorities unless the situation is delicately handled.

Returning to the seaside and the "west end" there are four points to which the visitor is attracted by seeing these strangers in bulk. One is the Leas, which is brightened by their presence during the orchestral hours. Another is one of the Banks where in groups of 30 50 at a time they are eagerly changing their paper money into coin. A third point is the Town Hall, where they register, and the fourth, and most interesting, the precincts of the Harbour, where crowds from 200 or 300 to a thousand, most of them wearing ribbons of their national colours, meet every boat in the expectation of receiving friends and relatives. For an hour or so before the vessels are due they line up and chat over the situation. A news-sheet locally printed in French and deriving its advertisement revenue principally from lodging house notices, is circulated among them and a few are seen with the English newspapers. They wait and watch outside the closed gates of the station, and very few incidents beguile the time. For a new arrival to come through the gates with a captured Prussian helmet is quite an event, and is duely cheered. The passing in and out, with a very business mien, of khaki-clad Red Cross nurses, wearing helmets, military coats, riding breeches and top boots, is now an incident hardly noticed. Much more popular is a dusty Belgian soldier, with whom the women folk are glad to converse. Foreign papers brought by the newcomers are eagerly sought after.

Notice in Kent Messenger of 29th May 1915:

BOROUGH OF MAIDSTONE .

BELGIAN REFUGEES ORDER.

URGENT AND SERIOUS WARNING TO

BELGIAN REFUGEES & TO ALL PERSONS

WITH WHOM REFUGEES ARE LIVING

OR LODGING.

THIS IS TO GIVE NOTICE,

that owing to repeated in­-

fringements of the provisions

of the Aliens Restriction (Bel­-

gian Refugees) Order, it is here­

by ordered that-:

(a). If, after this date, any Belgian Refugee

neglects to register, or to notify any

change of address, or, who enters the

Borough of Maidstone . (which is a

Prohibited Area under the Aliens Re­-

striction (Consolidation) Order) without

the required Police permit he will be

prosecuted. Also,

(b). That if any person with whom any

Belgian Refugee is living or lodging,

fails to comply with the Aliens Restric­-

tion (Belgian : Refugees) Order, such

person will he prosecuted.

PENALTY FOR NON-COMPLIANCE WITH

THE SAID ORDERS. (ONE HUNDRED

POUNDS) OR SIX MONTHS’ IMPRISON­

MENT.

By order,

A. C. MACKINTOSH,

Chief Constable.

Borough Police Office, Maidstone,

May 25th, 1915.