Bernard_Lewis Posted 5 December , 2013 Share Posted 5 December , 2013 Maybe we've upset him? Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenbcook Posted 7 December , 2013 Share Posted 7 December , 2013 Oh, not upset at all :-) Been ill I'm afraid. Thanks for the input, afraid I've already been through the newspaper archives, what there are - and there are bits and bobs, but i'm really trying to find something more coherent. It seems an issue that people *know* there were Belgian refugees "in the area"....but not much more sadly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harper Posted 12 December , 2013 Share Posted 12 December , 2013 Allen St Werburgh's RC Church in Chester has a team working on a project to remember the fallen from the parish. In addition to looking into the names on the war memorial, we are looking at a number of topics including the "Belgian connection". I'll pass your request to the team leaders, and then send contact details to you by a PM. Harper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Honora Posted 12 December , 2013 Share Posted 12 December , 2013 Like Harper, I was going to suggest you try the churches in the area, they may have helped refugees - I think your best bet would be to try the Diocesan Archives, both C of E and RC - you might be lucky.. Have you tried any small local museum in your area, sometimes people pass all sorts of things to small museums and the museums stash them in their own archives. Honora Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cheshirelass25 Posted 1 May , 2014 Share Posted 1 May , 2014 Hi Allen My Dad had an aunt that married a Belgian Refugee in Nantwich. After the war, they moved backed to Belgium and had 6 children, a couple of which are still living. They were living their during the 2nd world war too. I am in touch with some of their grandchildren and would willingly contact for you if you wanted more information, I have photos of their marriage too. If this is any help to you, let me know Cheshire Lass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shawbostmac Posted 23 June , 2014 Share Posted 23 June , 2014 I'm pretty sure Belgian Refugees were housed at what was the Mary Dendy Hospital in Great Warford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 21 August , 2014 Share Posted 21 August , 2014 No, not about Mr.Hercule P! See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zcn3b9q Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 21 August , 2014 Share Posted 21 August , 2014 Apparently they built the promenade under the Menai Bridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 22 August , 2014 Share Posted 22 August , 2014 More than 1,000 Belgian refugees arrived in Wiltshire from October 1914 and were accommodated in towns and villages. Lady Suffolk provided a marquee for some of them on her estate near Malmesbury. One recognized artist, Constant Permeke, stayed at Stanton St Bernard and another, Joseph Schippers (who was accompanied to England by his wife and eight children), had his own exhibition in Salisbury in 1915. Some refugees worked on constructing army camps and one family ran a shop in Codford where, in the camp, P van Dyck found work with the army as a surveyor’s clerk and draughtsman. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnumbellum Posted 22 August , 2014 Share Posted 22 August , 2014 When the refugees first arrived, local committees encouraged families to invite a small group to tea, or arranged a welcoming tea for a larger group in a local hall. On at least one occasion pupils from a girls' school thought it would be an opportunity to try out their schoolgirl French, only to discover that the refugees were Flemish - nobody had ever told the girls that Belgium was a bilingual country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron da Valli Posted 22 August , 2014 Share Posted 22 August , 2014 Rhyl took in Belgian refugees. There is an exhibition at the town hall until December http://youtu.be/YLQ4j-tUJu0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard_Lewis Posted 23 August , 2014 Share Posted 23 August , 2014 Featured in my forthcoming book... Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 24 August , 2014 Share Posted 24 August , 2014 While staying in Monxton, near Andover, during the war, Lord Dunalley came on 15 Belgian men and girls bathing nude in the Little Ann, a tributary of the River Test. As Henry Prittie, Dunalley wrote Khaki and Rifle Green,which records his unfavourable impressions of the Hackney-based 10th London Regiment in summer camp in 1913 and his experiences at Chisledon Camp, near Swindon, during demobilisation. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_B Posted 24 August , 2014 Share Posted 24 August , 2014 "Wimbledon and Merton Led Britain in Welcoming Belgium Refugees " http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/11330218.Wimbledon_led_Britain_in_welcoming_Belgian_refugees/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bardess Posted 24 August , 2014 Share Posted 24 August , 2014 Birmingham Gazette 16 October 1914SMETHWICK HALL TO HOUSE 50 BELGIANSSir Lincoln Tangye has placed Smethwick Hall at the disposal of the refugees, but this being empty, it will be necessary to obtain a quantity of furniture, bedding, linen etc before it would be ready for occupation and then a steady income will be necessary.The Mayor of Smethwick [Cllr T W Evans] appeals for the loan or gift of household articles. It is thought about fifty persons can be accommodated at Smethwick Hall but it will be necessary to provide for more in private houses and the Mayor solicits offers of hospitality.The appeal has been well received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corshamcan Posted 26 November , 2014 Share Posted 26 November , 2014 I have found quite a few articles in the Wiltshire Gazette of the day naming Belgians who were taken into homes in Corsham - did anyone find the article by Ivor Slocombe on Belgian Refugees in Wiltshire. thanks. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Smallhausen Posted 27 November , 2014 Share Posted 27 November , 2014 Hello guys, During my last trip to Glastonbury in october , I bought " Glastonbury's other legacy", a brandnew publication.Chapter 4 is the story of Belgian refugees in Glastonbury. It shows entrees of local newspapers with interviews and at the end a list of the Belgian families. People from Ghent Kwatrecht,Antwerp, Bruges, Termonde and Malines found here a shelter. kind regards, Jef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron da Valli Posted 27 November , 2014 Share Posted 27 November , 2014 There is a wealth of information and photographs of Belgian refugees in Rhyl here: http://refugeesinrhyl.wordpress.com/about/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 27 November , 2014 Share Posted 27 November , 2014 Don't think Letchworth, Herts & Richmond, Surrey have been mentioned previously. Originally came across these in connection with the Kryn & Lahy steelworks in Letchworth because the company, which was founded by Belgian refugees during the war, was given as co-applicants with Charles Inglis, the WW1 bridge designer, on several patents. This then turned up a link to Richmond & the Pelabon works, a munitions factory set up by another Belgian exile & a Belgian refugee community that was associated with that. Links: http://www.thecomet.net/news/help_sought_for_commemorative_belgian_plaque_in_letchworth_park_1_775323 http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/belgian-refugees http://www.glias.org.uk/news/156news.html#B http://www.glias.org.uk/news/159news.html While checking out that the original links were still valid I came across a blog for the 'Centre for Research on Belgian Refugees' Click which might be also be of interest to anyone researching the topic who's not already aware of it. NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moriaty Posted 28 August , 2015 Share Posted 28 August , 2015 Whilst searching for something in the newspaper archive of Find My Past I came across a page for the Derby Daily Telegraph of Saturday 19 December 1914. There was a column: Les Dernieres Nouvelles en Francais. Pour les refugies belges qui ne savent pas parler anglais. Was this practice of printing French language news for Belgian refugees in local newspapers widespread? I wonder if it continued through the war? Any ideas? Moriaty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 17 February , 2016 Share Posted 17 February , 2016 I've been researching Belgian Refugees in Sevenoaks and wonder if anyone else is looking at this topic in Kent http://sevenoaksww1.org/2016/02/13/belgian-refugees-in-sevenoaks/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gilinsky Posted 7 March , 2016 Share Posted 7 March , 2016 Hi Moriaty! Just saw your post. Going through the Times and in the Personal columns (classified advertising really) there are several different French language in particular notices for Belgian refugees as workers (in a Glasgow Cement making company for example) in the fall of 1914 onwards. This is of course an employment or job ad as only experienced cement construction / making workers were wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 21 May , 2016 Admin Share Posted 21 May , 2016 Sir Hew Strachan discussing Belgian refugees with Andrew Marr as part of BBC 'World on the Move' available on iPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07bb89x Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 30 August , 2021 Share Posted 30 August , 2021 Belgian refugees building a hut at Rollestone Camp on Salisbury Plain in 1915. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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