Ash tree lane,beacon road, gillingham kent gypsy encampment

[peggysmum]

Hi all. im researching the encampment that was for many years on the hill over looking luton in kent. it was known as sugar loaf hill and ran along ash tree lane and also down into beacon road. i know of several traveller families who encamped there over the years they were Arnolds, Beaneys, Eastwoods, kemps,Brazils, Smiths and others. I would love to hear from any one who knows of the camp and who had family who lived there. I have been and will be going again to the medway archive and found various articles relating to the camp. My intention is to write an article on the camp and the folks who lived there for the romany and traveller fam history society but i also feel that it would be good to collect together all the family stories and history of the camp for the future before they are gone forever. the camp was there for many years possibly from about 1880 to atleast the 1960's before it was cleared. I realise there will be folk who are still with us who may wish to contribute but keep there details private and that is fine.
I do not personally have any family envolvment with the camp, my own loveridge/parker family travelled up around beds,herts,suffolk and essex but as i live in chatham i have always been intrested in the camp, local history has always fascinated me and combine that with traveller history well what could be more perfect.
There was also apparently a fair held in the area over the years with boxing booths and the like so i would love stories of this too.
so if you would like to help me and contribute i would love to hear from you, please pm me and we will go from there.
thanks so much tracey

[peggysmum]

some infomation i have found about residents of the encampment in 1947.i wander if these names mean anything to anyone.
List  dated 5th June 1947

Site no 1.
Caravan 1  Fred and sarah Eastwood, miss sarah Eastwood.
Caravan 2  Mr and Mrs A Newland. Miss A and William Newland.
No.4 Mrs and Miss S and F Butler.
No.5. Arthur , William and Walter Butler.
No 6. James Eastwood and Mrs F Eastwood.  Lilian Eastwood.
No 7. Annie, Betsy, Caroline, and Harry Eastwood.
There is no water or sanitary accomadation on this site. These are available to them on site 4.

Site 2.
Caravan. Mr and Mrs A and E Newson and miss L Newson.
Same as above no facilities. Available on site 4.
Site 3.
Owner of plot Mr B Arnold. Chatham Hill.
Brick bungalow lived in by Mr and Mrs J and I Smith. Miss Jane Howard, Lena,Violet,Matilda,Priscilla,Violet and Elizabeth Smith.
Water available from site 4.
Site 4.
Caravan No 1. Alfred and John Kemp.
Caravan No 2. Mr and Mrs W and E Kemp. And Miss A. kemp.
Site 5.
Caravan No 1. Mr J Lowe and Mrs P Lowe , Misses R and L Lowe.
Caravan No 2. Mr O Eastwood and Mrs s Eastwood. Misses Amy and M eastwood.
Caravan No 3. MR T and Mrs P Thomas,  Henry and Patience Coates.
Site 6
Caravan 1. Emma and Annie Potter.
Caravan 2. Charlie and John Potter.
Caravan 3. George and polly Potter
Site  7
Caravan No 1. Mr J and Mrs M pickett.  John,George and Jim Pickett.
Caravan no 2. Mrs S Burch and Mrs M H edges.
No water etc only from site 6.
Site 8
Caravan No 1. Sarah and Ada Beaney
Caravan No 2. Mrs Ada Beaney
Site 9
Van 1. Mrs M Brazil
Hut Mr J Brazil snr and Mr J Brazil jnr.
Site 10
Shed No 1. Mrs L Macklin
Shed No 2. Miss H Macklin and Miss J Macklin.
Site 11
Shed No 1  Mr T Arnold and Mrs F Arnold.
Van 2  Miss F and Miss M Arnold.
Site 12
Caravan 1 Mrs A Arnold and Mrs R Arnold.
Caravan no 2 Miss M Arnold
Privy at No 3 Plot all w.c’s are connected to a cesspool.

[Sal1525]

Hi Tracey,

The Camp is part of the history of Chatham and it would be nice to be able to read peoples memories of those that lived there, visited or passed through the site. And would be very helpful to family researchers.  I wish you every success with your article.

My 3 x Great Grandparents Frances Eastwood aka Fanny and her Partner Alfred Arnold lived at the Camp. They are both found in the 1911 census living there. Both of which die at the Camp Frances in 1916 and Alfred in 1927.
Their Son Benjamin Arnold owned a Plot at the Camp,  although he was known to have settled down at Chatham Hill I am wondering if he stayed there or was the Plot for his parents.
I know his Daughter Mary Arnold stayed at the Camp from time to time as my Mum used to visit her there with her Mum & siblings in the 1940s if my memory serves me correct.
If anyone is able to shed any light on Mary & Ben stopping at the Camp I would be very interested to learn more.
My Eastwoods and Arnolds are linked to other families that stopped at the site, via marrages.

[peggysmum]

hi sal thankyou so  much for posting. i really appreciate your help in piecing together who people are. i am not sure about posting the newspaper clippings would this be allowed under copyrite dont want to get into trouble.
tracey

[petmas]

Try the Kent History Forum, there was a lot on this camp on there a while back.

[tinkers69]

hi tracey
my great grandfather was a romany and on his 1911 census it gives the address as caravan on noah ditons ground beacon road chatham his name was saunders diton or sanders dighton the spellings vary because of the authorities writing it down instead of my great grandad not being able too. Also i looked for noah diton which gives me the address of 183 beacon road chatham if you could find me anymore info it would be much appreciated. My grandmother Nancy was born in Dover but her baptism shows the abode as Caravan North Wall Deal this was in the parish of St Andrews Deal in 1903. Look forward to hearing from you.

[peggysmum]

hi tinker. thanks for replying and messaging me. i havent come across your grandad's name as yet but will look out for it when i next go to the archive. if i find anything about him i shall let you know. i have taken a break on this for a few weeks as my stepdad recently passed away and im still trying to get my head round it all and help my mum, but will be getting back to it and my own family research as well. just knocks you for six doesnt it when you lose someone.
thanks tracey

[wendyh79]

hi. just a long shot. ive been researching my family history and have just discovered that my nan was born on the encampment site. her name was Mary Hedges. she was born in 1911. i dont know anything else about her. thank you.

[peggysmum]

Hi wendy. i will have a look at my research and see if i have anything on the hedges. also i do have a friend who is also a descendant of the hedges family who lived on ash tree lane. do you know mary's parents names at all. do you have her birth cert. i could ask my friend about them if you can tell me a bit more. will come back to you tomorrow. when i look i my papers for ash tree lane.
tracey