Lyr Add: Hartlake Bridge Disaster or Tragedy

Subject: Lyr Add: Hartlake Bridge Disaster or Tragedy
From: GUEST,Diolch
Date: 04 Mar 22 - 06:50 AM

The Hartlake Bridge tragedy occurred on 20 October 1853, when a cart carrying hop pickers veered off Hartlake Bridge into the River Medway and people were drowned. There are local memorials in that area of Kent.

Hartlake Bridge Tragedy, aka Hartlake Bridge Disaster, Roud 1729

Ken Stubbs collected a version from Bill "Mousey" Smith in 1962, which can be heard in the VWML collection online. I note that, 'plied probably means they plied their trade or were applied, rather than a variation of (em)'ployed.

Now there's four and twenty strangers,
Oh, hopping they had been.
Were 'plied to Mr. Cox's,
Yes, near old Golden Green.
Were near the place called Hadlow,
Was near old Tonbridge town.
And little did those dear souls thought
That they was going down.

Now some were men and women,
The others girls and boys.
For they kept in contact to Hartlake bridge
'Til the horses they took shy.
For they kept in contact to Hartlake bridge,
'Til the horses they took shy.
And they heard the screams of those dear souls
As they were going down.

Another version was sung by Jasper Smith to Mike Yates in 1970 and after (thanks for your work Mike). My transcription except I corrected Golder's Green to Golden Green. Contract is usually read as contact (but I also suspect a pun).

Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa7V9VIM_ko
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUVqN4bGZYk
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8k5IvqC2Ns

Now, seven and thirty strangers,
Oh, a-hopping they had been.
They were 'plied by Mr. Cox's,
Oh, near old Golden Green
It were in the parish of Hadlow,
That's near old Tonbridge town.
That they heard the screams from those poor souls
When they were going down.

Now some were men and women,
And the others girls and boys.
They kept in contract with the bridge
'Til the horses they took shy.
They kept in contract with the bridge,
'Til the horses they took shy.
That they heard the screams from those poor souls
As they were going down.

Now, some were men and women,
The others girls and boys.
They were 'plied by Mr Cox's,
Oh, near old Golden Green.
It was in the parish of Hadlow,
That's near old Tonbridge town.
That they heard the screams from those poor souls
When they were going down.

There's also a shorter version, titled The Hop-Pickers' Tragedy and collected from Nelson Ridley in 1974 (ish), printed in Travellers' Songs from England and Scotland, by Ewan Maccoll and Peggy Seeger.

There's a tidier version on the BBC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/voices/hartlake/song.shtml

Now seven and thirty strangers a hopping they had been
They were 'ployed by Mr Cox's down by old Golden Green
For it was in the parish of Hadlow, close by old Tonbridge Town
That's where they laid those poor souls after they were drowned

Now some were man and women, the others girls and boys
They were a going across the bridge when the horses they took shy
They were going across the bridge and everyone was drowned
Just to hear the screams of those poor souls as they were going down

Now people came from everywhere just to see what could be done
But no one was saved that day, they were drowned everyone
No one was saved that day, yes everyone was drowned
To hear the screams of those poor souls when they were going down

Now some were men and women, the others girls and boys
They were a going across the bridge when the horses they took shy
They were a going across the bridge and everyone was drowned
Just hear the screams of those poor souls when they were going down