Hiring Fairs
The Testimonies on this subject were sad, although, not told with
sadness. One man, James, told of going on the bus with his sister
to the hiring fair in Limivady They were hired by a man from Upperlands
in Co. Derry. James worked in the fields and herded animals, while
his sister worked in the house. They were thirteen and fourteen
years old, and they were hired for three years in this particular
place. When asked if he was homesick he replied. "What was
the good in that, you just had to go on with it!"
Other stories were told of children who were hired at the ages
of seven and eight. They were sent away from home at that early
age, where in a lot of cases, they were treated badly. The sleeping
conditions were poor and they got little to eat. The wages were
sent to their parents, who needed the money to survive. Work was
hard for these children who must have felt fear and desolation at
being taken from their homes and families.
Eileen Kelly, Supervisor at the Day Centre, told the group about
her late father-in-law, who was hired from the age of seven to farmers.
He was away from his home and family for a year at a time. His life
was spent in this way up to the age of sixteen, when he left to
go to sea. During the First World War he was captured by the Germans
and was held prisoner in a Belgium prison camp. She said that the
suffering he endured during his hiring experiences helped him to
survive the hardships of the prison camp.
The Next Story
Remembered by Frank, Mary, Rose, Mary and Caroline
In 1930s boys and girls from poor families had to
go to Derry to the Hiring Fair. Farmers would come to hire these
children for six months or a year. Their pay was £10 a year
and was sent to their families. Some farmers would find a reason
to make them leave before their time was completed so they would
not have to pay them. The children who were hired had to get up
at six o'clock in the morning to do two hours work before breakfast.
They then got porridge without milk.
When they were being taken from the Hiring Fair to
wherever they were going, they were blindfolded so they would not
know the way home, should they consider running away.
People came from all over Ulster to be hired and to
hire. These children had very little schooling.
Back
|
