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Fascinating story of gypsy church on common

From the archive, first published Thursday 7th Apr 2005.

I BELONG to a website that specialises in helping "travellers" to locate ancestors who are probably not registered before 1901.

In my quarterly magazine, an article was written about the The Gypsies' Church on Hartlebury Common.

I have traced my family tree back to 1876 and have always known there was a gypsy connection and I would like to know more about the Hartlebury church.

The article stated Hartlebury Common had long been a regular stopping place for gypsies, and before the church was built, gypsy, Reuben Smith, had erected a mission tent for the benefit of the gypsies residing there.

The gypsies would be summoned to worship by a small bell that hung in a tree. However, in about 1910 the county council evicted the gypsies from the common.

One of them was John Loveridge, who then bought some adjacent land on which to stop, and he and his son-in-law, Will Webb, decided to fund the building of a permanent church.

Laymen from the settled community conducted the services and for almost 20 years it was well supported, sometimes with a congregation of up to 70 gypsies.

In 1927, however, the Vicar of Stourport decided to close the church while the travellers were away. He also scrapped the organ that had been donated by a local carpet manufacturer, an act that upset the travelling community, although they were more upset by the closure of the church.

When approached, the vicar said he would reopen the church when the gypsies returned from hop picking. It was an empty promise. The gypsies' church remained closed and eventually became the home of John Loveridge's daughter.

I would like to know if anyone has any further information or knows what happened to the church after John Loveridge's daughter died.

MRS P WINKS

39 Chestnut Grove

Franche

Kidderminster

Tel: 01562 637858

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