Page 81 - Kol Bogrei Habonim - Winter 20

MEMORIES OF HACHSHARA over the years in which
he also mentioned his
AND THE FRENCH time at Hurst Grange,

(HUGUENOT) CONNECTION and his working for the
Lobjoits. This was
FRANCIS VAN ENDEM (VAN) spotted by a Mr John
Poynton. Mr Poynton, it
appears, is married to a
granddaughter of Milton Taylor at
George Lobjoit. His the Habonim 90
th
wife’s father is Anniversary
Edward Poynton, Celebration
George’s son. From October 2019
I this ensued the following correspondence.
n its heyday, the Hachshara at Hurst
Grange was peopled by between 30 and
A – Email from John Poynton to Milton
40 chaverim. Keeping house and
working the farm usually took seven dated March 31, 2015:
chaverim. All the rest found employment in I came across your journal by accident, and
the local farming community or any other found it very interesting because of the
suitable employment available. Lobjoit link. I showed it to my father-in-law,
Edward Lobjoit. He remembered Nat Ritsky,
specifically, and also a girl named Hanna (?).
He recalls lots of visits to their back door, so
that his mother, Joan Lobjoit, could patch up

various injuries. He remembered someone
being run over by a cart, but not seriously

hurt. He said they were fun times. Sadly, the
farms have gone, their place taken by housing

estates. Thank you for adding to the family
history and glad you found it a positive
experience.
Hurst Grange Hachshara
(Editor: Edward Lobjoit was then 79, which
One of the farms that habitually employed means that in 1949 he would have been 14
chaverim was Ryvers Farm, owned by the years old).
Lobjoit family and managed by George
Lobjoit. Amongst them were Alf Mann, Nat B - Milton replied on March 31, 2015:
Ritsky, Mike Valencia, Milton Taylor, Louis John, thank you for your note. I am curious
Williams and me. There were probably others how you came across my blog. If I remember
I didn’t know about. correctly, I worked with a cowman called
either Fred or Frank. It was such a long time
A few years ago, Milton posted on the
Internet a document of his various activities ago. I am now 83, but think of those days as

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