Genealogy Chat

Yes, terrible things happened to a lot of children and continue to this very day. It seems not a day goes by that you don't read/hear about another child who has been abused/killed - whether with their natural parents or with foster parents.

But here's a happier story. My little granny was one of the home children, as they are called here in Canada. Her father died when she was just under six; she had a brother a couple of years older and a sister about 3 years younger. Her mother was unable to care for/support all of them and the two oldest were placed in homes. My granny was put in a home for girls in Marylebone, where she stayed for about 5 years; the home was taken over by the C of E in 1895. She remained in contact with her mother. When she was about 10 her mother gave her consent for granny to be sent to Canada, and she told granny that she would have a better life in Canada. Granny was just shy of 11 years of age when she came to Canada in 1896, as a member of 'Miss Rye's party'. She lived in 3 or 4 different homes in Ontario, and the home in England received progress reports about her, the last one when she was just shy of 19. She attended church and sunday school, was paid a wage for doing housework, and (as she herself told us) was sent to school. At some point she came west to Manitoba where she met and married my grandfather in 1912. Around that time her stepfather contacted her to let her know that her mother had died. She and grandpa had 7 children, 6 that grew to adulthood; a total of 98 descendants, and more on the way. Grandpa died in 1935, and granny died in 1976 in her 91st year.

I've read a lot of the home children stories, and I realize that a lot of them lost all contact with their families and suffered at the hands of their new 'families' in Canada. And the natural reaction is horror at what they went through.

For my family, though, if Granny had not been sent to Canada we would not be here.

n

http://www.lac-bac.gc.ca/databases/home-children/index-e.html

Thanks so much for this nudge - just what I needed.


Jac XX

nudged up for the benefit of newer members

nudging for later
Thank you.

This is very interesting. I worked in an old Victorian school some years ago. In a cupboard was the original Headmaster's Day Book. Entries included children not attending today due to gathering crops/picking potatoes etc.

One entry mentioned that a large number of children had been shipped away to Canada and would not be attending the school in future. It was a wonderful book and should have been in the local Archives, not stuck in a cupboard in the school.

Dianne xx

I think some of today's Social Services Departments are continuing with the spirit of this scheme.

how terrible thease children were treated and we are supposed to be the civilised nation
sally

nudge

My Grandmothers brother was sent to Canada as a home child. I contacted Action for Children and they have been very helpful. They are allowing me to view his records from the childrens home he was in before being sent to Canada which should happen in August this year. They are quite rightly giving priority to adults who which to view their own records from when they were in a childrens home.
I am really excited about seeing his records hopefully some of the questions I have will be answered.
It took quite a lot of searching to find the childrens home but managed to locate him when I was able to see the 1911 census.
I first tried to find him in Coventry as his daughter who lives in Canada believed he was in a childrens home there. It was only after I found him in a home in Hampshire that I realised her father actually had said to her that 'he had been sent to Coventry' a phrase that would mean nothing to a Canadian. My great Uncle had many relatives living around him at the time so his records should make for very interesting reading !
Elaine

nudge

Just reading www.infed.org /thinkers/barnardo.html#emigration.

It states destitute and orphaned children has a long history in Britain-with around 130,000 children being shipped off to various parts of the Empire over some 350 years.

The first group was arguably sent in 1618 to Richmond Virginia USA; the last sent to Australia in 1967

The advantages to the authorities. In the late 19th century it cost 12 pounds a year to look after a child in an institution. To send one overseas was a one- off payment of 15 pounds (abridged)

Another site says over 200,000 children were sent overseas.

Australia
The first group of children were sent with convicts in 1788 on the first fleet

nudge

nudge

i see at last that the British and Canadian and Australian Governments are going to apologise to the Home children for their actions in deporting them !!
Apparently the practice was still going on up to the 1960,s.

Having since posted about my Aunt in 2004 i am in contact with the descendant of another Home Child who is related in my dads side of the family, This lad was in Barnardos and his son has got his dads file, it seems that when a child was signed into Barnardos then the parents forfeited their parental rights and Barnardos then had Carte Blanche to make any decision on the child.
So thats why kids were sent without their parents knowledge

This account of the Austaralian part is interesting

http://www.apho.gov.au/library/Pubs/BN/sp/ChildMigrants.htm_toc2457025531

I think I have got it right !

Nudge ..

If you have read all the earlier comments you will see children as late as 1975 were sent away

Nudge for future ref.


Dee xx