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.

i have a g/uncle who was shipped
to canada by quarrier homes. but he
was kept secret and no one still living is
sure what his name was or the year he was born
we can make a rough guess

i would dearly love to find out what happened to him

he was under a year old when he was sent

any help greatly appreciated
karen

nudge

nudging for the benefit of newer members, please take a look at the home child sites, bookmark them for the future to help raise awareness of these schemes. Please search for family names on these sites as you may just find a rellie you did not know existed.

George

I have to say social services/government policies dont seem to have moved on much. I vividly remember my older brother being removed by social workers from the house screaming in 1979 because my fathers second marriage had broken up and he didn't want us both (our mother was already dead). I finally tracked him down this year after many years of searching because social services wouldn't give me any information. My brother is extremely bitter that he was the one 'taken away' and suffered brutal abuse within the 'system' whilst I ended up suffering it at home. It is not as far back in our country's history as we would like to think.

n

n

nudging for future reference

nudging for future ref in case

Just Spotted this thread , nudging for later use,could this be the answer to my missing 2 rellies many thanks George

Clive Just because a lot of people on these boards were not born in 1975, doesn't mean that all the children sent to Australia etc, in 1975, are dead! Most of them will be in their forties, and many from earlier years are in their 70s and 80s, and STILL seeking answers, to which no one will give them access. Still within living, painful memory for them, not in the past at all. However, I don't intend to fall out with you about this. As far as I am concerned, it is a truly disgusting part of our recent (and past) history and efforts should be made to put right what still can be put right, while there is still time for it. OC

OC Of course 1976 is yesteryear. A lot of people on these boards were not born then! I fail to see any reason why people of today should apologise for what people in the past have done - particularly when we are talking of hundreds of years ago. In the case of instituitions which have not changed then there may be a case. There is definitely no case for hiding facts. Are the Italians (Romans) to apologise to the British for invading them not once but twice? Can I seek compensation for loss of my Celtic heritage? I go back to what I said earlier. The main fault is that people of today have not been taught about the actions - good or bad - of yesteryear. Newly up on another thread is mention of a CWGC grave in Iraq coupled with 'Do we never learn?' .

They werent just sent to Canada they were sent to Australia and Sfrica aswell. I read a book about it and it was a closely held secret by the govt andf the churches. Parents were told the kids were adopted in this country infact they were sent as child laboureers and were often abused!! Awful awful times!!

Thank you found an ancestor on one of the sites Elaine

book marking for future reference thanks

Clive I don't consider 1975 to be yesteryear - most of the children sent then are barely into middle age. What I do object to, (and my soap box is bigger than yours, lol) is the way that ALL the Authorities today, seek to avoid any responsibility for what has happened in the recent past. I find it particularly sickening that they will NOT admit that they were to blame, even if only historically, and that this lack of 'involvement' with the past makes them secretive to the point of declaring that 'all the files were destroyed' ' all the files were burnt' (in that fire which affected England for 70 years or more, but only, curiously, destroyed case notes and records). The new Pope has, I believe, given a Public Apology, to all children who have suffered under the Roman Catholic Child care regime. Well, it's a start. Cornwall County Council also apologised publically, to children in its care in the 1950s, 60s and 70s - presumably the ones before that don't matter? No, it is dangerous to judge yesterday by today's standards - but lying, cheating, cruelty, abuse and neglect can never be forgiven, not in any era - and certainly not within the last 60 years, in the era of the Welfare State. OC

I strongly suspect that the Child Migration Scheme was still going on as late as 1975 to counter the immigration from other countries into Australia - with no thought of benefit to the children. I had a brother and sister go Down Under 20 years before that. One stayed and got married the other return to England. It has also been Australia which has had to 'correct' its advertisements. However that is all a diversion. Firstly I object to judging yesteryear by today's standards. Secondly the way we used to (and still do) treat each other, particularly those worse of than ourselves, I find absolutely sickening. The active participation of the Church in such goings on makes it even worse. My comments are not getting at OC - or any of the other contributors to this thread - but at society and education. Why do we not all know of what happened to children and what still happens to them? Soap box collapses as I stamp! Clive

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Adding for future ref Ann

Clive I can assure you I have done extensive reading on this subject - non fiction. I agree that the drive pre 20th century, was to populate the new countries and there were many srenuous schemes which did NOT involve children, but were encouraged at attracting adults. However, all the FREE schemes (well, most of them) were directed at the Poor, and paid for by the Poor Law Guardians or the Government and the idea behind it was to rid this country of those who were a burden on the rates, whilst apparently doing a wonderful thing for the new world. So why was the Child Migration Scheme still going on as late as 1975 in this country, and why did it consist entirely of recruits from Children's Homes, or other 'disadvantaged' groups of children, and why are many of the stories told by survivors of that era the same - they were taken from their parents, told they were orphans, and now discover many years later that they were not orphans and in most cases their parents consent was neither sought, nor given. Yes, conditions were terrible in this country, for poor children, in the 1800s. This scheme was officially meant to give them a better life and better opportunities. In some cases it did, but in many it just increased their misery, and did it thousands of miles from their home, and everything and everyone familiar to them. I understand that the Australian Government, for one, have been particularly obstructive by refusing to open files held on some of these people, fearing, quite rightly, that they will be sued, as has already happened. I don't doubt that emigration was the making of some people - I said just that at the beginning of this thread somewhere. But the fact remains that the Child Migration Scheme, from the outset, was surrounded by lies, trickery, coercion, force and a total neglect of the eventual welfare of the children in their care. I am not pointing the finger at any one particular agency here - they were ALL to blame, everyone of them. OC