Genealogy Chat

Excuse my ignorance but can anyone tell me - what is a 'British Home Child' ? Dea x

Dea, This is the term used to describe orphans who were shipped to (primarily, I think) Canada. Various organisations sent them to be accommodated by families there. They came from orphanages around the country - you can find details of the ships that took them if you google for the expression. Also, the Canadian National Archive has a database which can be searched by name. The orphans programme has in recent times been heavily criticised for basically providing 'servants' for commonwealth families - some of the kids were used as slave labour by families and often maltreated. Like transportation, this seems to me to have been a way of the UK exporting its problem people!! Regs Jane

Thanks Jane, Was it just for orphans? I have a 16 yar old who I have found went out to Canada in 1928. - He had parents though, who didn't go with him - I have found an immigration record + reference for him and one site describes the reference as 'British Boys brought to Canada by Immigration Associations' - Do you think he would be a 'home child'? Dea

There were also sent to Australia, New Zealand and Rhodesia. The last actual shipment was in 1977. People remained in the dark about it until the mid 1980's when a Nottinghamshire Social Worker - Margaret Humphries - was approached by people in Australia looking for any living relatives . She uncovered the whole sad saga about this barbaric practice. Several films, books and documentaries have been brought to the publics eye - Margarets book - Empty Cradles makes for an extremely emotional read. The documentary the Leaving of Liverpool is also traumatic to watch when you realise that it is based on fact. Some of the thousands of children were lucky - they WERE sent to families , but sadly many were sent to homes - where they were treated appallingly. Even in the UK children were farmed out to people - as cheap labour - parents who thought they were leaving their child in the care of the Church and that they would be safe - sadly this was NOT the case. For more information please contact Mr Frank Docherty of INCAS - In Care Survivors Association. He is an amazing man - and this Association are laying ghosts to rest for many of the children who were in care.

Dea - that could well have been the case, sometimes when things were hard in the family - due to illnesses or overcrowding or the like , a child would be given into the care of some society or other. A lot of the children were told that their families had died - so were in a strange country - thinking that their family were all gone. (Can you tell this is one of my passions?)

Have a look at Perry Snow's site. I defy anyone, especially a parent, to read his father's story without shedding a tear. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb(.)com/~britishhomechildren/ Sue xx

My fave subject :~) I have two BHCs, one in 1901, the other in 1927, Your best bet is to join the British Home Child mailing list on Perry Snows site. Full of fantastic people. George I'll nudge up a few British Home Child threads too

Thanks to all for the information - I have had a look at Perry Snow's site - amazing !! I can't find anything on mine just yet so any further info from anyone would be welcomed. I joined the mailing list - will just have to wait and see !! Dea x

Fegans Homes sent boys to Canada during the period 1884-1939. It seems they were mainly 14 year olds. If you go to the site www.fegans.org.uk you can find out more about it Dee

Dea, In answer to your question ages ago, yes I do think your 16-year old was a 'Home Child'. Have you tried the Canadian National Archives site yet? Can't recall if it DOES go up to 1928, but as I had some other CNA passenger info for 1933, it might do. I had a couple of 'Home Children' - one signed up with the CEF in WW1 and returned to his native Norfolk. No-one knows what happened to the other one - I've had an enquiry going with a kind Canadian for ages, so I can only imagine that he became invisible. I'd like to think that my poor little chap wasn't ill-treated, but who knows. Sounds like you've had a fascinating day - do keep us posted. Kind regards Jane

Thank you Jane, I have found that he died in Vancouver in 1979. He was in the Canadian Artillery at one time. - When he died he was registered as single but I believe he had a wife and 2 children who I am trying to trace. Will keep you posted. Dea x

It is also true that many well-meaning people, including the famous Doctor Barnardo, went around the streets and slums, llooking for 'neglected' children and either persuading the parents to allow the children to go to 'A new life abroad', or simply taking the children from the streets anyway. A friend told me recently of the most incredible story, involving his neighbour who was a twin (he didnt know). The mother was in terrible circumstances, worked day and night and a 'kind' neighbour reported her to the Authorities. One twin and his older sister were sent to Australia where they were separated and he went to the infamous 'Brothers'. By the most incredible coincidence, my friend met the other twin, (who had been 'given away' by his paternal grandparents, who were supposed to be looking after him) who wanted to meet first twin - he is very bitter and doesnt want to know. The sister, by the way, was actually a step-sister and although she had a very good life in Australia, was shattered to find out at the age of 40 that it was not her step-mother who put her in care as she had always been told, and that her twin-half brothers were still alive. It is difficult for us to imagine that all this was done with the 'best' intentions - personally, I agree that it was interfering busy bodies getting rid of what THEY saw as a problem. Marjorie

I have two relatives who were British Home children sent to Canada in 1888 via Middlemore Homes. They were in Kensington & Chelsea work houses and a school in Banstead Surrey. Their parents and families were all alive when they went. as I understand it, they were given up to the workhouse, who could then do as they wished, although it seems they both expressed the desire to go to canada. No contact with England from 1888, until this year, when a descendant contacted me from a message I put on an ancestry board. Now happily corresponding! Debbie

I am sorry i came on to this thread now, i can't see for tears, the stories are so sad and just the tip of the iceberg.Our so called civilised country has a lot to answer for. I saw 'leaving of liverpool' many years ago and was disgusted then at what went on and this started me asking questions to my dad about his childhood. he was evacuated to Wales in the early years of the war with his younger brothers and sisters he was on a farm with a lovely family but his siblings were in a dorm of some kind, and an older male (16ish) would sneak in the window ay night and try to attack the young girls. My dad was told and waited one night for him with the farmers son, they gave him a hiding he never forgot and my dad,(all 4 stone puny aged 12 yrs) was the hero for the young kids in the dorms......Moe!

Yes, it all beggars belief - can you imagine any parent nowadays willingly allowing their children to be sent into the care of strangers for five years?And it was only 60 years ago. One book I read told of Dr Barnardo going to a mother, who appears to have been a bit, erm, slow. He asked if she would like her son to go to Rhodesia, where he would have some wonderful opportunities. She gladly signed the papers. She was later distraught to discover that Rhodesia was not in fact a town a few miles from her home, and that her son would not be returning home every night. There was an interesting case recently, of seven brothers and sisters who were sent to a Home in the 1930s and split up. Some were adopted and some were sent overseas. Six had been reunited and they wanted to trace the seventh. They were blocked all the way by a very unhelpful Local Authority and eventually went to Brussels where they won the right to be given his case file. What I find totally disgusting is that as recently as 1977 my local authority was still sending children to the Colonies - and still telling them they were orphans. Marjorie