ADDENDUM A
SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION
HOME CHILDREN?
WHY WERE
THEY SENT
HERE? From 1816 on England had
a history of ridding itself of surplus population—including
children—by shipping them from the streets, workhouses or
estates to plantations in the New World and by sending them to
penal colonies for misdemeanours. The Industrial Revolution and
the Great Famine that swept all of Europe but was particularly
severe in Ireland exacerbated matters. Hundreds of thousands flocked
to England's industrial centres which were ill-prepared to accommodate
them. Slums and their attendant problems grew at a rapid rate.
WHO ARE
THE HOME
CHILDREN? One government official
noted that the problem was "that there were too many children
in the streets of London" and elsewhere. In the absence of
meaningful intervention by the government of the day to assist
the poor, well-intentioned philanthropists in Britain literally
exported as many as 100,000 Home Children to Canada between 1869
and the Great Depression to serve as cheap farm labour. Most were
between seven and 14; many were younger, some older. Contrary
to popular belief they were not all orphans; they were not all
"Barnardo Children", nor were they all the children
of paupers. To be sure, many were rescued from evil surroundings
but not a few were "philanthropically abducted"
by zealots who wanted to save them from the wrong religion. Many
were put in "homes" abroad simply because they
were sick and the homes offered medical care. Others were put
in by widowed or sick parents or by families who had fallen on
hard times because there was no state social net to assists them.
Some (labelled "non-paupers" in the records)
were sent over by parents who saw no hope for their offspring
in Britain or simply could find no room for them at home. Some
homeless street children gave themselves up to the security of
the "homes".Children from the "homes"—which
were operated by as many as 50 agencies—were generally sent
to Canada without the knowledge or permission of their parents,
a move made legal by the British Parliament's "Barnardo Act"
ca 1890. Boys came as farm labourers, the girls as mother's
helpers. While it is true that many were treated well.
Home Children were generally denied affection because they were
"just hired hands". Studies show that over two-thirds
were abused by their patrons in Canada.In the child migration
process, Home Children were separated from family and friends
and effectively cut out of wills and denied even photographs,
family mementos and medical histories as well as legal papers,
such as birth certificates. Some were sent to homes where no English
was spoken. Few got the schooling promised them and many were
even denied the pittance they were to receive for their labour.
And when the movement ended and the agencies closed their distribution
homes in Canada they took their records back to England and the
Home Children were left with no one to champion their cause. Canadian
authorities seem not to have been informed or given any responsibility
for them; the children simply fell through the cracks of our social
system. It is a wonder that so many survived. Yet survive they
did and many are still with us today! It has been estimated that
Home Children and their descendants make up 11 per cent of Canada's
population.
THE STIGMA—OVERCOMING
A SILENT
SHAME AND
TRAUMA Home Children share one
common trait. Traditionally they have not (until recently) talked
of their past, even to family, because of the stigma that most
felt was attached to them "in the old country" and in
Canada. It is sad, but perhaps inevitable, that some Home Children
should have perceived themselves as "discards" or "rejects"
from the British Isles. It is sadder still that this feeling was
seldom erased in Canada; indeed, it was reinforced by proponents
of the then-fashionable belief in eugenics. This pseudo-science
equated mental, physical and moral deficiencies or aberrations
with certain races and occupations, as well as with the lower
classes of society (Home Children?) and held that the defects
would be passed on through heredity. Scholars only now are revealing
that when "do-gooders"—including Charlotte Whitton—urged
Canada to pass a law in 1924 to stop the importing of Home Children
under age 14, their main motives were not so much to prevent the
abuses to which such children had been subjected, but rather to
ensure that the children did not further "contaminate good
Canadian blood lines".The Child Migration Movement to Canada
petered out during the Great Depression. Agencies continued to
send children over age 14 until 1939 when the last Distribution
Home in Toronto was closed and the children's records were taken
back to England. Ironically, that same year, child evacuees
started to arrive as British children were placed in the countryside
and abroad to escape the anticipated Nazi bombing. It is a paradox
that these children were welcomed with open arms.That virtually
all of the 100,000 Home Children sent to Canada—alone and
separated from others, as they were—should have reacted
to their fate the same way, withdrawing into themselves, and remaining
silent about their past, is bitter and conclusive proof of the
severity of their trauma and proof that the Child Migration Scheme,
however well-intentioned, was seriously flawed.Kubler-Ross and
other experts have identified thirteen emotional phases through
which children suffering "normal" loss or separation
might pass. Home Children also had to contend with the phases
inflicted by the stigma attached to them, and by the physical,
mental and psychological abuse to which so many of them were exposed.It
should not surprise that some Home Children should have fallen
by the wayside or sought the assistance of social workers in Canada.
In the 1970s it was they who brought the story of all Home Children
to the attention of Phyllis Harrison, a social worker and author
of THE HOME CHILDREN, THEIR PERSONAL STORIES. Yet most Home Children
lived the quiet lives of unsung heroes; they triumphed over adversity,
raised loving families, and contributed to the stability of their
communities. Some became professionals. Many served in two World
Wars for their adopted country, and hundreds gave their lives
for it. Home Children and their descendants have good reason to
be proud.
CHILD MIGRATION
FROM BRITAIN
ENDS Child Migration to Canada
continued for seven decades. From the beginning the system was
criticized. It was found severely wanting by British government
official Andrew Doyle who submitted his report to parliament in
the early 1870s. Sad to say, the validity of his findings were
not recognized until 50 years later.It boggles the mind to know
that Child Migration was allowed to continue to Australia and
South Africa until 1967 and that in post-war years alone 10,000
records were deliberately falsified. The children were told both
parents were dead; the parents were told that the children had
been placed in good British Homes.One questions too the validity
of the reasons leading to child migration and the way in which
it was carried out. And if the rationale seemed legitimate in
1869, surely it was not acceptable in more modern and enlightened
times (?) a century later. Nor does the duplicity involved
stand scrutiny.One last historical note: The British Government
finally closed the loophole that permitted child migration in
January 1982. (That is not a typo! The date really is nineteen
hundred and eight-two—just 15 short years ago!)
Replacing the stigma with prideOur research and experience
have taught us that the stigma imposed on Home Children, however
cruel and unjust, can be eliminated today simply by telling the
Home Children story. "Tout savoir, c'est tout pardonner."
Catharsis begins when one know more and more about the problem.
Seeing the child migrant movement against its historical background
is important; even more critical is getting personal files and
understanding them in the context of the times. It is then that
one truly appreciates the grit and inner-strength of character
most home children had.Researchers, however, are warned that learning
the truth can be painful. Receiving personal records can sometimes
be hurtful, but Home Children in Canada in 1996 were unanimous
in telling social workers from Barnardos of Britain that they
would much rather have the records—and the bad news that
might be in them—than not. And they take satisfaction in
the fact that someone has cared enough to keep those records all
these years.Home Children Canada deemed it necessary to giving
the Home Children and their descendants a forum to tell their
stories, and so they organized reunions and have moved them about
Ontario and Quebec so that Home Children in various centres could
attend. They have also urged others—as far west as Alberta—to
celebrate Home Children as effective ways of eliminating the stigma.The
open letters of recognition we have solicited from Prime Minister
Chretien, Deputy Prime Minister/Heritage Minister Copps, Governors
General Hynatysyn and Romeo Leblane, Archbishop Gervais of Ottawa
and Princess Diana have helped enormously. Now if The Education
Ministers in Canada and Canada Post would only do their share
we would be happy.It is interesting to note that, at a time when
there are lawsuits over what happened to Home Children in Australia,
Canadian Home Children and their descendants made a motion at
a Reunion in Renfrew which said in effect that:
Whereas we Home Children and descendants are proud
to be Canadians, and
Whereas we are glad to be here and love this land
dearly,
Therefore be it resolved that we shall never ask
for restitution, retribution, damages, or even an apology for
any ills that may have befallen us. All we ask is speedier release
of information.That motion—the only
one ever made at a Home Children Reunion—passed unanimously.
HOME CHILDREN
CANADA AND
WHAT YOU
CAN DO The
two teachers who make up Home Children Canada lament the fact
that when Canadian history is taught in our schools (if it is
taught at all) the texts and teachers tell pupils of the deportation
of 5,000 Acadians, but the wholesale exporting of 100,000 children
to our shores is overlooked, forgotten, or suppressed even while
there are still Home Children alive and in our midst who could
be used as first hand witnesses.The above facts and sentiments
were catalysts in the formation of Heritage Renfrew's Home Children
Canada Committee. Since the 1970s a few books had been written
about Home Children but no action seems to have been taken to
actually help them find their records, meet others who shared
their experiences, or erase the stigma they suffered. We urge
you to adopt, as best you can, our aims, goals and objectives:
HOME CHILDREN
CANADA'S
FOUR AIMS
1. to help Home Children and their descendants
to discover their past
2. to tell Home Children story to as many
as possible
3. to erase the stigma so unfairly attached
to the immigrants and . . .
4. to replace it with justifiable pride.
GOALS OF
THE HOME
CHILDREN COMMITTEE 1.
(a) to bring together Home Children, their families, descendants,
people with whom they once lived and friends; (b) to inform
all about where information about the movement might be found; (c)
to advise interested parties where information about specific
cases might be found; (d) to offer free assistance (ie advice)
to those who wish to trace specific case histories; (a) to
inform all about Child Migration in its historical context and,
in the process . . . (b) to reveal an important but forgotten,
overlooked, or suppressed chapter in our history; (c) to
research and expose the factors (eg belief in the pseudo-science
of eugenics) that caused people to inflict an unjust stigma on
home children; (d) to provide a forum for Home Children themselves
to tell their stories; (a) to create a milieu in which the
stigma attached to home children can be erased; (b) to create
a milieu in which a justifiable pride can be instilled in the
accomplishments of Home Children, if only because they survived
a very impersonal system and became contributing members of our
society—unsung heroes leading quiet lives.4. (a) to enkindle
old and new friendships in a unique gathering of people who share
a very special bond; (b) to organize or co-host Reunions
and, in promoting the positive side of the Child Migration story
. . . (c) . . . to rejoice.For a detailed account of the
objectives we have achieved, see our website <lorente@renc.igs.com>or
send for a Researcher's Kit. Meanwhile, may we say that, since
1991, we have:
— replied to almost 4,000 requests for
free help;
— organized, co-hosted reunions, and made
presentations in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec provinces to any
interested groups, schools, universities etc;
— solicited the aid of government dignitaries
(see Replacing the Stigma with Pride) in recognizing the contribution
of Home Children to Canada and giving them more reasons to be
proud;
— erected in Renfrew the first historical
plaque in Ontario, and perhaps Canada, to honour Home Children;
— arranged for the Ontario Heritage Foundation
to erect a similar but more prestigious provincial plaque at what
was once St George's Distribution Home in Ottawa;
— located the long lost Gibbs Home Index of
Church of England Home Boys;
— solicited Canada Post (unsuccessfully
to date) to commemorate the Home Children by issuing stamps. (We
suggest you write in your suggestion.)
— given Elderhostels on the subject;
— video-taped interviews with Home Children
and set aside copies for the National Archives of Canada;
— arranged for the Latter Day Saints to
microfilm and disseminate the Gibbs Index, the Fegan Files, and
the Westminster (RC) List;
— drawn to the attention of our Government
that our Canadian flag was sewn by Joan Donovan O'Malley, the
daughter of Home Boy Ken Donovan of Ottawa.
— etc.
HOME CHILDREN
RESEARCH—HOW
TO GET
STARTED
A. WHEN MAKING INQUIRIES SUPPLY AS MUCH INFORMATION
AS POSSIBLE ABOUT THE HOME CHILD, eg
(We suggest you use this check list.)
(1) When giving NAMES include birth name, mother's
maiden name and name by other marriages, the child's adoptive
name, nickname, and aliases (if any);
(2) include the child's RELIGION at the
time of immigration. This is one of the best clues we have because
at one fell swoop we can eliminate 30,000 or 70,000 possibilities
depending on whether the child is Protestant or Catholic;
(3) BIRTHPLACE and DATE are useful in verifying
age and also in locating the Poor Law Union records if the child
was placed in a home at a young age;
(4) the SHIP's name and DATE and PORT OF
ARRIVAL;
(5) the name or location of the RECEIVING/DISTRIBUTION
HOME is also useful, eg "Fiarknowe Home" (Brockville),
Marchmont Home (Belleville), Macpherson's Home (Belleville, Stratford,
Knowlton), Barnardos (Toronto, Winnipeg, Russell, Peterborough),
Rye's Our Western Home (Niagara-on-the-Lake), the Church of England's
Gibbs Home (Sherbrooke), the Roman Catholic Church's Orpington
Lodge, later called St George's Home (Ottawa), etc.
(6) AGE when sent to Canada;
(7) name of SPONSORING AGENCY, eg Salvation
Army, Middlemore's, Close, Barnardos etc
(8) names of places or families of FIRST
PLACEMENTS in Canada;
(9) names of SIBLINGS or friends who came
at the same time, earlier or later;
(10) approximate DATE and PLACE the family
fell on bad times, ie when the child was put in the home overseas.
When making inquiries it is common courtesy
to
(11) include a large SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE
and
(12) ... two IRC's (International Reply
Coupons available at your Post Office).
(13) You may wish to send a DONATION at
the time of inquiry or when you receive a reply.
When making inquiries of the agencies abroad
(14) ALWAYS as for COMPLETE FILE (PHOTOCOPIES
IF POSSIBLE);
(15) Ask for PHOTOS: these are generally
only available for Barnardo Children, but occasionally other agencies
have photos too. It pays to ask.
(16) Though not absolutely necessary, it
is useful to make a signed WAIVER witnessed by a Justice of the
Peace (no fee for this at your Police Station or Firchall) saying
you will not seek damages or hold the agency responsible for any
ill that may have befallen the Home Child.
(17) Say you have been in touch with Home
Children Canada; we have been told it will help.
(18) State your relationship to the Home
Child.
(19) State whether the Home Child is living
or deceased.
(20) If you are writing on behalf of a Home
Child have him or her sign a statement giving the agency permission
to divulge information to you. Have a witness sign beside the
signature.
TO WHOM
DO I WRITE?
B. If you do NOT KNOW the agency that sent the
child over contact Dave Lorente (address on page 1) and give as
much of the above information as possible (para A). You will receive
FREE ADVICE on how to proceed and where to find information.
C. If you DO KNOW which organization sent the
child over, eg Quarrier's, Fegan's, Rye's, the Church of England,
the Roman Catholic Church, Salvation Army, etc, etc, and the address
is mentioned in this kit, write to that agency directly: (If you
are certain the child was sent over by Barnardos, Sharmans, Middlemore,
Macpherson's Marchmont Home, The Children's Aid Society, or the
Liverpool Sheltering Home see para D).
Not all agencies involved in Child Migration
are listed in this research kit. If the agency address is not
given, write to Dave.
D. BARNARDOS: BARNARDOS sent over one of every
three of the Home Children . . . 30,000 children in all. If you
are certain the child was sent over by Barnardos write directly
to Barnardos After Care.
You should first request a copy of the Special
Barnardo BACKGROUND QUESTIONNAIRE, and a CONSENT TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION
form for a home child, or—if the home child is deceased—for
a survivor from Dave. These will facilitate the gathering of essential
information and speed up turn-around time.
(Note: Some children whose records are with
Barnardos may have come through another agency whose records Barnardos
has taken over, eg Annie Macpherson had homes in Knowlton PQ,
Belleville and Stratford and in the mid 1920s these—and
the records—were turned over to the Barnardo organization.
Barnardos also has the records of several other agencies (see
the list opposite the Barnardo address). When writing to Barnardos
in such cases PROCEED AS IN PARA 'B' and include the special forms.
E. BARNARDO PHOTOS: Only Barnardos, of all the
agencies, can generally supply photos BUT THEY MAY DO SO ONLY
ON REQUEST. There is no charge, but you should make a donation.
Consider asking other agencies about photos, but don't expect
a positive reply.
F. PLEASE NOTE:
1. Just as all colas are not Cokes, so too,
ALL HOME CHILDREN ARE NOT BARNARDO'S. Thomas Barnardo was so successful
in promoting his work and having it endorsed by parliamentarians
and royalty alike, that some people—even some Home Children—mistakenly
call all Home Children and themselves Barnardo Children. Not to
detract from his excellent work, it should be noted that Barnardo
sent 30,000 children to Canada, but so did the Roman Catholic
Church. And the other 40,000 children were sent by as many as
50 other agencies who often used each other's facilities.
2. Barnardos can ill afford to spend time
and 150 Pounds Sterling on sterile searches. That is why it is
wise to check your information with Home Children Canada first.
3. Do not expect a quick reply. Requests
are prioritized. Home Children get first priority. (Mrs Bradford,
Head of After Care at Barnardos has cut 12 months off the normal
turn-around time at our request.) Photos and essential information
will normally arrive within two months; more detailed information
IF REQUESTED will follow in the "normal" time frame.
There are occasions, however, when, for example, the BBC does
a program on Barnardos work and then the place is flooded with
thousands of requests in a few weeks. This happened two years
ago and will happen again in the summer of 1997. When that happens
the turn-around time is lengthened considerably.
G. A SHORT SUGGESTED READING LIST ON HOME CHILDREN
AND CHILD MIGRATION:
Until recent years many documents about Child
Migration and those involved were subject to secrecy law restrictions.
As a result, books written before the mid 1970s are often full
of pious piffle and seldom address the negative aspects of child
migration. Accordingly, and with only once exception, only later
more objective writings are included here. If a book is out of
print, order it through Interlibrary Loan. Emphasis is on books
of interest to Canadians.
BAGNELL, Kenneth: THE LITTLE IMMIGRANTS, Toronto,
Macmillan, 1980
BEAN, Philip: LOST CHILDREN OF THE EMPIRE, London,
Unwin-Hyman, 1989
BIRT, Lillian M: THE CHILDREN'S HOME-FINDER,
Nisbet, Edinburgh, 1913
CORBETT, Gail H: BARNARDO CHILDREN IN CANADA,
Peterborough, Woodland Pub. 1981 (available from the author in
Peterborough)
HARRISON, Phyllis: THE HOME CHILDREN, Winnipeg,
Watson and Dwyer, 1979
MAGNUSSON, Anna: THE VILLAGE HISTORY OF QUARRIER'S,
Bridge of Weir (of interest to Scottish Home Children)
PARR, Joy: THE HOME CHILDREN : BRITISH JUVENILE
IMMIGRATION TO CANADA 1868-1924, Ann Harbor: London University
Microfilms, 1982: Thesis, Ph.D. Yale, 1977
PARR, Joy: LABOURING CHILDREN, BRITISH IMMIGRANT
APPRENTICES TO CANADA, 1869-1924, London, Croom Helm, 1980
WAGNER, Gillian: BARNARDO, London, Weidenfeld
& Nicholson, 1979
WAGNER, Gillian: CHILDREN OF THE EMPIRE, London,
Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1982
PRICE, Wm R: CELTIC ODYSSEY, Dorrance &
Co., Philadelphia, 1970. Bill Price's autobiography of a Barnardo
Boy in the Ottawa Valley
ROSE, June: FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN (Inside
Barnardos), Futura, London 1989 (ISBN 0 7088 4245 3)
EUGENICS & CHANGING IDEAS ABOUT CHILDREN:
These are but two books that give background information that
is important in understanding the Home Child story
McLAREN, Angus: OUR OWN MASTER RACE—EUGENICS
IN CANADA, 1885-1945, McClelland and Stewart Inc., Toronto, 1990
SUTHERLAND, Neil: CHILDREN IN ENGLISH CANADIAN
SOCIETY, U of T Press, 1976 and 1978 (ISBN 0-8020 and 0-6345-4
pa)
H. SHIP LISTS BEFORE 1919:
For all arrivals before 1919 you must do the
research yourself. The National Archives on Wellington Street
in Ottawa has microfilms of all ship manifests for most of the
period of child migration (1865-1919). These microfilms are available
at the Archives and anywhere in Canada through Interlibrary Loan
if your library has a microfilm reader. Some Provincial Archives
also have copies. Unless you have lots of time we suggest you
NOT attempt this type of research until you know the home child's
year and port of entry. It can be a terribly time consuming process.
Dave or the National Archives can advise which microfilms you
should order if you have port of entry and year.
I. SHIP LIST SEARCHES AFTER 1919: The national
Archives have no microfilms of Ship Manifests for the years after
early 1919. So, if the home child entered Canada after 1919 you
MUST contact THE QUERY RESPONSE CENTRE, EMPLOYMENT AND IMMIGRATION
CANADA. Make your request through the nearest Canada Immigration
Centre. If you live outside Canada contact the nearest Canadian
Consular Office. QUERY RESPONSE will search for an individual
for the (current) fee of $30.00—more for a family.
J. THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES SOUNDEX LIST may be
helpful in locating names of Home Children, especially Barnardo
Children. It is not complete. Expect to find one in two names.
The list identifies ship and date of arrival. Mary Munk of The
National Archives of Canada has advised that the Archives will
search the Soundex Records for you. Simply send full name, date
of birth, (even if approximate), place of origin, where they ended
up, religious denomination etc. Address is: The National Archives
of Canada, Genealogical Branch, 3rd Floor, Wellington Street,
Ottawa ON, K1A 0N3, Tel (613) 996-7458.
K. SOME ADDRESSES OF USE IN HOME CHILDREN RESEARCH:
N.B. When writing abroad for Home Children information
it is useful to know that agencies sometimes kept two sets of
books, one in Canada and one in the UK and that these may or may
not have contained the same information. What we are suggesting
is that there may be more than one repository for an agency's
records.
On the other hand, the various newly-formed
Dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church never did act as a cohesive
unit and so records, to the extent that they exist at all, might
only be on cardex and could be scattered in convents, archives
and parishes all over the UK.
These agencies (listed alphabetically) are but
a few of the many who sent children to Canada.
Those marked ** are groups that were formed
later which are interested in helping you in your search. In these
latter cases write to ascertain fees. *
* * *
BARNARDOS After Care Section, c/o Mrs Collette
Bradford or Marjorie Stoner, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford,
Essex, England, IG6 1QG, Tel. 01-551-8822 Tel. 01-44-181-550-8822,
Fax 011- 44-181-551-6870 (Barnardos has 50,000 records including
those of The CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY, MACPHERSON HOMES e.g. MARCHMONT,
LIVERPOOL SHELTERING HOME, MIDDLEMORE HOME, SHARMANS and some
early QUARRIER'S Children).
**THE CATHOLIC FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY (RC),
c/o Mrs Marbara M. Murray, General Secretary, 2 Winscombe Crescent,
Ealing, London, England W5 1AZ. Overseas membership £8.
**THE CHILD MIGRANT TRUST, 8 Kingston Road,
West Bridgford, Nottingham, UK, NG2 7AQ. This organization is
most interested in Australian Home Children. Donations accepted.
THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY (see Barnardos)
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND'S THE CHILDREN'S SOCIETY
(formerly WAIFS AND STRAYS), c/o Mr Ian Wakeling, Edward Rudolf
House, Margery Street, London, WC1X 0JL, Tel 0171-837 4299; Fax
0171-837 0211. (Thanks to the descendants of Home Children Home
Children Canada now has a copy of the long lost Index to Boys
sent to Gibbs Home in Sherbrooke, PQ.
There are conflicting rumours about Church of
England records. Some have it that the records which had been
kept in Canada (as opposed to those that were kept in England)
were put on cardex in the late 1960s and then destroyed in the
1960s and the cardex were lost in the 1980s: others believe the
records still exist.)
FEGAN'S HOMES, c/o Mr Doug Fry, 503 King George,
Brantford ON, N3T 5L8, Canada, Tel (519) 756-2169. Doug has the
4,500 personal files as well as eight volumes of indices for Fegan
Boys sent to Canada. He can provide, names, dates of birth and
entry into Canada, rates of pay and first placements. He has given
Dave a copy of each Index. When requesting copies of Doug's records
we suggest you send at least $10 to cover the cost of searching,
handling and postage. (As a matter of interest, Fegan often sent
Irish lads from MISS CARR's in Dublin. He also brought Armenian
boys to Canada.)
LIVERPOOL SHELTERING HOME (see Barnardos)
MACPHERSON'S HOMES (in Knowlton PQ, Belleville
ON, Stratford ON)—(see Barnardos)
MIDDLEMORE'S HOMES (see Barnardos)
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S HOME, (The Rev Dr Thomas
Bowman Stephenson's), Highbury Park, London N5 1UD Tel. 01-26-2033.
QUARRIER'S HOMES, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire,
Scotland, PA11 3SA (of special interest to Scots). Some early
Quarrier's Children were sent through Annie Macpherson's agency
and so their Canadian records are with Barnardos.
Most Roman Catholics, from 1895 to 1904, were
distributed from New Orpington Lodge in Hintonburgh, Ottawa. Before
that there was at least one distribution Home in Montreal. Orpington
became St George's Home in 1904 and was the sole distribution
Home in Canada for RC's until it closed in 1934. Files were returned
to England then and most, sad to say, were reduced to card index
and burned in the mid 1950's. Some few original files remain for
the years around 1920. (Dave has a list of these names, a list
of all 2,060 children sent from Westminster Diocese, and names
of some of the 326 sent from Southwark Diocese before 1898 and
a list of children sent to Saskatchewan, and a 1992 Church Directory
which sometimes provides a clue as to Diocese. Major contacts
are listed below in random order. See Dave re others.
(a) Catholic Child Welfare Council, c/o
Mary Gandy, General Secretary, 120 West Heath Road, London, NW3
7TY, Phone and fax 0131-731-8028
(b) Catholic Children's Society, Westminster
Diocese, c/o Jim Richards, 73 St Charles Square, London W10 6EJ
(c) Father Hudson Society Archives, Birmingham
Diocese, Coventry Road, Coleshill, Birmingham B46 3ED
(d) Arundel, Brighton, Portsmouth, Southwark
Diocese, c/o Mr Mike Lyons, 49 Russell Hill Road, Purley, Surrey
CR8 2XB, England
(e) Mrs Pat McEvoy, The Nugent Care Society
Head Office, 150 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF, England
SALVATION ARMY HERITAGE CENTRE, 2130 Bayview,
Toronto, ON M4N 3K6 (Tel (416) 481-4444)
SHARMANS (see Barnardos)
For information about other Homes, e.g. SHAFTSBURY'S,
THE CHURCH ARMY'S, PRESBYTERIAN ORPHAN SOCIETY, SALVATION ARMY
INTERNATIONAL, SPURGEON'S, INVALID CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY, MILL
GROVE, THE MULLER HOMES etc, contact Dave. *
* * * * * * *
ODDS AND ENDS
L. MAILING LIST: Your name will be on our
Mailing List only if you have personally contacted Dave Lorente.
Because of the large number (now almost 4,000) and the cost of
printing and mailing you will receive our annual newsletter and
notice re the next Annual Reunion only if you are a member of
Heritage.
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