Genealogy Chat

Many thanks for all the replies. Having seen the British Home Child site I'm determined to get to the bottom of this: it may well be that there are relatives in Canada that I never knew existed. Lizzie

Lizzie It may be that when he returned to England, or even when he was 'released' from his Canadian life, that he was either given his birth certificate, or had to get one for some purpose or other. Just a guess. Lots of these children were told the most appalling lies - they were told that their parents were dead (when they werent) or were told that siblings had died. Many children were virtually kidnapped off the street - any child looking a bit scruffy or forlorn was 'taken away' and the parents were powerless to stop it. A book I read about this called Lost Children of the Empire, tells of Doctor Barnardo approaching the mother of a boy in the street and asking her if she would like her boy to go to Rhodesia. She gave her consent - she had never heard of Rhodesia and thought the boy was going on a day-trip to the Seaside. I also read a very moving story about seven siblings who were sent to Australia. The oldest girl eventually managed to reunite six of them but they had to go to the European Court of Human Rights, in order to access the records of the seventh (youngest) sibling. By the time they managed to trace him, he was dead. His widow was distraught because all his life he had thought he was a Foundling. Olde Crone

Have been told he was sent to Canada as a young child, so 1870s maybe. I shall take the advice of the Olde Crone and look at the site suggested. At least he came back and made a life for himself in his homeland. Lizzie

Anne, I guess that must be it, just a case of believing what you were told. I still wonder how they found out there had been a mistake though. I'm going to hit the GRO big time and get as many certs as I can for as many of the children as I can find. Not sure how this will help but it'll make me feel better!

Interesting - I guess if he couldn't read or write he would recognise the general shape of the written name and it got changed like Chinese whispers when he went to Canada. Its possible that no one knew his name properly if he was an orphan. When do you think he went to Canada? It was common practice right into the middle of the 20C to send orphans to Canada and Australia 'for a better life'. Anne

Lizzie Thousands upon thousands of British children were shipped out to Canada. Two reasons - it emptied out the British Orphanages and Care Homes, thus saving taxes, and it helped to populate a country which was desperate for people. Google 'British Home Child', get a box of tissues and prepare to weep. These children were virtually abandoned once in Canada and most of them had terrible lives. This utterly shameful practice went on upto the 1970s, believe it or not. Incidentally, the names Morris and Melluish arent a million miles apart by sound, anyway - wonder if someone misheard his surname when he went into care, and him being a young child just accepted what he was told his name was! Olde Crone

Hi Anne, me too! The only thing I can think of is that either he was known to the enummerator, or he had to produce documentation and that showed it - assuming the story to be true of course. He could read but not write, so I guess he just didn't know his 'real' name. I have this from the late father as well as one of his brothers, so I suppose there must be something in it. Still confused as to why he should have been shipped to Canada in the first place, whatever his name was! Lizzie

I am interested to know why the 1911 census would cause anyone to change their name. The information was collected confidentially and presumably the enumerator would not know if someone was using the right name or not? As we all know to our cost some of our ancestors were casual with spelling and names - which is why they can be so hard to find. Anne

They were Tom, Bill and John. The sisters were Mag and Mary. Not sure what order they were born in. He was a Robert, but not around until 1913. The other children - staggeringly 8 of them - all died and I know nothing of their names. Lizzie

The address is Black House or Black Horse Road - Sorry not the one you wanted, but they could have moved later. What were your Dads brothers called/

Joanne, that's brilliant if it's them. It means that the name was changed before 1911, more likely the 1901 census. Can you tell the address from the census entry? If it's Giffin Street (where late father grew up) then you've knocked some bricks from my wall! Lizzie

Complete family in 1901 in Deptford E Mellish abt 1874 Deptford, London, England Daughter-in-law Deptford St Paul London View Record George M Mellish abt 1863 Deptford, London, England Head Deptford St Paul London View Record M Mellish abt 1872 Deptford, London, England Wife Deptford St Paul London View Record R Mellish abt 1873 Deptford, London, England Brother Deptford St Paul London View Record R Mellish abt 1893 Deptford, London, England Son Deptford St Paul London View Record W Mellish abt 1895 Deptford, London, England Son Deptford St Paul London Will be a big help in your search if you can get the marriage cert as well as any births cert's, even the brothers cert's will be good to help in your search Joanne

Good question about the marriage cert. Will try and find out what name his father used although I suspect that it'll be Mellish. According to late father's papers, only the two younger children used the name Mellish at school after the 'mistake' had been discovered during the 1911 census. I remember all the uncles quite well and they all went by the name of Mellish by the time of their deaths in the late 1900s. All the cousins have taken that name - not a Morris in the house! Lizzie

No idea why he would go to Canada, The Melluish's that I have are a ver very large family and some did go to America in the mid 1800's, could he have been orphaned whilst out there. His sons birth cert may give a clue, what about his son's marriage cert? What name is given on there for the father is it Mellish or Morris? Joanne

Sorry to be useless but don't know. Yet. Hoping that the birth cert will reveal all. I'm jumping the gun really because I can see that there are going to be all sorts of difficulties if I can't establish his surname. Have you any idea why an orpahan would be shipped to Canada? Lizzie

What was grandfathers first name? We may find someone that could help you Joanne

If I can get late father's birth cert, I should be able to get at least a name, then I can try the 1901 census. As to a d.o.b, father was born in1913, thirteenth of the fourteen children, so my guess would be 1870s. I'm just not sure I believe this whole thing about finding out you're using the wrong name! I've always fancied the surname Seymour so maybe I'll discover that at the next census and change it!! Lizzie

Melluish's are from London going back to the 1700's and then my side go to Lincoln and Sheffield, Do you have a rough DOB for him?. I'll try and help if I can Joanne

That's my problem - I haven't a clue where he was before Canada or why - or how - it was discovered that he was a Mellish (that's the spelling we all use.) Had he not been married to a good Irish catholic I'd suspect some sort of hanky-panky!! The family, Morrises and Mellishes, all lived in Deptford, London. Clear as mud isn't it? Lizzie

Lizzie Did you say ' Melluish' it can be spelt different on census records as I have found out. Where did he live before Canada? My fathers Mum was a Melluish and they are from a large family and cahnge the spelling ( or those who write it down do) quiet a lot Joanne