General Chat

Remembering the 100.000 plus children between 1869 and 1932 who were sent to Canada as indentured servants

It was partially continued too up to 1948

Many of the children were very badly treated , beaten and made to sleep in the barn with the animals , fed table scraps and many sexually abused

My aunt , my mums elder half sister was sent in 1909 aged 10 and was one of them

She too was physically abused by the farmers wife , made to sleep in the barn,was shoeless all week but given cast off shoes to wear on a Sunday to go to church
She had to walk behind the horse and cart that took the family to church and shouted at and hit when she couldn’t keep up


We lost several generations to this awful scheme and scarred many children for life

The BHC association (British Home Children) in Canada is making sure the sacrifice these children made is being recognised and they have lobbied for public acknowledgment and apologises from both the British and Canadian government

Gordon Brown gave an apology when he was prime minister



https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/british-pm-apologizes-to-home-children-1.916446


I was living in Nottingham where Margaret Humphreys came to Radio Nottingham, which had an afternoon programme that was heard all over the East Midlands. There was a weekly section on the programme trying to reunite people and Margaret came on several times telling stories of the home children and trying to reunite families. It was so sad and the lies told by officials to split families up was appalling.

For those who don't know about Margaret

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Humphreys

Yes some of my distant relatives on my tree (distant cousins) who are still in Canada are descended from a couple of the children.

I am in touch with grandchildren of our aunt in Canada

Was in touch with her youngest daughter too whi wa only a little older than me

Sadly she passed two years ago but I am speaking to one of her daughters and otter family members

Sent them a big print out of that side of the tree including copy certs

Aunt never had her birth cert of 1898 so gave mixed up family names as parents when she married in 1917