Introduction
September 28th is National British Home Child Day in Canada. Some estimate that as many as ten percent of Canadians with British ancestry descend from a home child. Many home children were sent to live and work on rural properties in Central Ontario, including Simcoe County. This blog post will serve as a guide to researching home children using resources at the Simcoe County Archives and beyond.
Who were the British Home Children?
Between 1869 and the late 1940s over 100,000 children were sent from the British Isles to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. These children were part of what would come to be called the British child emigration movement. As part of this scheme, children were removed from increasingly impoverished and over-populated urban centers in the United Kingdom and sent to rural corners of the colonies. Some home children were orphans, but many had families that remained in their countries of origin. The organizations responsible for facilitating these transfers were mainly charities with a focus on child and social welfare. One of the most prominent to send children to Canada was Dr. Barnardo’s Homes, based out of the East End of London.
Once the children arrived in Canada, they were assigned to live and work on Canadian farms. The experiences of these children varied. Some where treated well, and formed tight bonds with their Canadian host families, while others suffered mistreatment and abuse. Regardless of their reception in Canada, many home children stayed into adulthood and established livelihoods and families of their own.
Resources at the Simcoe County Archives
It should be noted that there were no official receiving homes for home children in Simcoe County, however, many children were eventually sent to families in the county. More still moved here and settled as adults. The Archives have few collections with individuals specifically identified as home children, but many of our resources can assist those researching a home child (or former home child) who may have lived in the area.
Blogs and exhibits
- Discover Family History at the Simcoe County Archives – A guide to genealogical resources available at the Simcoe County Archives
- Simcoe County Remembers – A searchable database of service-men and women from Simcoe County who died during the First World War
Printable guides
Institutional records
- PC-0111 George F. Holloway fonds
- Simcoe County Archives Newspaper collection – Various local newspapers from across the county.
- Simcoe County Archives Reference Library – Various publications
Online resources:
- Ancestry (subscription required): Includes indexes and digitized records for England and Canada, including census, marriage and death records. Passenger Lists, both in-coming and out-going, are also available. Ancestry is accessible for free at the Simcoe County Archives.
Local heritage institutions
- British Home Children in Canada: Includes digitized copies of Ups and Downs, a registry for British Home Children, burial records, and many other resources.
Simcoe County Branch – Ontario Genealogical Society - Simcoe County Historical Association
National and Provincial resources
- Veterans Affairs Canada – British Home Children
- Library and Archives of Canada – British Home Children, 1869-1930
- Library and Archives of Canada – Guide to Sending Organizations and Receiving Homes
- Archives of Ontario – Toronto Emigration Office Records
Canadian interest groups
- British Home Child Group International – A database and other resources
- British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa
- Home Children
United Kingdom resources
- Barnardo’s – Former Barnardo’s children: A paid service offered by Barnardo’s (Formerly Dr. Barnardo’s Homes). Direct descendants of Barnardo’s Home children can apply for the intake file of their relative.
- Former Children’s Homes: Information about Cottage Homes, orphanages, and other institution
- General Register Office (GRO): Copies of official British birth, marriage, and death records, available for purchase.
- London Metropolitan Archives
- The Children’s Homes: Information and resources about orphanages, homes, and reformatories.
- The National Archives
- The Workhouse: Information about Union workhouses, schools and homes, in the UK.
Published works:
- Bleating of the Lambs: Canada’s British Home Children by Lori Oschefski
- The Home Children by Phyllis Harrison