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Archiver > GenMassachusetts > 2009-11 > 1258403538


From: "Betty" <>
Subject: Re: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] Britain to apologize for forced migrations
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:32:18 -0500
References: <mailman.473.1258358464.17769.genmassachusetts@rootsweb.com><a06240802c7272eccb65f@[192.168.1.47]>


Hi Carol,

In Canada, the "over 100,000" children arriving there between 1860's and
1930's were referred to as "Home Children, Canada," or "British Home
Children." Some of the children did arrive in New England, but mostly
because of bad weather conditions. And, for various reasons, many of the
children made their way down to the U.S.

The great-grandparents in Stoneham which I've mentioned many times were
"Home Children." They were born in England ~1860 and were "shipped to
Canada" in 1874. Stanley and Mary married in Nova Scotia in 1879 and
migrated to MA/US in 1881. They raised .13. children in Stoneham.

Stanley was an only child. Mary had 4 younger siblings traveling with
her; the youngest were 5 and 3 years old. They all went to different
families in different towns. Mary's 2 sisters married in N.S. and one
remained there and had 10 children. One came down to MA, also, and lived
in several towns before settling in her husband's home town of Nantucket.
The 2 young boys didn't fare so well. One married later in life and never
had children, and the youngest never married.

You can read many of the Home Children stories in this List and the Message
Board about them. (The Board is not gatewayed so there are different
stories there.)

http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/CAN/BRITISHHOMECHILDREN.html

http://boards.rootsweb.com/topics.orphans.brithomechild/mb.ashx


You can Google "British Home Children" or "Home Children, Canada" and find
many web sites about them. In Great Britain and Northern Ireland they
were referred to as "Child Migrants" and there are books about them, also.

I've been on the BHC List since 2000, so I've learned a lot about the "Child
Migrant Scheme." And, I'm guessing that Great Britain might have "shipped
out" ~250,000 unwanted children, or "children in need," between 1620 and
1970's. That 350 years !

Wherever they started up a "British Colony" they would send their "Child
Migrants" there. Thousands were "shipped out" to Australia and New
Zealand. And I had an e-mail from a researcher in South Africa this
morning who said people don't know that thousands of these children were
sent there, also. They went to other parts of Africa and some other
places !

The data base I refer to most often is:

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/home-children/index-e.html

IF you have an ancestor and you just can't find out how they came to North
America, there is a chance they arrived here as a child !

The Canadian Government has never officially acknowledged the "over 100,000"
children arriving in their country. The sometimes 500 members of the BHC
List have been trying for 5 years to get the Government to acknowledge them,
and at the very least get them mentioned in the school books. We finally
got the Government to create a Stamp - honoring them - which will be issued
next fall. And, in a few weeks the "Parliament" will be deciding whether
to make "2010 the Year of the British Home Child."

Since these "official Apologies" are going out worldwide right now, that is
a big help to the descendants of the "Home Children" who want the above to
be voted on on Dec. 6.

Betty (near Lowell, MA)



----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Botteron" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 11:33 AM
Subject: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] Britain to apologize for forced migrations


> Britain to apologize for centuries of forcing kids to migrate, 1618-1967:
>
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091115/ap_on_re_us/child_migrants_apology
>
> Article doesn't mention Massachusetts; does anyone know if some of
> these children came to Mass.?
>
>

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