Post by pedro42 on Oct 19, 2014 12:01:01 GMT
I have been carrying out some genealogy research & found that one of my Granny's brothers was found wandering the streets of Birmingham in the 1880's. His mother had died and his father was living or "co-habiting" as the courts put it, with another woman. My ancester was placed in the care of Middlemore homes in Balsall Heath before being sent to Canada to start a new life (at the ripe old age of 11!!) He lived at St John in New Brunswick for the rest of his life, and ran his own business, a shop or distribution warehouse. I've been in contact with his family, who were amazed at the story. Middlemore were one of the more benevolent homes who looked after the children well.
Between 1869 and the late 1930s, over 100,000 juvenile migrants were sent to Canada from Great Britain during the child emigration movement. Motivated by social and economic forces, churches and philanthropic organizations sent orphaned, abandoned and pauper children to Canada. Many believed that these children would have a better chance for a healthy, moral life in rural Canada, where families welcomed them as a source of cheap farm labour and domestic help.
After arriving by ship, from Liverpool (I have a copy of the passenger list) the children were sent to distributing homes, and then sent on to farmers in the area. Although many of the children were poorly treated and abused, others experienced a better life here than if they had remained in the urban slums of England. Many served with the Canadian and British Forces during both World Wars.
Here's an extract from the Middlemore records....
Middlemore Emigration Homes, known before 1925 as the Children's Emigration Homes, were founded in 1872 by John Throgmorton Middlemore. He saw poor children on the streets of Birmingham and felt that they should be sent abroad for a healthier life away from their pauper roots. The Middlemore Homes was, of course, not the only organisation sending children to the New World, many organisations were doing it. it was seen not only as way of giving poor British children a new start in life but also as a way of supplying much-needed labour in these newly developing countries.
Hundreds of children were migrated from the Homes, including some from other children's homes in the city which used Middlemore Homes as a vehice for theie emigration. Sadly, emigrations such as these were not always happy. It is has since become apparent that children not only suffered the trauma of being separated from their families and all that was familiar to them but some were mistreated in their new homes. Many people now find themselves 'in limbo', still based in their new countries, having newfound contact with their families in England but unable to afford to visit.
Middlemore Homes were initially based on St Luke's Road, Highgate but later were in a large building on Weoley Park Road. In Canada, children were sent to Fairbridge Farm School where they were taught the skills they would need for labouring work (boys) or domestic service (girls).
After the Children Act 1948 outlawed the practice, the numbers of children being emigrated was greatly reduced. As a result, Middlemore Emigration Homes had no need for their huge building in Selly Oak and so it was leased to Birmingham City Council for use as a children's home known as Middlemore House. Around a hundred children lived there until 1955 when it closed. For a time the building was part of Westhill College but it was eventually demolished in 2004
Pete
Between 1869 and the late 1930s, over 100,000 juvenile migrants were sent to Canada from Great Britain during the child emigration movement. Motivated by social and economic forces, churches and philanthropic organizations sent orphaned, abandoned and pauper children to Canada. Many believed that these children would have a better chance for a healthy, moral life in rural Canada, where families welcomed them as a source of cheap farm labour and domestic help.
After arriving by ship, from Liverpool (I have a copy of the passenger list) the children were sent to distributing homes, and then sent on to farmers in the area. Although many of the children were poorly treated and abused, others experienced a better life here than if they had remained in the urban slums of England. Many served with the Canadian and British Forces during both World Wars.
Here's an extract from the Middlemore records....
Middlemore Emigration Homes, known before 1925 as the Children's Emigration Homes, were founded in 1872 by John Throgmorton Middlemore. He saw poor children on the streets of Birmingham and felt that they should be sent abroad for a healthier life away from their pauper roots. The Middlemore Homes was, of course, not the only organisation sending children to the New World, many organisations were doing it. it was seen not only as way of giving poor British children a new start in life but also as a way of supplying much-needed labour in these newly developing countries.
Hundreds of children were migrated from the Homes, including some from other children's homes in the city which used Middlemore Homes as a vehice for theie emigration. Sadly, emigrations such as these were not always happy. It is has since become apparent that children not only suffered the trauma of being separated from their families and all that was familiar to them but some were mistreated in their new homes. Many people now find themselves 'in limbo', still based in their new countries, having newfound contact with their families in England but unable to afford to visit.
Middlemore Homes were initially based on St Luke's Road, Highgate but later were in a large building on Weoley Park Road. In Canada, children were sent to Fairbridge Farm School where they were taught the skills they would need for labouring work (boys) or domestic service (girls).
After the Children Act 1948 outlawed the practice, the numbers of children being emigrated was greatly reduced. As a result, Middlemore Emigration Homes had no need for their huge building in Selly Oak and so it was leased to Birmingham City Council for use as a children's home known as Middlemore House. Around a hundred children lived there until 1955 when it closed. For a time the building was part of Westhill College but it was eventually demolished in 2004
Pete