May 12, 2004:
The National Archives has a searchable database of British Home Children.
The major sending agencies were the Barnardo, Quarrier and McPherson organizations
in England (mostly London) and Scotland (Glasgow).

In downtown Ottawa, on or near Bronson Avenue, there is a monument dedicated to
the home children who came to the Ottawa area.

Photo source: Library and Archives, Canada 
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/home-children/index-e.html


Children from overcrowded city neighbourhoods were sent to Canada as indentured 
servants, mainly to work on farms in Ontario until the age of 18. Most of the home
children left the farms and settled in the cities -- Ottawa, Toronto and Hamilton.

A very good book is Labouring Children: British Immigrant Apprentices to Canada, 1869-1924,
by Joy Parr (see bibliography).

 May 16, 2008:
Dear Mr. Lewis,
 
I was looking for information on the terms of "indenturedness" for British Home Children 
and came across you May 12, 2004 posting on http://www.bytown.net/homekids.htm 
 
I had a couple of questions:
1.  Was it Joy Parr's book that gave you the age 18 termination of indentured servitude 
or is that from another source?  I am finding that the terms differed and that some 
children remained indentured until age 21.
 
2.  Could you give me the date/location/source of the photo

Have you read Margaret Humphreys' book "Empty Cradles"?  While more applicable to the 
child migration programs to Australia, it does touch on the Canadian programs.
 
Many thanks for your time.
Best regards,
 
... Liane Kennedy
________________________

Good morning, Ms. Kennedy:
 
Thanks for your e-mail.
 
The photo comes from the Library and Archives, Canada, web site. It is located at 
 
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/home-children/index-e.html
 
I've just added the credit for this photo (above) to my page.
 
I don't know if the age 18 appears in the book by Joy Parr or is from my notes taken in a 
lecture at Carleton in 2004. It's interesting that you have found some children who remained 
indentured until age 21. Maybe at the time of placement in Canada the term of indenture was 
negotiable in some cases.
 
Is it OK with you if I add your e-mail to our web page at www.bytown.net/homekids.htm as 
a contact for other researchers? Please let me know.
 
Thanks again.
 
... Al Lewis

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