Orphans going to Canada circa 1914

[RobinC]

I have recently been in touch with the nephew-in-law of my great-grandfather who has said that my great-grandfather and 5 of his siblings were sent to Canada as orphans after their mother died in 1910 and their father was unable to care for them (I think the reason was active service during WWI).

I've looked on Ancestry and have found out that my great-grandfather and his brother served in the Canadian Army from 1918 onwards and that my great-grandfather returned to England with his family in 1937.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

[Procat]

Depending on what you after FindMyPast has outward shipping lists. Canadian Passenger Lists can be found here. 1911 Canadian census can be found here.

[RobinC]

There seems to be a contrast in information as I had no knowledge of my great-grandfather emigrating as an orphan but it appears that he may have.

I also think that my great-grandmother was born and raised in England and her parents were from Norfolk but my relative thinks she was from Canada due to her having a strong Canadian accent. I recall my grandmother having a fairly strong accent despite only being there for 14 years in total which is the same length of time that I believe her mother was also there.

I've just looked at the passenger list search engine and don't know any of the information it asks for!

[Procat]

What are the details of the kids who emigrated to Canada. Do you know if they went as a group?

[RobinC]

The children would have been:
Thomas William Witherell born 1897
Alfred Richard Witherell born 1899
Amelia Witherell born 1901
Richard Witherell born 1902
Ida Rosina Witherell born 1906
James Witherell born 1908

The surname may be spelled as Witherall.

I don't know if they went as a group or individually as I wasn't aware that they were sent abroad.

[Procat]

There is a Thomas Witherell, Age 14, Departed 26 June 1912 on the ROYAL EDWARD from Bristol bound for Quebec, Canada, Occupation farm Labourer

Alfred Wetherell, Age 14, Departed 5 August 1913 on the TUNISIAN from Liverpool bound for Quebec, Canada, Occupation not recorded

Amelia Wetherall, Age 13, Departed 13 May 1914 on the VIRGINIAN from Liverpool bound for Quebec, Canada, Occupation not recorded

[Waitabit]

This may be one of yours Robin, click here concerning Alfred Witherell b. Fullham England 1899.

[Mary Anne]

The children would have been:
Thomas William Witherell born 1897
Alfred Richard Witherell born 1899
Amelia Witherell born 1901
Richard Witherell born 1902
Ida Rosina Witherell born 1906
James Witherell born 1908

The surname may be spelled as Witherall.

I don't know if they went as a group or individually as I wasn't aware that they were sent abroad.

RobinC

Send this informaiton in an email to the queries email address at the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (hint - the URL is made up of the initials). Your enquiry can be passed on the the Society's Home Children researcher and he will see what additional information he can find for you. Be as detailed as you can about the information you KNOW already (birth dates, birthplaces, etc).

In the meantime, if you Google "Miss Macpherson Home Children" you will get a site called "Young Immigrants to Canad" that explains Annie Macpherson's role in juvenile emigration. She had a home in Belleville, Ontario called Marchmont to which she sent children who were waiting to be placed with families in Ontario. Have a good look also at the Tweetiebird site that someone else posted here - it has lots of information about Home Children.

Mary Anne