125,000 British children migrated to Canada

[spison]

The film "Oranges and Sunshine" (2010) also tells the story of the British Child Migrants to Australia and is based on the book "Empty Cradles." The actors are Emily Watson as the British social worker and Hugo Weaving and David Wenham as the grown children. It's good.
Jane

[terrysfamily]

My first awareness of this was from reading Lesley Pearse - Trust Me. Its an un-put-downable read, and I was horrified that even though I was born 1965, I was never aware of this forced emigration of children.

I highly recommend it, even though its a fictional novel it is rooted in fact, and makes me feel ashamed of how we Brits behaved even so recently as the 1970's.

Julie

Had to stop reading this for a while due to other commitments. Just finished reading it last night. What a harrowing story. Thank you Julie for the recommendation.

Terry

[terrysfamily]

Thanks to spison - Jane for Oranges and Sunshine - I have just ordered the dvd from Amazon.

Terry

[kermie62]

Unfortunately Australia also had its part in this tragety (dont get me started on adoptions)

There was the "forgotten Australians" report. Below is a reference relevant to Australian

https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/content...757&sid=582660

[Cheryl Jones]

My great-uncles, George and Frederick Howard Jones, were BHC after the death of their mother Mary Ann (Wills) Jones and the job-related injury of their father, Stephen William Jones, in B'ham led to their being given up to the home. Perry Snow has a wonderful website, organizing those children and their relatives. I have located siblings, and am still looking for the parents of Stephen William Jones and any possible siblings. I have a lot of information on George and Frederick at this point. They were shipped to the Maritimes in Canada.
Cheryl

[glen cooper]

Unfortunately Australia also had its part in this tragety (dont get me started on adoptions)

There was the "forgotten Australians" report. Below is a reference relevant to Australian

https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/content...757&sid=582660

It was the forgotten Australians senate report that got me going on finding out who I was and were I came from. In Australia we have a group that represents us which is run by care leavers for care leavers. If you google: Care Leavers Australia Network there is lots of info. In England I think it's called Care leavers Network we had a visitor come out for our 10Th anniversary.

Glen.

[Waitabit]

Had the good furtune last night while heading for bed to see my Husband had lucked onto the film "Oranges and Sunshine" on paytv channel.

We need more people like Mrs Humphreys. While the damage will never be mended, a little goes along way to help heal those still hurting & who knows? foster a better undertanding among us all.

[radstockjeff]

Also worth reading is David Hill's "The Forgotten Children" published by William Heinemann Australia. When we visited Melbourne earlier this year there was an exhibition in the Immigration Museum on this topic. I found it quite distressing and moving to see and hear the stories about these children.

Incidentally he also wrote a book about the Gold Rush- The Fever that forever changed Australia.

radstockjeff

[Guy Etchells]

Someone wrote about this being a tragedy, it wasn’t it was nothing short of a disgrace and one that the present government is still covering up as best it can.

Many Home children were abused and treated little short of slaves to their “new” family.
Some (the lucky ones) went to good homes and enjoyed a new life in a new country.

I have had thousands of emails and letters from home children asking for help in tracing their lineage, since the release of the 1911 census.
It is one of the reasons I demand that the 1921 census is opened to the public as soon as possible.
By refusing to release the information that could help trace the lineage of these children the present government is colluding in the “crime” of past governments; they should all hang their heads in shame.
Guy

[Lori.o]

The more I research the laws, the Government and the general public's response to the BHC in Canada the more I realize that this was a very cold and calculated scheme with no regard for the welfare or safety of these children. It was a disgrace, I totally agree with Guy. Just last week I had the honor of visiting one of the very last surviving BHC here in Canada, one of the very few who are alive still and will talk about it. He was one of the "lucky" ones, never abused, treated well and had a good life in Canada. This man at the age of 88 sobbed and broke down MANY times when telling me his story of the loss of his family and his siblings. This abuse is bad enough without having physical and mental abuse heaped on top of this. It just tore my heart out to see him cry.