Home Children

Historical Context and Origins

The practice of sending poor or orphaned children from Britain to its colonies began as early as 1618 with a group of one hundred English vagrant children sent to the Virginia Colony. It served a dual purpose of relieving strain on domestic welfare systems and supplying labour to colonies. The scheme gained significant momentum in the late 19th century, driven by rapid industrialization and urbanization in Britain. Cities like London, Manchester, and Glasgow saw massive population growth, leading to severe overcrowding, poor sanitation, and widespread poverty. By 1870, urban centres of over 10,000 held forty-two percent of Britain's population, and by 1911 over 758,000 Londoners lived in overcrowded conditions. Children from working-class families were often sent to work in dangerous conditions in matchbox factories or as chimney sweeps, with the 1851 census recording a profession for 64 percent of boys and 32.5 percent of girls aged five to nineteen in London. A network of philanthropic children's homes emerged to address these social ills, but they quickly became oversubscribed. Organizers like Annie MacPherson and Maria Rye began advocating for the organized emigration of children as a solution, framing it as a chance for a better life in the colonies. Following Canadian Confederation in 1867, the government actively sought immigrants to settle remote rural areas and develop agriculture, creating a demand for labour that the Home Children were intended to fill.

The Canadian Scheme and Key Figures

The main flow of Home Children to Canada began in 1869 and continued for nearly eight decades. The children were sent by various philanthropic societies and were known as 'Home Children' because they were moved from an agency's home in Britain to a receiving home in Canada. Key pioneers included Annie MacPherson, a Scottish Evangelical Christian who was appalled by child labour in London's matchbox industry. She established the Home of Industry in a converted cholera hospital in Spitalfields in 1868, a facility that could hold up to two hundred children, and began shipping children to Canada in May 1870 with one hundred boys. She opened receiving homes in Belleville, Ontario, with rent provided by Hastings County, and later in Galt, Ontario. Her sister, Louisa Birt, opened another home in Knowlton, Quebec, 112 kilometres from Montreal. Maria Rye began her work slightly earlier, bringing a group of 68 children from Liverpool to Ontario in 1869 with the blessing of the Archbishop of Canterbury and The Times newspaper. She established a receiving home at Niagara-on-the-Lake and by the turn of the century had settled some 5,000 children, mostly girls. Later, organizations like Dr. Barnardo's became major participants, sending a first party in 1882. The process involved children travelling by ship across the Atlantic, then by train to distribution centres where they would be placed with families who had requested a child for labour. Many children, some very young, travelled alone to their final destinations, sometimes waiting scared and alone at rural train stations like the Aultsville Station in Ontario.

• Annie MacPherson: Founded the Home of Industry in London (1868) and began sending children to Canada in 1870, relocating 500 in the first year.
• Maria Rye: Began placing women and child emigrants in Canada from 1867, opening her Niagara receiving home in 1869.
• Louisa Birt: Sister of Annie MacPherson, operated a receiving home in Knowlton, Quebec.
• Dr. Thomas Barnardo: His organization became one of the largest senders of Home Children to Canada after he sent his first party in 1882.
• Children's Friend Society: Founded in 1830, this earlier group sent 230 children to Toronto and New Brunswick in August 1833.
• Kingsley Fairbridge: Founded the Child Emigration Society in 1909, which later became the Fairbridge Foundation, though his focus shifted to Australia after 1912.

Conditions, Criticisms, and Official Investigations

The reality for most Home Children in Canada was far from the promised 'abundant life.' While some found caring families, many faced neglect, harsh labour, and physical and sexual abuse. They were used as cheap indentured labour on farms and in homes, with little regard for their welfare or education. A crucial fact, later revealed, was that the vast majority (an estimated 88 percent) were not orphans but came from intact families experiencing temporary hardship. Many were deceived into believing their parents were dead, and some parents were led to believe their children had been adopted in Britain. Contemporary criticisms emerged quickly. In 1874, British government inspector Andrew Doyle was sent to Canada to investigate. His report praised the motives of organizers like MacPherson but condemned the enterprise's execution. He criticized the lack of follow-up checks on placed children, particularly by Maria Rye, whose oversight was described as mostly non-existent, and noted that children from workhouses were mixed with street children, causing trouble. Doyle concluded that because of 'Miss Rye's carelessness and Miss MacPherson's limited resources,' thousands of children were 'cast adrift to be overworked or mistreated.' The Canadian House of Commons established a select committee to examine his findings, but the schemes continued with only minor adjustments. The fundamental issues of exploitation and insufficient oversight persisted throughout the program's operation. A 1998 British parliamentary inquiry uncovered systematic abuse of child migrants in religious schools in Australia and New Zealand. The Northern Ireland Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry (2014 to 2015) considered cases of about 130 young children forcibly sent to Australia, mostly after the Second World War.

End of the Scheme and Modern Exposure

Child emigration slowed during the Great Depression of the 1930s for economic reasons but did not completely end until the 1970s. In 1987, British social worker Margaret Humphreys began an investigation that exposed the program's systemic failures and led to the establishment of the Child Migrants Trust to reunite families. Her 1994 book, Empty Cradles, and the subsequent 2010 film Oranges and Sunshine brought the story to a wider audience. The 1998 British parliamentary inquiry was a major development, uncovering detailed evidence of abuse and forcing governments and institutions to confront this painful history. In Canada, the federal government designated the 'Immigration of Home Children' a National Historic Event in 1999, with a commemorative plaque placed in Stratford, Ontario. The Ontario Heritage Trust had erected a provincial plaque in Ottawa the year before, in 1998, marking an early step in official recognition.

Official Apologies and Commemorations

Public exposure led to formal apologies from several governments, though Canada's response differed. In 2009, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a national apology to child migrants, following apologies from Australia's Roman Catholic Church in 2001. The Australian government had contacted about 400 British child migrants for advice on the apology's delivery. In February 2010, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown apologized for the 'shameful' and 'misguided' program and announced a £6 million fund for affected families. When asked about a Canadian apology in 2009, then-Minister of Immigration Jason Kenney stated there was 'limited public interest' in an official government apology, arguing the issue had not been on the national radar as it was in Australia. Instead, Canada focused on commemoration. The Governor General proclaimed 2010 the 'Year of the British Home Child,' and Canada Post issued a commemorative stamp on September 1, 2010. In Ontario, the British Home Child Day Act, 2011, established September 28 as an annual day of recognition.

Legacy, Descendant Community, and Modern Advocacy

The legacy of the Home Children is deeply woven into the fabric of Canadian society. It is estimated that one in ten Canadians is a descendant of a Home Child, meaning millions of citizens have a direct personal link to this history. Modern organizations work to preserve this legacy and support descendants. Home Children Canada, a registered charity founded in 2012, leads efforts to increase awareness of Home Children, conduct research, and reunite families. They maintain a Home Child Registry, publish newsletters, and advocate for recognition, such as securing acknowledgment from Veterans Affairs Canada for Home Children who served in the wars. The charity also locates and marks burial sites, having identified an unmarked mass grave of 76 Home Children in Etobicoke's Park Lawn Cemetery and erecting a monument in their honour after four years of research. The British government's Family Restoration Fund, administered by the Child Migrants Trust and funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, has arranged or reimbursed travel for more than a thousand former child migrants reuniting with families in the UK. In 2020, the Prince's Trust was reported to be providing funds to allow people sent as children by the Fairbridge Society to Australia to make claims for compensation for abuse, as they were ineligible for Australia's national redress scheme.

Notable Home Children and Representation in Media

A few Home Children gained recognition in their later lives, though most lived in obscurity. Notable individuals include Augustus Bridle (1868 to 1952), who became a journalist. Madge Gill (1882 to 1961), an artist. And Eliza Showell (1895 to 1978), a domestic worker. The broader story of the Home Children and child migrants has been explored in various films, television series, and music, raising public awareness. These works often highlight the emotional trauma, deception, and institutional failures inherent in the schemes. The 1987 television film Heaven on Earth and the 1992 mini-series The Leaving of Liverpool were early depictions. The 2010 drama Oranges and Sunshine directly portrayed social worker Margaret Humphreys's investigation. In music, Canadian folk singer Tim Harrison released 'Home Boys' in 2003, and Kelly Irene Chase released 'Suitcase Full of Lies' in 2021.

Research Resources and Genealogical Importance

For descendants and historians, researching Home Children is a vital link to personal and national history. Several key resources exist to facilitate this work. Library and Archives Canada hosts a dedicated 'Home Children (1869 to 1930) Search Database.' Charities like Home Children Canada provide extensive research assistance, maintain registries, and publish educational newsletters. Local archives, such as the Simcoe County Archives, hold regional records and publish research guides. Descendant groups, including the British Home Child Group International and the Ontario East British Home Child Family, offer community support and often collect local stories and artifacts. The work of these groups has been instrumental in identifying burial sites and advocating for monuments, ensuring that the identities and stories of the Home Children are recovered and remembered. The British government set up a £1 million travel fund, later supplemented by Australia, to help former child migrants visit their families, a resource administered by the Child Migrants Trust.

Questions about Home Children

What were the British Home Children?

The British Home Children were children sent from the United Kingdom under a child migration scheme operating from the 1600s to the 1970s. More than 150,000 children were sent to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Rhodesia and South Africa. The children were sent by philanthropic organisations with the intention of providing education and training. Many of the children faced exploitation and abuse as cheap labour on colonial farms or in domestic service.

Were the Home Children actually orphans?

No, the majority of Home Children were not orphans. Modern research indicates that approximately 88 percent had at least one living parent. Many came from intact families who had fallen on hard times due to illness, death of a parent, or poverty. Children were often taken into care temporarily and their parents were sometimes deceived about their fate, led to believe they had been adopted in Britain or that they were dead.

Has the Canadian government apologized to the Home Children?

No, the Canadian federal government has not issued a formal apology. In 2009, then-Immigration Minister Jason Kenney stated there was 'limited public interest' in an official apology and that the government was taking measures to recognize the period. Instead, Canada has focused on commemoration, designating the Immigration of Home Children a National Historic Event in 1999, proclaiming 2010 the 'Year of the British Home Child,' and issuing a commemorative stamp. The province of Ontario recognizes September 28 annually as British Home Child Day.

Which other countries have apologized for child migration schemes?

Australia and the United Kingdom have issued formal apologies. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologized in November 2009, following an earlier apology from Australia's Roman Catholic Church in 2001. The Australian Senate had previously published reports like 'Lost Innocents' (2001) and 'Forgotten Australians' (2004) calling for an apology. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown apologized in February 2010, calling the programme 'shameful' and announcing a £6 million compensation fund for affected families.

How can I find out if my ancestor was a Home Child?

Several resources are available for research. Home Children Canada, a charity established in 2012, maintains research databases and a Home Child Registry and offers assistance. Library and Archives Canada hosts a 'Home Children (1869 to 1930) Search Database.' Local archives, such as the Simcoe County Archives, often hold relevant records and publish guides. Descendant groups like the British Home Child Group International and the Ontario East British Home Child Family also provide support, community, and often manage local exhibits and collections.

What is the estimated number of Home Child descendants in Canada today?

Today, an estimated one in ten Canadians is a descendant of a Home Child. This claim was made by the organization Home Children Canada in the year 2011. The significant proportion of descendants is a direct result of the large scale of the British child migration scheme, which sent more than 150,000 children from the United Kingdom to various colonies. A substantial number of these children were sent to Canada from the late 19th century until the program ended in the 1970s.

Sources and further reading

• Home Children (Wikipedia)
• National British Home Child Day, September 28, 2026 (northumberland.ca)
• From “Gutter Children” to Home Children: child migrants in ... (pier21.ca)
• Home Children Canada (britishhomechildren.com)
• British Home Child Museum (uppercanadavillage.com)

Checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-24.