The British Home Children

The beginnings

The growing problem

It is important to realize that when this government initiative was first conceived it was for the benefit of all parties involved. At the time, large parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland were experiencing serious issues regarding poverty. Unfortunately, children were often the most affected in these situations. By the mid 1800's, streets in East London were lined with thousands of poor, hungry children. Their parents were unfortunately in no position to properly care for them as they were starving themselves, working long hours in factories trying to make ends meet. These children were left to fend for themselves in the unforgiving streets of large cities. Without supervision and the care they needed, many stopped attending school and instead resorted to stealing for survival. Most children died before reaching the age of 20 due to their terrible living conditions. George Dunseith, my great-great grandfather, had two brothers and one sister. Alexander (15), James (13), and Jane (11). His mother was very hard working and respectable. She worked very long hours as a charwoman where she earned 6s a week. Her husband, Alexander Dunseith, was a drunk and had abandoned her 3 years before. The church authorities would help her as much as possible, but her situation was dire. Since George's two brothers had already been admitted to the home, he was often alone. His mother worked very long hours and so he was practically neglected. His attendance at school was very poor, and he was brought home by the police many times. His mother, Elisabeth, wanted desperately to keep him, but she knew that he would be better off with the Home. Soon after being admitted he was sent to Canada.

At the same time, on the other side of the Atlantic, Canada was a growing country, our provinces and territories were being formed and the population was steadily increasing. Farm laborers were needed in almost all parts of the country. The Canadian government was looking for ways to populate the west, and bringing able bodied youngsters to Canada seemed like a perfect solution.

The great idea

In 1826, Robert Chambres declared to British parliament: "England has got too full of children." He knew that the United Kingdom was being overrun by poor, destitute children. He recommended that the children be shipped off to Commonwealth countries. The children needed to be fed, clothed, and kept off the streets. To send them overseas to other countries that desperately needed farm laborers seemed like a win-win. In Canada, they would learn life skills, like farming, and become productive individuals. This scheme was quickly accepted and implemented by several organizations.