Cora's Story
A BRITISH HOME CHILD
Born - West Ham, 1901, sent to Canada 1913 age 12
BIRTH ENTRY:
Pollard, Cora
Quarter: December
Year: 1901
District: West Ham
County: Essex Greater London
Volume: 4a
Page: 284
April 18, 1923 Puslinch,Canada
I was contacted by a 3rd cousin through Genes Reunited (very exciting) who told me (amongst other details) that some of his ancestors' family had had to go into 'care'.
He knew of one cousin CORA POLLARD who went to Canada but that was all he knew.
Hold on a mo - says I - I bet she did not "went" to Canada but was sent as a BRITISH HOME CHILD.
One would think that only orphans were sent to Canada and Australia - but no -foster children were also sent.
There is evidence of a mother begging the authorities not to let her child go. Once there many of the children were treated quite badly - cut off from everything they had ever known.
A $600 million (CDN) class action has been launched against Barnardo's, the largest children's charity in the United Kingdom, as a result of its child migration program which emigrated approximately 30,000 minors to Canada, where many were subjected to abuse and mistreatment.
Update 3/2/06: regarding the class action brought against Barnardo's, as of 5th October 2004 a Canadian judge decided that it should be discontinued. He noted that individual actions on behalf of four former migrants may be brought but we have not heard of any that have been, from Syd and Daisy Baker. Below you can follow my trail to find her which was amazingly quick. (Mind you I am very talented at researching! )
From : Sydney Roy Baker <pac.homechildren@telus.net>
Sent : 03 July 2004 13:31:30
To : "KATY COX" <kt_4_u@hotmail.com>
Subject : Re: BHC
Hi Katy,
We checked the National Archives Home Children database and found Cora Pollard came to Canada August 1913 with 101 boys and girls in the Macpherson party.
Have you already checked that list? If not you can access the database at:- http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/02011003_e.html (link broken) enter just the surname and this brings the list of children with the surname Pollard, Cora is at #5 on that list, click on the square at the side of her name and this gives you the above details.
The records from the Macpherson Home in Stratford were turned over to the Barnardo Homes in England in 1925 and the next-of-kin can apply to them, unfortunately the amount of available information is limited and there are rarely any photographs. The form for access is available at:(Also information on Australian child migrants Ed.)
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/work_with_former_barnardos_children.htm (link broken)
click on forms under the address and this can be printed off and sent by mail. Until April, Barnardo's did not charge for the service but as they are a charity and rely on donations for their income they can no longer do this and keep the staff they have, their list of enquiries is very large and more coming in each day from the UK, Canada and Australia. Once they make a successful identification they will write the applicant informing them of the costs, usually for those from the Macpherson Homes it is 20 pounds which is in recognition of the limited information available, for those from Barnardo's it is 50 pounds as they kept more extensive records.
If you have any further questions please contact us again.
Regards,
Syd and Daisy Baker
canada national archives database
POLLARD , Cora
SEARCH RESULT FROM CANADIAN ARCHIVES:
Age: 12
Sex: F
Year of arrival: 1913
Microfilm reel: T-4802
Ship: Tunisian
Port of departure: Liverpool
Departure Date: 6 Aug 1913
Port of arrival: Quebec
Arrival Date: 14 Aug 1913
Party: Ms. Macpherson's
Destination: Stratford, Ontario
Comments: 101 boys and girls with Mrs Macpherson Merry in charge
Reference: RG76 C 1 a
From : Tweetybird <tweetybirdone@cogeco.ca>
Sent : 05 July 2004 14:29:09
To : "KATY COX" <kt_4_u@hotmail.com>
Subject : Re: British Home Children/REPLY
Hi Katy happy to hear from you.
The only connection I have with BHC is my web page. I live in Belleville and became interested in Marchmont House by chance and it all came about from that.
The lists says she went to Hespeler so if you check the census for that area.
Carol (tweetybird)
Home page http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~tweetybirdgenealogy/
Visit my home page for "Home Children" information and other "world wide" links plus various passenger lists.
From : Tweetybird <tweetybirdone@cogeco.ca
Sent : 05 July 2004 17:34:02
To : "KATY COX" <kt_4_u@hotmail.com>
Subject : Re: British Home Children/REPLY
Katy, Marchmont House was located in Belleville, Ontario. The house still stands to day but has been converted to an apartment house. I lived on Moira St as a child and MH was also on the same street.
Carol (tweetybird)
From : Jim Quantrell <QuantrellJ@city.cambridge.on.ca>
Sent : 22 July 2004 19:21:39
To : "KATY COX" <kt_4_u@hotmail.com>
Subject : RE: British Home Children
I have checked our various databases and files and have found that Cora Pollard married Carl Ross of Puslinch, Township on April 18, 1923. Attached is an image of the wedding announcement that was published in the Thursday April 19, 1923 issue of the Galt Evening Reporter. I can find no other mention of either Carl or Cora. Puslinch is a neighbouring township in Wellington County. You may be able to get additional information from the Wellington County Museum and Archives. They can be reached at info@wcm.on.ca. The website ishttp://www.wcm.on.ca/. If I can be of any further assistance please feel free to contact me.
Jim Quantrell
Archivist
City of Cambridge Archives
46 Dickson St.
Cambridge Ont.
(519) 740-4680 ext. 4610
e-mail quantrellj@city.cambridge.on.ca
From : <Puslinch1898@aol.com>
Sent : 26 July 2004 15:36:40
To : kt_4_u@hotmail.com
Subject : Re: Family Tree
Greetings from Canada. Carl Ross was well-known in Puslinch. I collected some info about him this weekend but there will be much more in our archives which I will search out on Wednesday. More helpfully, I am sure there are people who remember the couple so you will hear from me again shortly. Beatrice W.
Fom : <Puslinch1898@aol.com>
Sent : 29 July 2004 20:34:44
To : kt_4_u@hotmail.com
Subject : Re: Family Tree
To Katy - I spoke to someone who knew Carl Ross and his wife yesterday. As you probably know, he was married twice and had no children. Cora, his first wife, died at age 51 in 1952. I will maybe be able to find other people who remember her. What we would very much like to know is the story of her coming to Canada as a British Home Child. We would be delighted to add her history to our archives and then at least we would preserve her memory there. Also any pictures would be nice. - I hope I will be able to write again with more info. Sincerely, BW
Notes and links
Perry Snow has the story of how his father and then himself tried to trace his relatives
Please visit his site (Keep a tissue handy).
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~britishhomechildren/
I found this posted on rootsweb:
Mr H. MERRY worked with MISS MCPHERSON bringing Home Children to a group home in Stratford (Canada). Stratford was the home of the Annie Macpherson organisation. Those records are held by Barnados.There is a book about the home's founders. It is out of print: (There is a copy in the BRITISH LIBRARY Ed.)
Birt, Lilian M. The children's home-finder; the story of Annie MacPerson and Louisa Birt, by Lilian M. Birt with foreword by Lord Strathcona and introd. by Lord Guthrie - London - J. Nisbet, 1913.
You can find out much more about Annie MacPherrson and the Group Home in Stratford (as well as where she worked in England) at http://ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/children/Organizations/anniem.html Miss Macpherson brought children to Canada from her own home in London but she also had arrangments with Barnardo, Quarrier, Smyly, and many other organizations to accompany and place their children as well. Some of the children came from workhouses. The Stratford home located at 51 Avon Street was used until 1920 when the Liverpool Sheltering Home took over her work. See alsohttp://ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/children/Organizations/birt.html
Lorine, Olive Tree Genealogy, Ships Lists http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/