Comments on: OGS British Home Child SIG

By: Phil Ellis

Phil Ellis — Sat, 07 May 2011 16:09:51 +0000

Hi Dawn,

This search engine has now been added to the OGS links pages at http://www.ogs.on.ca/services/search.php

Phil

By: Phil Ellis

Phil Ellis — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:49:03 +0000

Hi Agnes. Perhaps you could share with us when and how you contacted the NCH and what types of records you were able to obtain.

Phil

By: Agnes

Agnes — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:19:39 +0000

My father was a Home Child from the National Childrens Home coming to Canada in 1927. I have been able to trace his time here through the NCH in London, UK. They have given me copies of all letters and documents in their file pertaining to my dad. I would like to be able to expand my search further to find ancestors.

By: Phil Ellis

Phil Ellis — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:53:02 +0000

Thanks Dawn. I gave it a try and it seems to be a very thorough search engine. I’ll have it added to the OGS ‘links’ page in the next update.

Phil

By: Phil Ellis

Phil Ellis — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:48:46 +0000

Thanks Dawn. If you go to the OGS ‘links’ page at http://www.ogs.on.ca/services/bhc.php there are many helpful links provided including the ones you mention. Do you have any more that we could add?

Phil

By: Dawn

Dawn — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:15:13 +0000

My great uncle was a BHC (Barnardo). Transferred to Barnardo Homes from Fir Vale Union Workhouse and shipped to Canada in 1910. I have done extensive research and hands-down, the internet is one of the most valuable resource for searching. Forums are also a great source of helpful information and volunteers. Do go to, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tweetybirdgenealogy/homechild.html as this site is full of great resources! (some of Ups & Downs transcribed) Also visit, http://www.britishhomechildren.org/

By: Jenny Callaghan

Jenny Callaghan — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 17:12:47 +0000

I am not a descendant but my grandmother in England had a brother and sister who were BHC’s arriving from Liverpool and I have been trying to trace them since 1998. It is much easier now than when I started as there is more on the web and more people searching who help. I now have a lot of information: date of arrival, who sent them (they were Roman Catholic) and have traced them to the censuses of 1901 and 1911. I would like to be part of a BHC group.

In terms of a project, I’d like to see a sort of chart which would help people know the path to take to research their BHC’s: what to do first, and how. My path was very higgledy piggledy but I got there, sort of. There were lots of dead ends, brick walls en route.

By: Helen Atkinson

Helen Atkinson — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:53:31 +0000

As yet, we have no personal BHC in our family, but I continue to be deeply moved by each story in this part of our Canadian history. I try to assist others in their research & share information with the BHC sites. Yes, I would be interested in participating in this group by helping descendants in their search.

By: Phil Ellis

Phil Ellis — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:22:31 +0000

Nancy and Susan, can you think of any other projects that may interest BHC descendants? For example, some of the sending organizations had newsletters (e.g. Barnardo’s) which sometimes refer the children by name. These publications are in various stages of being digitized and indexed. At least a list of which ones exist and where they can be accessed would be useful.

By: Nancy Smith

Nancy Smith — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 02:15:44 +0000

My father was a BHC arriving in Canada in 1920 from NCH Childrens Home in Bethnal Green.