Hi RootsChatters,
In less than one month’s time, John Hodge, a 103 year old homechild, will be opening the refurbished Quarriers’ Maple Cottage at the Bridge of Weir. Such “cottages” were purpose built villas for large 'family' groups of children rescued from the horrors of the slums of industrial Scotland (mainly Glasgow) in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
John will be 104 on Christmas Day and although he is remarkably well, time is not on his side and he is hoping to discover the fates of his two homechild sisters, though it is unlikely that either is alive.
The sisters are Elizabeth Sinclair Hodge (b 25.02.1897) and Christian Victoria Hodge (b 16.12.1900). Both came to Canada on 24th May 1913 aboard the SS Grampian with their destination of Fairknowe, Brockville. They would have been placed in Eastern Ontario where they were visited by visiting officers from Quarriers. Elizabeth was visited three times and Christian eight. Unfortunately the reports of these visits no longer exist in Scotland as were destroyed when the Canadian end of the organisation closed. The last address from Christian (calling herself Christina) is in February 1919 when she wrote to Miss Quarrier at Bridge of Weir. She was then c/o W H Collins, Bank of Commerce, Kitchener, Ontario.
I already have researched the following:
LAC Homechildren Records which confirmed their departure from Glasgow on the Grampion and the arrival of their Quarrier party in Quebec 2 June 1913 with 89 children under Mr. D.J.Findley bound for Brockville ( Fairknowe Receiving Home).
No Quarrier duplicate archival records exist at either the Brockville Museum and archives of the LeedsGrenville GS or the Brockville Library.
There are no Hodges listed on the Fairknowe grave stone in the Brockville cemetery.
Because of the date of arrival, Census searches for Hodge in Canada are futile.
I have applied for searches for Hodge ( Collins) under the 1940 Canada National Registration which enumerated all adults in Canada in 1940, but marriages may make this futile and there is a long wait for this valuable service.
Searches of marriage and death records have so far proved not too fruitful though there are some faint hopes:yesterday I have eliminated a grave for Christina Hodge at Greenhill/Lucknow in Huron County, Ashfield Township HU-3169; others to be verified for Elizabeth Hodge are at Woodland (Wentworth, Flamborough East HM-333-1), and Perth (Woodland Methodist, Mitchell Fullarton PH-661-X and Knox Presbyterian, Mitchell Logan PH-665-2). However, I suspect that all are too early to be our ladies.
Tracking the lead of W H Collins, Bank of Commerce, Kitchener, Ontario it is possible that one or, as was frequently the case, both sisters were indentured or adopted by a W H Collins:
The Bank of Commerce has refused to release any information despite the age of the account. This is a pity as we know that savings accounts were often required for the “wages” of indentured Quarrier homechildren.
All searches for the sisters have been done using Hodge and/or Hodge Collins surnames ( but again, marriages would be subsequent masks to discovery).
The best census match for Collins near Kitchener in the 1911 is William Henry Collins (40 b Feb1817), wife Alice (nee Durant 42 b Oct 1868), son Lawrence (17 b Mar 1894), and daughter Laura (4 b Oct 1907). He is a Methodist farmer of Irish ancestry. By 1913 both be would be approaching 50 and in need of help on the farm and in the house. Two other more remote Collins candidates are in Renfrew and Toronto West.
All subsequent tracking of W H Collins and his family has failed despite some promising but old phone numbers in the Peterborough district.
Son, Lawrence D Collins married Maud May Smith (21) in Simcoe, Norfolk County Methodist Church on 26 May 1915 with witnesses Lily Davis and Ansley Silverthon.
This detail on Collins is given in the hope it may make a connection with any Rootschatters’ families.
Any help in tracking the Hodge ladies would be most welcome!
Thanks very much, Lumber-Jack
