British Home Children

[aitkin]

Not sure which Board to post this on, so chose this one.
I have a G G Uncle and Aunt that lived in northern Ontario, Canada.  He was born in the Shetlands and she here in Canada.  They were married in Canada to my knowledge.
They were here for the 1871, 1881 and 1891 Canadian Census' at the same location.
Suddenly in the 1891 Census they had two children listed that were born in England.  The ages of the children would put them born in the early 1870's and their given names were not common in the family lines.
I highly suspect that they were British Home Children, here to work on the farm for the aging couple, who were in their late 60's in 1891.
Does anyone out there have any ideas how one might trace these children?  Trouble is they are listed in the Census under our Surname. 
On the next Census in 1901 I cannot find them under our Surname, which could mean they either went back to England, died or the girl got married.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Valda]

Hi

It could just be that they were filled in on the household schedule for 1891 with the head of household's surname. Census information is only as good as that given. But in reality they were not known by that surname. They would therefore be found in the 1901 census under their own names having left the farm.

The indexes I know of for searching for British Home children are on the children's names not on the names of those that took them in.

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/home-children/001015-100.01-e.php

Unless either of their first names is particularly unusual that would make searching very difficult.

The Canada board may be able to suggest further avenues of research. I can move your post to that board if you would like me to.


Regards

Valda
moderator

[Soltown]

there is a good website dedicated to British Home Children called

www.britishhomechildren.org

what were your relatives names on the census? so I can take a look and will then see if
I can find the kids proper names for you

George

[aitkin]

Thank you Valda and Soltown

In the 1891 Census in the Muskoka, Ontario area they are listed as Scott Atkin, Margaret and children Emily and Joseph H.
The census surname spelling is in error here.  The correct spelling could be of two versions.  Aitken or Aitkin.  The sibblings that came from the Shetlands mosly followed the Aitken spelling, although our line followed Aitkin.

[Valda]

Hi

The database link I gave will allow you to search on first name. A search on Joseph H brings in 20 possible names but since the database gives year of arrival and you know from the census he was aged 17 in 1891 that narrows it down to none of those. You then have to choose what the second name could possibly be - Henry being the most popular choice and search on that criteria. No-one fits from that list or for any other H name that came to mind. Worth checking to see if I've missed anything.

Regards

Valda

[aitkin]

Thanks again Valda.
I will take a gander at the link you gave this evening or tomorrow.
Right now getting ready to have lunch with a 5th cousin and his wife, both of whom I have never met, only by e-mail.  They are in town here in Edmonton, Alberta from Ontario.
They will be interested as well of any results I may get as it in their family tree as well.
She was the one that got me going on this genealogy thing about 12 years ago.

[aitkin]

Thanks for the suggestion Valda. 
Tried searching Joseph with surnames starting with H.  Nothing seemed to fit there.
Then tried all Joseph's where the age fit according to when landed here between 1880 and 1891.  Where each one fit, I looked to see if there was an Emily on the same trip that matched her birth year, in case they had come together to the same destination.
Made one pair match, but not getting too far with that as yet on either side of the pond.
You had suggested moving my quiry to another site, perhaps there will be some leads there if you were to do so.
Thanks.

[Valda]

Hi


I suggested the Canadian board might have Rootschatters more knowledgable on this subject.
I can move the topic if you wish.

Regards

Valda
moderator

[aitkin]

Yes please.