British Home Child

[jack_sprat29]

My Father Harold Booth b1913 came to Canada aboard the Duchess of Athol on 1929/05/31 when he was 15 years old according to the following records from Immigration Canada.

Surname: Booth 
Given name: Harold 
Age: 15 
Sex: M 
Nationality: En 
Date of arrival: 1929/05/31 (YYYY/MM/DD)
Port of arrival: Quebec , Quebec 
Ship: DUCHESS OF ATHOL , Canadian Pacific 
Reference: RG76 - IMMIGRATION, series C-1-a 
Volume: 1929 volume 7 
Page: 158 
Microfilm reel: T-14753

We know he went to work on a farm in the Mitchell/Science Hill area of Southwestern Ontario.
What puzzles me is that we have his birth certificate from 1913 so there appears to be an age descrepency, although Dad always claimed he was 13 years old when he came to Canada, which adds to the confusion.

We also know he enlisted with the RCAF in 1939 and served overseas.

Does anyone have any idea how I can track down how he came to be a British Home Child? We don't think he was a Barnardo child as he did have a younger brother who did not leave his parents. That brother only remembers that he was always told Dad was a "bad" child, meaning who knows. Obviously he must of been part of some organization placing children in Canada,

Any help, tips or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[cosmac]

On the Canada Resources portion of this board is a topic on Home Children with many links posted.  It will probably have information as to the reasons why children were sent abroad.

Debbie

[cosmac]

The actual passenger list shows his passage paid by the Canadian gov't and his destination as B.I.C.A. in Montreal.  This would be the British Immigration and Colonization Association.  His occupation was fitter's boy and he was going to do farm work in Canada.  Under the Empire Settlement Act of 1922 farm labourers and domestics were the categories of employment wanted in Canada although it didn't mean that that is what emigrants ended up doing in Canada.

I would think that he emigrated under this type of program rather than as a Home Child.
Google searches for the Empire Settlement Act or the above organization would give you more links but here are two to start.

http://www.pier21.ca/wp-content/uploads/files/First_75_Years/research_assisted_passage.pdf
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/immigrants/021017-2442-e.html

If you post 2 more times you can then send me a PM (private message - scroll under your name that turns green when you're online) and I can send you a link to the image of the passenger list.  It gives his place of birth as Patricroft Eng. and his father as William Booth 71 Station Road, Patricroft.

Debbie

[jack_sprat29]

Thank you very much Debbie. I had never heard of any other programs of children comming to Canada other than the BHC. I will certainly look at the links you have directed me to.

Sadly my Father never spoke much of his comming to Canada. All the years we grew up without knowing of Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles or Cousins until we were much older. And yes the info you have is correct as per his birth certificate.

[cosmac]

These programs were not targeted to children.  Many people of all ages emigrated with the aid of such programs.  Many people failed to write after they emigrated and the families left behind became unknown to those growing up in Canada - at least it seems you've changed that.

Debbie

[jack_sprat29]

Thankyou very much for your help and directions.

Robert