WSAC Genealogy Meeting – Wednesday, February 4, 2026
‘The British Home Children’ – Presented by: Kim Farrell, Board Director with Home Children Canada
Our meeting on February 4. 2026 was on the topic of ‘The British Home Children’, the story of the over 100,000 children who were brought to the British dominions between 1869 and 1948 and placed with residents as farm labourers, domestic servants, and other supportive roles. Theirs is sometimes a story of finding a better life and building a future for themselves and their descendants, for others it is one of hardship, abuse, and neglect as indentured farm workers or domestics. 12% of Canadians today are estimated to be descendants of British Home Children. For many they ‘built a wall around themselves’ withdrawing into themselves and not wanting to share their story.
Kim described the scheme that was developed in the 1860s in Britain to send neglected and destitute children overseas to find a better life. Due to the death of one or more of their parents, financial family instability, or living in an unhealthy environment, agencies (such as The Barnardo Agency) were formed to collect these children, transport them overseas to the British dominions, and place them in environments where they would receive food, shelter, clothing and education. Through an aggressive advertising campaign, the availability of children to assist on farms, in businesses and households was taken up by simply signing a contract to provide for the children and save money for the future education or security of the child under their protection. Boys remained with their placement until aged 18 years, girls until 21 years.
Many of these “Little Immigrants” came initially to Quebec and Ontario where they were assessed and then placed with families throughout the province. In some cases, siblings were separated, sometimes to lose touch with one another for life. As western Canada opened-up with settlement beginning in the 1890s, children were also transported to the Prairie provinces where most provided farm labour support.
The practice of sending British children to the dominions continued until 1948 with some continuing until 1970. The immigration of children overseas was a major event in Canadian History, and upwards of four million Canadians claim descendancy from a British Home Child.
Kim provided us with guidance and suggestions for those wishing to trace their ancestors who came to Canada as a Home Child Immigrant. She sighted challenges in this research of incorrect birthdates, incorrect birth locations, inaccurate spelling of names, and inaccurate parent’s names recorded on marriage certificates. In Canada, the Home Children organization was formed in 2012 to act as a depository of records on British Home Children. Along with the use of narrative facts, city directories, census records, newspapers, the LAC Home Children database and vital statistics records, the story of these child immigrants can be found. It is a genealogical challenge for sure – researchers can expect surprises and should be prepared to ask other researchers for help, to ‘think outside the box’ and be aware that many home children simply ‘hid the truth of their story’. Kim provided the group with a handout ‘Home Children Canada’ information sheet with a listing of suggested resources for research.
Handouts:
- Home Children Canada Information Sheet
- Remembering The British Home Children
Please email our Coordinator, Paul Rose for copies of these handouts – pr*******@***il.com
Books and Videos:
- There are several YouTube videos and films on the story of The British Home Children.
- ‘The Little Immigrants, The Orphans Who Came To Canada’ by Kenneth Bagnell, 1980
- ‘The Forgotten Home Child’ by Genevieve Graham, 2020
- “Home” Children from Abroad’ by William Rannie‘, 1974