I have never felt a direct connection to the British Home Children except that I supported the movement to lobby the government of Canada to have them Declare a National British Home Child Day
I have never felt a DIRECT connection until this morning when I got curious about my great grandfather's sister Jemima Gray Hind.On February 7, House of Commons motion M-133, sponsored by Conservative MP Guy Lauzon (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry), passed unanimously 294–0 in Parliament. The motion declares September 28 national British Home Child Day.
Undated/Unsourced photo of British Home Children found online at https://www.donnaward.net/british-home-children-in-canada/4/2921/resources.php |
Jemima G. Hind
When I was preparing the Oct. 10 post about my great grandfather John Moreland (1882-1940), I became curious about John's older sister Jemima G. Hind found on the 1881 census with him and his mother and sister Catherine (below).
Source: Ancestry.ca: 1881 Scotland Census; Parish: Glasgow Barony; ED: 90; Page: 23; Line: 24; Roll: cssct1881_229b |
- 11-year-John and his sister 7-year-old Mary are found at the Smithston/Ravenscraig/Lochilhead workhouse for children .
- John became a career soldier, fought in WWI, married his Dover, England bride and moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia. He died a Quarter Master Sergeant of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Kingston, Ontario.
- Mary became an attendant at the Lochilhead Poorhouse/Asylum (and later a nurse) and she was married at Lochilhead in 1904 to Lochilhead Poorhouse/Asylum attendant William Stenhouse who was the son of a Police Contable. Mary remained in Scotland all her life.
- 14-year-old Catherine is found in 1891 at 53 Drumfrochar Rd, in the town of Greenock, Scotland working as a domestic for the Smith family (Head of household Margaret Smith is noted as a "Mariner's wife" and the "mariner" is not listed on the census)
- Catherine married Alexander Freeman (d. 1919) and they had a daughter Agnes. Catherine's second marriage was to widower John Gentles. Catherine remained in Scotland all her life.
- 15-year-old Jemima is found in in 1891 living as a domestic for the Campbell family in Montreal Quebec. I am still searching for her final resting place.
1889 Aboard the Vessel Siberian
At the top of the page was written "Mr. Quarrier children" and they were sorted by their ages on the page "17, 16, 15, 14, 13 etc to 4".
I found my 2nd great aunt Jemima Gray Hind in the twelve-year-olds list.
The vessel she had sailed on, the S.S. SIBERIAN, had stopped in Quebec, Quebec but the destination (according to the manifest) was Brockville, Ontario.
Source Citation Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Series: RG 76-C; Roll: C-4537 |
Jemima Hind and the other children were met by a Mr. Burgess and he then proceeded with the children to Montreal, Quebec.
Source Citation Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Series: RG 76-C; Roll: C-4537 |
SOURCE: https://canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com/william-quarrier--brockville-ont-7200-immigrated.html Children in this party
include: ANDERSON Elizabeth ANDERSON Mary BALLANTYNE Bella
BLAIR Margaret BRAND Nellie BROWN Davina BROWN Jessie
BROWN Martha BUCKINGHAM M A BURCHELL Ellen CAIRNS Mary
CAMERON Margaret CARNEY Mary A CHINGWEN Ada CHINGWEN Thomas
CHINGWIN Minnie CHINGWIN Effie CLARK Agnes COOK Kate
CORBETT Christian CORBETT Mary A DELSY Annie DOCHERTY
Margaret DUDGEON Euphamy DUFF Willie DULY Lizz DUNCAN
Alexis DUNNING Agnes ELDER Lizz ELDER Sarah ENGLISH
Margaret FEE Bridget FINDLATTER Robert FINNIGEN Margaret
FLEMING Mina FORD Mary FRAME Catherine GLASS Jenie GORDON
Margaret GORDON Jean GOULD Agnes GREELIN Margaret GREELIN
Mary I HARPER Jane HARPER Ann HAY Lizz HAY Boyce HIGGINS
Jane HIGGINS Jane HILL Mary HOLBORN Christian HOLT Margaret
HUTTON Nellie KELLY Elizabeth LANG Jeanie LANG Jessie
LEIPER Jane LEIPER Annie MAIN Elizabeth MARTIN Marion
McCONNELL Jane McCRIOL Catherine McDEVITT Jane McDONALD
Jessie McDONALD Elizabeth McFARLANE Jean McGILL Julia
McGREELY Susan McGREGOR Margaret McINDAL Mary McKAY Jessie
McLEAN Christiana McLEAN Jessie McLEAN Jean McLEAN Dina
McLEISH Isabel McLEISH Leane McLEOD Catherine McLEOD Barbara
McMURTRIE Jessie McMURTRIE David McNEIL Emmily McNEIL Hana
McONE Bella McTAVISH Maryz McTAVISH Margaret MELROSE
Elizabeth MILLER Mary MILLER Jessie MILLER Margaret MILLER
Grace MILLS Lizz MITCHELL Jane MOFFAT Margaret MOFFAT Bella
MONE Mary MOORE Margaret MOORE James MORILUR Mary
MORTIMER Mary MORTON Margaret MUIR Bella MUIR Annie MUNRO
Maggie MURDOCK Georgina MURPHY Marion MURRAY Helen MURRAY
Margaret NOBLE Ann NOBLE Susan PARKER Elizabeth PEPPER Emma
PEPPER Annie PERRIE Sarah PHILLIPS Jane PIERCE Mary
RATCHFORD Ann REID Lizz ROBERTSON Mary ROBERTSON Mary ROSS
Annabelle ROSS Mary SCOTT Margaret SHIELDS Mary SMITH
Agnes SPEIRS Katie SPEIRS Robert STEWART Mary STEWART
William SWAN Katie TAYLOR Jane THOMPSON Katie THOMPSON
Annie TRAVIS Ellen WARDEN Mary WATERSON Lizz WEMYSS Alexis
WHITEN Joan WHITEN Isobell YOUNG Margaret
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Quarriers male children arrive at a holding house in Canada in March 26,1889. PIC: BHCARA. Read more at: https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/the-15-000-scots-children-shipped-to-canada-1-4616584 |
1891 Montreal Quebec
I located Jemima working as a domestic for the Campbell family in Montreal, Quebec and I was curious why she did not proceed to Brockville with the rest of the children?
Year: 1891; Census Place: St Antoine Ward, Montréal Centre, Quebec; Roll: T-6406; Family No: 30 |
1901 Brockville, Ontario
By 1901, Jemima has arrived in Brockvillle, Ontario and this is the census that indicated her arrival year as 1889 and MOST importantly, her birth date of June 23, 1876 which matches the birth certificate provided by my cousin B.C.
Source: Year: 1901; Census Place: Elizabethtown, Brockville, Ontario; Page: 9; Family No: 86 |
Burgess was also the name of the man who met the ship S.S, Siberian of Quarrier children in Quebec back in 1889. Alexandr Burges died in 1909.
Birth: Jemima Gray Hind; 1876 |
What Happened To Jemima Hind?
Agnes was 1 of 7,000 Scottish children who were sent from Scotland to Canada between 1871-1938!
The more I searched, the more details I found about a Glasgow shoemaker William Quarrier, who founded the Orphan Homes of Scotland and who opened his own Canadian receiving home, 'Fairknowe', at Brockville, Ontario.
I have sent £25 to the Quarriers Bridge of Weir Renfrewshire, for Jemima Hind's records and will update once I receive a response. In the meantime I am reading the yearly Quarrier’s Narratives of Facts to see if there is any mention of Jemima.
I plan to visit Brockville and the Fairknowe house , the last known location for Jemima Gray Hind, which is only one hour away from where I presently live.
This video below gives a comprehensive summary of the "British Home Children" ( see: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gNsdzjlPukc) It was created by Lori Oschefski of the British Home Children Advocacy & Research Association
Quarrier records
The Quarrier records can be accessed through their web site at: Quarriers Bridge of Weir Renfrewshire, Information on Quarriers including photos and free downloads of their newsletters (often containing the immigration photos of the parties of children) is found at: http://content.iriss.org.uk/goldenbridge/
I Found Jemima Hind in the British Home Child Registry
BHC # 7496
REGISTRY: JEMIMA HIND: http://britishhomechildrenregistry.com/Person/bhcInfo/7496 |
Jemima Gray Hind's 1889 Voyage to Canada
Thanks to the Quarrier’s Narratives of Facts I have learned more about Jemima's voyage for Scotland May 30, 1880 arriving in Quebec on June 11, 1889.
Source: Quarrier "Narrative of Facts" 1889 Page 32 |
Source: Quarrier "Narrative of Facts" 1889 Page 33 |
Source: Quarrier "Narrative of Facts" 1889 Page 38 |
LINKS
Source: Undated article article by Christina Blizzard/Toronto Sun http://www.bytown.net/homekids.htm |
Very well put together - an amazing story of how our National British Home Children's Day led to the discovery of one in your family. Thank you for sharing our video! Welcome to our BHC Family.
ReplyDeleteThank YOU Lori for your tireless work. Jemima Gray Hind would still be a question mark in our family tree if it weren’t for folks like you advocating to have these children recognized and remembered. Thank you so much
DeleteAmazing story and detective work on your part, Cindi! So thorough, and I look forward to what you find out about Jemima. I wondered for a moment if the Campbell family in Montreal was related to mine -- also in St. Antoine Ward. My Great-great grandfather, David Campbell, and his brother, John Campbell both lived there (though not together) with their families and both ran cooperages. However, my ggg-uncle John Campbell's wife was Sarah, and his children were David, John, Mary Jane and Frederick. It would have been interesting if our families had crosses paths long ago.
ReplyDeleteThanks Laurie and YES! Wouldn’t that be amazing if we learned they were in fact the same Campbells! It truly is a small world! And its totally possible!
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