Four Moreland Children - Three Continents

I often refer to the four Moreland children (Jemima, Catherine, John and Mary Jane) as "orphans" but that is not entirely true.

The children's mother, (my 2nd great grandmother) Agnes Bell (Hind) Moreland died at thirty-three years-of-age in 1888 in Springburn, Glasgow, Scotland. The children's father Charles Moreland was a steam ship fireman sailing between England and Australia and away at the time of his wife's death. Agnes' aunt Mary (Bell) Weir (1825-1893) was the informant on their mother's death registration and took charge of the children in the father's absence.

Springburn, Glasgow as seen from Breeze Tower (Source: Lost Glasgow FaceBook)

Grandaunt Mary (Bell) Weir (1825-1893) would also ultimately decide the fates of the four children Jemima (11 years), Catherine "Kate" (9 years), John (7 years) and Mary Jane (5 years) and by 1914, these children would be located on three continents: North America (Canada), Europe (Scotland) and Australia.

What follows is their story of separation, reunion and many unknowns.

John Moreland's Sister Jemima Hind: Was She Sent To Canada?

Between 1870 and 1933, over 100,000 juvenile migrants from the British Isles went to Canada, with around 7,000 children coming from The Orphan Homes of Scotland. (It is estimated that there are around 250,000 descendants of these emigrants living in Canada today.)

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

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.

I have never felt a DIRECT connection until this morning when I got curious about my great grandfather's sister Jemima Gray Hind.

Undated/Unsourced photo of British Home Children found online at https://www.donnaward.net/british-home-children-in-canada/4/2921/resources.php