Home Children and young teenagers (sent from Britain to Canada to work primarily on farms) formed part of the British Child Emigration Movement which started in 1869. In Canada these children filled a desperate need for cheap labour. By the 1930’s, they numbered about 100,000, and today their descendants are said to number more than a million.
Scope and Content
File consists on information about Home Children including:
1. Undated covering letter (late 1980s) to Peter Hessel and five-page typescript by William R. Price, former Reeve of Arnprior, later living in Ottawa, entitled “The Little Orphan”. The article was published in the Ottawa Citizen (date unknown). In January 1999, the telephone number on the letter was not in service. Bill Price is the author of a book called “Celtic Odyssey” about his childhood in Wales [Peter Hessel has a copy].
2. One page of autobiographic notes (also undated) of Bill Price. In addition to being reeve for 6 years (plus 10 years as councillor), he also operated the local Canadian Tire store for 39 years. Arnprior Humane Society.
3. Handwritten notes by Kirstin Jeffrey, who helped Peter Hessel with the research for his book, McNab — The Township, in 1987/88. Names: Rose Chapman, Thomas Gillespie.
4. Brief handwritten note by Peter Hessel re a home boy, Harry Sutton, who lived with John McGregor in Horton Twp., worked for Phillips farm. Steve McGregor has a photo.
5. Four-page copy of “Home Children Canada”, a presentation written (in 1977?) by David Lorente of Renfrew, who has been very active on behalf of the descendants of home children.