Friends of the British Child Migrants


Welcome to the Friends of the British Child Migrants home page. This page has been set up after I had massive problems researching a subject which many people know nothing of. This site has been set up for people researching the Migration schemes, Freinds and families and Former Migrants themselves. The site aims to give Site Links to sites of interest, Information, addresses of organisations and information on publications which may assist anyone who needs this information. Although I understand feelings run very strong between former child migrants, thier families and other people involved directly, this website has been set up to tell the facts. Many other sources of research fall into the trap of "the name game". I will keep my views to myself as often as possible.

Brief overview of the schemes

There have been many forms of child migration over it's many years of existance and for different reasons. The First of which started in Richmond, Virginia int the United States in 1618.
This was the start of British Child Migration scheme which lasted for almost 350 years, ending only in 1967 with a final group of 90 children sent out to Australia. In all, around 150,000 children were migrated to different part of the Empire, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Rhodesia (Zimbabawe) and the Caribbean.
Throughout the centuries, the Empire settlement schemes took many different forms and involved a whole host of individuals and organisations, including Philanthropists, church bodies, charitable institutions and governments. It was not one single continuous polocy; rather, it was a complex tangle of personalities, competing ideas priorities and agendas. Thus it would be more appropriate to say it consisted of a multitude of schemes, operating at a governmental and individual agency level, and even in some cases at a personal level.
In addition to the influences exerted by individuals and organisations, the directon of Child migration was also affected by various other factors, including the economic, political and social pressures of the time. For example, the idea of migrating children gradually evolved from one of penal transportation to the care and concern of children at risk. At the same time, as the focus of attention to the welfare of the child, Britain looked to populating its Empire with "good British stock". Indeed this was reinforced by the very existance if the Empire settlement act which was "an act to make better provisions for furthering British settlement in His majesty's Oversea Dominions".
History The History of Child migration is a long and complicated one, as mentioned above the schemes started in America in 1618. In the early 1900's Children were sent to Canada. In total it is estimated 100.000 Children were sent out and have in return boosted Canada's population by more than 1 million people a figure many would not argue against. More information on the schemes in the early 1900's this week. This section is still under construction. I hope to add much to it over the next week.



General Information

Many books have been made available on the subject of Child Migration sadly, many of them are only on sale in Australia meaning Britain and Canada have a disadvantage for information. I aim to have every book on the subject listed here with the ISBN, Author, Title and any other information necesary for people to purchase these things via the internet.

A still from the mini series "The Leaving of Liverpool" made by the A.B.C. and the B.B.C.

The leaving of Liverpool is a two part series which was made in 1992. The series starred Christene Tremarco (lily) and Kevin Jones (Bert). More will be added on The leaving of Liverpool soon.



Select commitee report into Child Migration - This report was submitted to the Western Australian government in November 1996. This report was still to be completed and the commitee aimed to publish it's final report in the November of 1997 but due to a government election the select commitee was wound up in November 1996 and never released all of it's findings. Once again the Child Migrants were let down by the powers that be.