Quarriers apologises for historic child migration policy

Quarriers (https://quarriers.org.uk) has apologised for its historic child migration policy to Australia and Canada.

Chief Executive Alice Harper said: "We apologise to children migrated through Quarriers and to children who suffered abuse following migration.  While people and organisations - including Quarriers - believed at the time that the UK government's international migration scheme offered the chance of a better life, it was misguided and wrong. Vulnerable children were sent away and we recognise that some also suffered physical and emotional abuse, including sexual abuse."

The apology has been issued as the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry continues to hear evidence in Edinburgh. For more on the story visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-50645316.

Library and Archives Canada hosts resources for Home Children who arrived in Canada between 1869 and 1932, with a dedicated page at www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/home-children-1869-1930/Pages/home-children.aspx. These were predominantly orphaned children sent by the British Government from the UK to new homes across its empire, although in some cases, parents and children were misled as to the fate of each other prior to their separation.

The British Home Children in Canada platform at https://canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com has additional resources which may help.

Sources for tracing Home Children sent to Australia can be determined from http://guides.naa.gov.au/good-british-stock/index.aspx.

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Scottish-Ancestry-through-Church-and-State-Records-Paperback/p/16848. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.