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The
Children's Home
1873 May 29, Spectator 1873 Jun 3, Hamilton Evening Times 1874 Oct 7, Hamilton Times 1873 May, SS Polynesian 1874 Sep, SS Texas 1884 May, SS Sarnia About the SS Sarnia |
Robert Holland was born in London, England, around 1868. He was
taken into the care of The Children's Home in 1874, at the age of
seven, after his mother had left him in the care of a Mrs. Williams to
"do with as she pleased." The 1881 Census for Bethnal Green, London,
lists him as an "Inmate" of the Children's Home, Bonner Road, London.
In May 1884, at the age of 16, he immigrated to Canada on the
SS Sarnia of the Dominion Line. He arrived in Quebec on May 11, 1884, and would have gone from there by train to the Children's Home in Hamilton, Ontario. By May 15 he had been placed with a family in Nassagaweya Township, Ontario. We have received the entries relating to Robert Holland from the NCH (National Children's Home) Register which was returned to the United Kingdom following the closure of the Hamilton Home in 1934: Robert Holland, Lancashire
Went May 15th to Mr. G. Fletcher, Nassagaweya, PO @ $50 the year. A most comfortable, genial home and Robert is doing well there. Renegotiated at $65. Writes very gratefully of the kindness of his employers and Mr. F. says he has done well on the whole. Came to the home on a short visit and will remain in Ont. (Nassagaweya) for the winter. Has done well in Manitoba the last two years and has earned board, clothes, $8 per month, a yoke of Oxen and a homestead of 160 acres. A well conducted Christian young man. Gave $10 to the home. A letter from Henry Popple says Robert is a fine, steady young man and he is working his trade as a stone mason and does get a lot of credit for the work he does. Dick Suright says he is making a great success of life being only a bricklayer. Dick pays for us to send "Our News" to Robert, but wishes this act to be anonymous. Address 677 Ross Street, Winnipeg. He is poor, being often out of work. Called. Came to Canada with the 1884 party. Now living in Winnipeg. Married, settled and doing well. Visiting Niagara with his family. Writes asking for BC (birth certificate). Has worked for Canadian Pacific Railway Company for 30 years. Wants to have is papers right for pension. Married with ten children. Robert Holland's wife and children knew he was a home child and, in fact, one of his youngest children relates the story of a visit to Toronto when he and his father stopped at the Barnardo Home. As we later found out, he was not a Barnardo Boy. He was a resident of the Children's Home in England, which was started by the Rev. Thomas Bowman Stephenson in 1869. This home later became known as the National Children's Home. Our first breakthrough on searching for Robert Holland's history was the 1881 Census when we found him as an "Inmate" of the Children's Home, Bonner Road, London. At the same time we were also successful in locating him on the SS Sarnia from England to Canada in 1884 -- thanks to the National Archives of Canada. Since then we have been in correspondence with the Children's Home, now the NCH Action for Children. They have sent us information from their records of Robert Holland's admission to the Children's Home and original correspondence from Robert Holland to the Children's Home! We are delighted not only with the information about Robert Holland, but also to have letters written by him. There is still much to research -- more questions than answers have been provided by the information from the Children's Home. There are a number of leads to follow and additional names to research. However, it is time to pause researching and to express my thanks by making the information I have discovered available on the Internet. Without this wonderful tool we would still be searching. |