BRITISH HOME CHILDREN IN CANADA
  • Home Page
  • This site is maintained by Home Children Canada
  • Home Children Canada website
  • The Sending Organizations
    • Barnardo's >
      • Dr. Thomas Barnardo >
        • Dr. Barnardo bio
        • Articles of Association Barnardo
        • DR. Barnardo's Funeral
        • Barnardo's medical credentials
        • Various articles
        • Home for the Homeless 1888
        • Broughall Legacy Letters
        • THE DOCTOR'S CHILDREN 1995
        • The Barnardo Publications >
          • The History of the Publication
          • Our Darlings - Barnardo's >
            • Barnardo's "Our Darlings"
            • Winter in Canada
            • Coloured Plates
            • Monotints
            • Articles of interest
          • Barnardo's "Night and Day"
          • Barnardo Boy's Mag
          • Taken out of the Gutter
      • Barnardo Homes in Britain >
        • Promotional material
        • Boys Garden Village - Barnardo
        • Babies Castle - Barnardo's
        • Watts Naval Training School
        • William Baker School - Barnardo
        • Barkingside
        • Stepney Causeway
        • St. Christopher's Babies Home
        • Teighmore, Channel Islands
        • Other British Homes
        • Vintage post cards
      • Barnardo shipping lists
      • Immigration Parties
      • Russell Manitoba - Barnardo's
      • Toronto Barnardo Homes
      • Hazelbrae Barnardo Home
      • Winnipeg Receiving Home
      • Barnardo's Musical Boys
      • E A Struthers Day Book 1905
      • Crime or Misdemeanors list
      • Promotional post cards
      • Toronto Maternity Home
      • Indenture Contracts
      • Various Barnardo Doc's
      • Barnardo Government Reports
      • Alfred B Owen
      • Excursion's to England
      • Good Conduct Medals
    • Application Fees for children
    • Agreements and indentures
    • Hotel Dieu, Kingston, Ontario
    • Catholic Emigration - 10,000 emigrated >
      • Catholic Emigration Records
      • St. Georges Home - Ottawa
      • Monsignor James Nugent
      • Father Hudson
      • Father Seddon
      • St. Vincent Rescue Home
    • Annie Macpherson - 8,000 emigrated
    • Ellen Bilbrough and Robert Wallace
    • William Quarrier- Brockville Ont 7,200 immigrated
    • Quarriers - Scotland
    • Louisa Birt - 6,000 emigrated >
      • Louisa Birt files (some)
    • John T Middlemore - 5,000 emigrated >
      • Middlemore Placement Lists
      • Guthrie House, London, Ont
      • Fairview Nova Scotia
      • Middlemore Letters
      • Who was John Middlemore
    • Maria Rye - 4,200 emigrated >
      • Maria Rye-Niagara on the Lake
      • Maria Rye Children's Letters
      • Inspections of Rye Children
    • National Children's Home 3,600 emigrated
    • Janet Wallis - Hurst Home
    • Fegan's >
      • Fegan's Home in England
    • Mr. Gold, Melbourne, Quebec
    • Shaftsbury Homes
    • various British organizations
    • Selling Insurance to BHC
    • Visitor Reports
    • John Joseph Kelso
    • 1911 Census of Canada
    • Elinor Close-New Brunswick
    • Vimy Ridge Training Farm
    • Fairbrige Farm Vancouver
    • Inspection of children 1893 to 1894
    • Emma Stirling of Hillfoot Farm >
      • Hillfoot Farm - Emma Stirling
      • The du Pont Inscription
      • Grace M Fagan - A Stirling Girl
      • Florida Humane Association
      • Emma & Bailey’s Bluff
      • The Wm Bingham Estate
    • Bristol Emigration Society
    • Grosse Isle
    • MRS. MARGARET BLAIKIE'S
    • Dakeyne Boy's Farm
    • Salford Catholic Protection Society
    • Ellen Smyly
    • St. Patrick's Home in Ottawa
    • Stanley Boys Home
    • W. J. Paddy
    • Charlotte Alexander
    • Chase Farm School
    • Bristol Union Children 1905
    • Manchester & Salford Boys' and Girls' Refuges
    • Church of England, Waifs & Strays 4,468
    • Miss Brennans Home - Montreal
    • House of Providence, Kingston Ontario
    • The Salvation Army
    • G.C. Cossar
    • Mr T. E. Sedgwick
    • Overseas Settlement Committee
    • The Children's Friends Society
    • Church Army
  • Requesting Children's Records
    • BHC's records
    • Barnardo Home Records
    • The Children's Society Records
  • Beacons of Light BHC Tribute
  • BHC Registry, over 82,000 children registered!
  • Ups and Down's Magazine
    • Ups and Downs 1895 - 1896
    • Ups and Down 1897 - 1898
    • Ups and Downs 1899 - 1900
    • Ups and Downs 1901 - 1902
    • Ups and Downs 1903
    • Ups and Downs 1904
    • Ups and Downs 1905
    • Ups and Downs 1906
    • Ups and Downs 1907 June
    • May 1910, 1913 & May & Aug 1912
    • Dec 1915 Ups and Downs
    • July 1939, Dec 1940, Dec 1942, Dec 1946
    • Our Old Friends Directory
    • December 1945 Ups and Downs
    • some articles
    • Names of child in the Ups and Downs
    • Pictures of Children 1903
    • Alfred Jolly
  • How to Research Your BHC
  • BHC Fact Page
  • First World War Casualty Index
  • BHC Burial Index
  • The Park Lawn Cemetery Monument
  • Children's Trunks & Bibles
  • Receiving Homes in Pictures
  • Ships the BHC Came On
  • History of the BHC - Film
  • 2016 BHC Memory Quilt
  • The 2010 Memory Quilts
    • BHC Memory Quilt (Ont)
    • BHC Memorial Quilt (Ab)
  • Service in the Wars
    • First World War Causalities
    • Second World War Service
    • Served in Both Wars
    • Lives Shortened
    • First World War service
    • Lists of boys who served
    • Individual Service Stories >
      • Private William Francis Conabree
      • John Mash
      • Sydney James Bevan
      • Alfred Mist
      • Cecil Bennett
      • Links to stories of BHC WW1 service
      • Newspaper clips - BHC service
  • BHCARA Upcoming Events
  • British Home Child Books
    • BHC Books for Children
    • Historical Books
    • True stories of BHC
    • Fiction Stories
    • Vintage Books
    • Downloadable Books
    • Kenneth Bagnell
    • Perry Snow - Neither Waif nor Stray
    • The Bitter Cry of Outcast London
    • Farm Life in Canada
    • PDF's for downloading
    • Films
    • BHC Articles >
      • Silence
      • Better Life or the Empire Fodder
      • EMIGRATION WORK IN CANADA 1905
      • THE EMIGRANT GIRLS HOME IN CANADA 1877
      • Kennington Cove
      • The Barnardo Boy
      • BHC to Nova Scotia
      • Personal Discovery 1935
      • The Land of the Lost Children
      • Rye's Western Home
      • Church Apologies to Child Migrants
      • Life in the Workhouse
      • Woman Miners
      • Victorian Child Labourers
      • Evicted London
      • Historical News Articles
      • Articles in the British Press
  • The Hazelbrae Memorial
  • Stories of British Home Children
    • Collection of various stories >
      • Reunited Families
      • Other mentions of children
      • Gone too soon
      • BHC Obituaries
      • BHC Mug Shots
      • Our Lost Children
      • 1901 census
      • First World War deaths
      • The darker stories
      • Discontented Maids
      • Lost Children
      • Quotes from BHC
      • Links to other BHC stories
      • BHC Posters
      • British Home Children Burial Records
      • Shorter BHC Stories
    • Stories A to M >
      • The Bagley Family
      • John Bolton
      • James Arthur Ball
      • The Bates Family
      • Hilda Blake
      • Charles Bradbury
      • Joseph Barnett
      • The Lost Children
      • Augustus Bridle
      • Percy Brown
      • Rev A. H. Brace
      • John & Benjamin Butterworth
      • The Brocklebank Family
      • William Joseph Carter
      • John Cawsey
      • Two Gun Cohen
      • Fifi the Clown
      • Henry Richard Cooper
      • Violet Elizabeth Chaffee
      • Edith Cherryholme
      • BHC Centenarians
      • Arthur Clarkson & Lily Wood
      • Albert McCarthy
      • Ronald Chamberlain
      • Anthony (Tony) Chambers
      • Cherryholme-Gizzard-Sharpe Family
      • Herbert Clifford
      • James E Cowell
      • George Daintree
      • George Martin Day
      • Esther & Elizabeth Dawson
      • Leslie Henry Baden Fielding
      • Charlie, Ted and Bill Elliott
      • Wallace Ford
      • George Frost
      • Gladys Fudge
      • Annie Garwood Letters
      • John Lydiet George
      • Annie Gevaux
      • Albert Edward Gill
      • Arthur Mcgregor GODSALL
      • Harry Gossage
      • George Everett Green
      • Robert "Robbie" Gray
      • Elsie Hathaway
      • Books and mentioned children
      • Stewart Harris
      • Cyril Hewitt
      • Margaret Healey
      • George Hollingshurst
      • The St. George's Memorial
      • Walter Leigh Lockett/Rayfield
      • Sydney Howarth
      • Bill Holtum
      • Tom Isherwood
      • General information - Heritage
      • Edward Jones
      • Cecelia & Ethel JOWETT
      • Frederick John Kempster
      • George Marlow Leeson
      • George & Annie McMaster
      • Edgar Evan Marselle
      • Will, Elsie & George Maybury
      • The Mintram Family
    • Stories N to Z >
      • Herbert Owens
      • Fred W. Palmer
      • Lizzie Poole
      • Liela Eliza Preston
      • Nellie Page
      • Francis James Preston
      • Edmond Roberts
      • Dr. John R. Seeley
      • Frederick Robert Shaw
      • Ellen, Martha & Rachel Birch
      • Walter Tompkins
      • Gipsy Simon Smith
      • Robert Rankin and George Nelson
      • Kate, Sarah & Jamie Stewart
      • The Stacey Family
      • The Richardson Sisters
      • Albert Stone
      • The Lois Stanford Collection
      • The Taylor's and Usher's
      • Charlie & Matthew Tyler
      • John Vallance
      • Arnold Walsh
      • The Ward and Seymour Family
      • Joe & Bob Waterer
      • Richard Weston
      • Hilda Williams
      • Walter Wilson
      • Children's Placement Lists
  • Documented Immigration Process
  • Making the Canadian Flag
  • Apologies to BHC & Families
    • Australian Apology
    • British Apology
    • Canadian Apology
  • Political Bigotry
    • Apology Petitions - Canada, Britain and Australia
    • Frederick Nicholls
    • Dr. C. K. Clarke
    • House of Commons Reports >
      • Paying Agents in England
      • Traveling Immigration Agent Reports
      • Immigration Stats
      • Bonus's Paid for Children
      • Propaganda in the press
      • MISS EFFIE BENTHAM
      • Diseased Savages Quote
      • Child Saving Conference 1894
    • John D. S. Campbell
    • Canadian recognition >
      • The Canadian Goverment
    • Britain's will never be slaves
  • Migration Legislation
    • Pauper Children Emigration Bill
    • British Legislation
    • Canadian Legislation
  • The Doyle Report 1875
  • Home Child Interviews
  • Collection/Penny Boxes
  • LAC and Heritage Canada
    • Deported Children >
      • Report of inspection of Home children
      • Inspection reports of Workhouse Children >
        • costs of Inspection Reports
  • Order your official BHC Pin
  • Lori Oschefski
  • Contact us
  • GRIMES, Arthur
  • HCC War Service Index Submission Form
  • Hazelbrae Indexing Forms

The Ellinor Close Farm

Picture

The Ellinor Close Farm

In 1903 Ellinor Close, credited as being one of the few children’s advocates who was truly sympathetic to the needs of younger children, proposed that she bring 7,000 workhouse children from the UK to Canada. The children, she proposed would be trained in Canada and returned to England when of age.  The Times in the UK praised the scheme because the children chosen would be the ailing and the feeble-minded, therefore the better stock of children would remain in England. 

The Canadian Government did not look with favour on this plan and it was amended to bring older children.  Mrs. Close had first looked towards Manitoba, but it was the New Brunswick authorities who agreed to work with her. The death rates in New Brunswick institutions had reached 80% in some years, with rampant sexual and physical abuse reported. Mrs. Close’s proposal saw the children living in small numbers in cottage homes where they lived under the care of a matron or “mother”. This would allow the children to live in an environment which was liken to “normal” family life. Her farm, which opened in Nauwigewauk, NB, was mirrored after the Dr. Barnardo’s Barkingside Village in Ilford, England. The children were  to receive some training in England before being sent to Canada. In February of 1905, the Lord Mayor of London called a meeting to discuss the new emigration scheme of Ellinor Close. Attending this meeting was a seriously ailing Dr. Thomas Barnardo. A reporter from the Canadian Globe was present and published one of the last descriptions of this man who chose Canada as the home for thousands of British children. In his account, he told how Dr. Barnardo took the stage at this meeting and very eloquently and with great enthusiasm, ridiculed the proposed scheme. Dr. Barnardo died seven months later. Despite the push back, Ellinor Close started emigration of children, in 1906, with these nine children shown in these photos. The photos suggest a remarkable improvement in the health of the children in the six months they had been in Canada.

The 1907/1908 economic decline in Canada  caused the government to deem the Ellinor Close farm too costly to run. The government was tightening restrictions on child immigration to disallow the immigration of children who might become a burden to the Canadian tax payer. The local government subsequently withdrew  approval of the migration of workhouse children.  By 1912 the Royal Colonial Institute, a UK based “non-political learned society to promote colonial affairs”(now known as the Royal Commonwealth Society) suggested Ellinor Close’s farm had “reached its highest expectations”.  By the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the farm had closed.

Oliver Hind, Dakeyne Boy's Farm, would model their work after Ellinor Close. Also keeping close tabs on the progress of the Ellinor Close Farm, was  Kingsley Fairbridge, who had started a farm school in England in 1906. He was considering a farm school set up in Newfoundland and considered Ellinor’s Canadian farm a threat to his plans. As it stood, the Newfoundland farm never happened. Fairbridge would not bring children to Canada until 1935 and then the children were taken to Vancouver, BC. 

​




Christmas 1906 at the Ellinor Close Farm
Kings County Record, Jan. 4, 1907, page 8, Nauwigewauk Dec. 31

As the year (1906) is drawing to a close, it will be in keeping to say a few words of praise for the "Elenor (sic) Home" and its happy family and to begin, it is safe to say the children never experienced a Christmas such as the one just past. Everything possible was done by Misses Dunn and Row to make it pleasant. During the afternoon and evening a large number of invited guests gathered at the home. A monster Xmas tree, well loaded with very suitable presents for each and all, stood in the center of a large room and when the door was thrown open and the children entered, there was a scene never to be forgotten by those present. The exclamation of delight and the happy faces were pleasant to behold as each was handed a gift and it made one's heart rejoice to hear the happy childish speeches and see the look on their faces and it did not end with the orphan children of the home, but was taken up by old and young of the invited guests, over 50 in number, and each and every one had some token of remembrance presented to them by Misses Dunn and Row. After that part was well over the visitors were very pleasantly entertained for an hour or more by the children of the home and the very able manner in which each and every piece was rendered was highly creditable to the children and those in charge. The Xmas carols were a treat, and the whole entertainment was very enjoyable. After all had enjoyed themselves in that respect, Miss Dunn had another surprise in store as all were invited to another room where a large table was spread and filled with the most tempting array of dainties. This was another sight your correspondent will never forget. It was surely one good to behold and never to be forgotten. It is safe to say all left that table well satisfied and thankful. Oh, that the friends of the children could only see them, so happy and so contented here in Canada. It would do you good to see and know how dearly the children all love Misses Dunn and Row, and well they may, for they are in every way worthy of the love of all. As the Xmas party was chiefly for the young, Miss Dunn had about 50 grown up guests invited from 7:00 to 10:00pm on Friday, December 28th. This was also a time for pleasant surprise, a very enjoyable entertainment was given by the children after which all partook of the bounties of a well filled table. The remainder of the evening was spent in merry making and in remarks from many of the guests, who all made pleasant reference to the management, especially of Misses Dunn and Row. The meeting closed by many exchanges of good wishes for one another and by singing "God Save the King." 
Picture


Links for more information on the Ellinor Close Farm

The golden bridge: young immigrants to Canada, 1833-1939 By Marjorie Kohli

Little Immigrant Lost - Finding Dad, A British Home Child
​

Sources and Credits
Planters, Paupers, and Pioneers: English Settlers in Atlantic CanadaThe Golden Bridge: Young Immigrants to Canada, 1833-1939
Ignored but Not Forgotten: Canada's English Immigrants
Fairbridge: Empire and Child Migration
Marjorie Too Afraid to Cry: A Home Child Experience
The Curse of the Corporation
LeeAnn Beer - BHCARA BHC Registry for finding the photos
Photo credit:London Metropolitan Archives, City of London:
The Little Immigrants: The Orphans who Came to Canada 
​

​


Web Site Hit Counter
Web Site Hit Counter

 ​© 2022 Home children canada
CONTACT US ​

info@BritishHomeCHILDREN.com
BHC Facebook Group
Subsribe to the BHC Newsletter
Picture