In 1941, Gail H. Corbett published a landmark study, “Nation Builders: Barnardo Children in Canada,” in collaboration with Suzanne Wood (design), and W. H. Chapman (illustration), supported by research in various Canadian museums and archives. This work intricately weaves archival materials and first-person accounts to present a comprehensive overview of nearly 30,000 children’s emigration from Barnardo homes in Great Britain to Canada during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Corbett’s book is not merely a recounting of historical events but a sensitive and accurate portrayal of these children’s journeys and their indelible impact on Canadian history, further enriched by Corbett’s insightful contextual additions. We have reconstructed a trunk modelled on her description of what would have been provided to boys on their crossing from England. See the menu below to find out more about the significance of each item in the trunk.
Hungry children in London’s East End, waiting for food hand-outs during the dock strike. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)
The narrative begins with a third-person point of view, offering a chronological exploration of the Barnardo Home Children Program from its inception to its conclusion. It sets the scene in a London marked by stark contrasts—mass unemployment, poor hygiene, poverty, and illiteracy juxtaposed against the city’s financial prosperity following the Industrial Revolution. Thomas John Barnardo, an Irish-born philanthropist, became the central figure, prompted by the dire conditions of London’s impoverished children in 1866 to dedicate his life to their welfare. Barnardo’s efforts over the next decade aimed at reducing the psychological, emotional, and physical exploitation of these children, establishing homes and programs to equip them with knowledge, employable skills, and new families.
The book also delves into the broader context of child emigration to Canada, a concept promoted by prominent English figures in the mid-19th century to solve London’s overcrowding and the need for labour in Canada. Barnardo, initially hesitant, eventually embraced child emigration as a necessity for mutual survival. His efforts in sending children to Canada earned the Barnardo children the reputation of being “the cream of the crop,” highlighting the operation’s scale and the meticulous care to ensure the children’s safety and well-being, despite inevitable shortcomings and regulatory failures.
Canada, V. A. (2020, June 19). British Home Children. Veterans Affairs Canada. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/people-and-stories/british-home-children
A significant portion of “Nation Builders” comprises personal recollections of Barnardo’s children, offering a mosaic of experiences that range from gratitude for new opportunities to tales of hardship and mistreatment. These autobiographical accounts, drawn from the “Export Emporium” at the Barnardo Home Children Headquarters, provide a poignant and diverse perspective on the emigration experience.
The book concludes with an analytical section detailing the statistical realities of the Barnardo children in Canada, drawn from extensive research by Corbett. This includes timelines, lists of emigrated children, and an examination of the logistical and financial aspects of the Barnardo homesteading effort, accompanied by a comprehensive bibliography and index.
The overarching narrative of “Nation Builders” presents the Barnardo children as a significant, albeit complex, success story within Canadian history. Despite acknowledging the program’s flaws and the challenges faced by the children, the novel emphasizes their resilience, adaptability, and the opportunities afforded to them. It subtly critiques the broader societal and economic conditions necessitating such programs while honouring the individual stories of hardship and triumph.
In essence, Corbett’s work offers a multifaceted view of the Barnardo Home Children Program, balancing the positive impacts against the program’s inherent challenges and controversies. It promotes a nuanced understanding of these children’s roles in shaping Canada, highlighting both the compassionate intentions behind their emigration and the sobering realities they faced. “Nation Builders” thus is a significant contribution to Canadian historical literature, providing a window into a pivotal yet often overlooked chapter in the nation’s development.
Home Children Trunk
Trunk
Trunks were made for transporting goods, prioritizing function over decoration. They were typically constructed of sturdy wood with metal corners and strappings, topped with a flat or domed lid. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, hide or fiber coverings were common, but by the late 19th century, canvas or painted sheet metal became common. By the year 1900, some trunks were made entirely of sheet metal. For ease of handling, trunks were furnished with handles made initially by iron, and later varied in material, including leather. A reliable lock was used to safeguard valuable possessions during long trips.
White dress shirt
A garment typically made of cotton or linen fabric with buttons down the front.
Suspenders
Suspenders provide support and help keep pants up by providing straps that go over the shoulders. These straps were typically made of leather and brass.
Suit
A suit typically made of wool, in colors dark blue, gray, or brown.
Child’s overalls
Overalls worn by home children were typically made from denim or cotton, in colors blue or brown. These were often worn to keep their clothes underneath clean when doing dirty work.
Long nightshirt
A long nightshirt was typically made from cotton, with a loose fit, in the colors white, off white, or light blue. This garment was worn while sleeping.
Long underwear
Also known as a union suit, this is a tight one-piece garment with long sleeves and long legs with buttons down the front. This garment is typically made of cotton in white or off-white. They were worn under day clothes and could keep the wearer warm during winter.
Tie
Ties were mostly shorter and broader with tighter knots than modern ties.
They were typically made of solid silk, in solid dark colors or patterns like horizontal stripes and plaids.
Socks
Socks were typically made of cotton or wool, in colors white, off-white, gray, or black, to provide warmth and protection.
Belt
Typically made of leather with brass fittings.
Hat
Hats were typically made of wool, cotton, and or leather, in brown, gray, or black.
Slippers
Closed-toe slippers were usually meant for indoor wear. Typically made of white, off-white, or black canvas or felt, with thin rubber or leather soles.
Leather Boots
Leather boots came in many styles and had a rubber or wooden sole typically oak, with laces up the front.
Handkerchief
A square of fabric with various uses. Typically made from cotton or linen in colors like white and off-white, with various embellishments.
Wooden Toothbrush
A toothbrush made from wood with bristles made from animal hairs like horse hair or boar bristle.
Needle, Thread & Ball of wool
Sewing needles were typically made of brass with cotton thread on a wooden spool. With A bundle of yarn, commonly made of sheep’s wool. Wool was needed to mend clothing for the winter, such as socks.
Stationary (Old pens, paper, pencils)
Pens were often ballpoint or fountain pens, while pencils were traditional wooden pencils. Stationeries were essential for home children to maintain correspondence with loved ones, and other purposes.
“Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan
The Pilgrim’s Progress had profound significance in Christian literature and served to inspire and guide the home children on their spiritual journey. The book provides a moral compass for navigating life’s challenges, as it tells the story of a Christian, who reaches the Celestial City after persevering many obstacles. Every migrated child was ensured to bring a copy of the book, to instill hope, resilience, and faith as they embarked on their journey into unfamiliar territory.
Etiquette guide
A manual outlining social manners and proper behavior in various situations. These guides were used to help Home Children navigate and adapt to unfamiliar social environments, and successfully integrate into that society.
Old bible
The Bible, a marked New Testament was a source of spiritual guidance and strength that taught moral principles and faith to help navigate life’s challenges and uncertainties.
Traveller’s guide
The Traveller’s Guide was a pocket-sized book included in many children’s trunks. With a bold cover, the book presents Christian literature through a collection of religious anecdotes and uplifting short stories, with the purpose of offering clear illustrations of God’s teachings.
Winter coat
A large dark coat, usually black, of various lengths made of wool with buttons down the front.
Nation Builders: Barnardo Children in Canada Question & Answer
Nation Builders: Barnardo Children in Canada Question & Answer
What evidence does it bring to bear to support its arguments?
The main argument cited by all the important figures in this book is articulated plainly by Barnardo in the chapter titled Exodus: ‘We in England, with our 470 inhabitants to the square mile, were choking,elbowing, starving each other in the struggle for existence: the British colonies overseas were crying out for men to till their lands, with few ties to bind them to the mother country, and at an age when they were easily adaptable to almost any climate extremes’.
What do you make of the book: What orientation to Families and Child Labour Is it Promoting?
This book doesn’t necessarily promote a specific orientation to families and child labour. It takes more of an informative position toward the situation and experiences of the Home Children and their journey to Canada. This book does briefly mention the families, and more specifically the parents of these children, when explaining the parental restriction of the “Canada Clause”. It also includes letters and POVs from the siblings of the children. This book mentions that Barnardo’s intention in sending these children to Canada included them working in the fields and as domestic servants. Though it is stated that Barnardo advocated for the children to receive adequate compensation for their work (paid employment), this can also be seen as a form of child labour since the children did not own their labour nor were they able to use their earnings independently until 18 (boys) and 21 (girls). Even if Barnardo tried to ensure the safety and well-being of the children, many were still treated as almost free labour and were subject to much mistreatment that would be considered unlawful if it had occurred to ‘full citizens’.
What worldview is it trying to get its readers to take at face value?
Due to the more informative nature of this book, this book seems to present a worldview that emphasizes the struggles and contributions of the Home Children. Highlighting the hardships these children faced, this book seems to raise awareness of the role these children played in the shaping of the Canada we know today. Not only does this book bring recognition to these children, but it can also promote understanding and empathy for child emigration and those who have experienced it. It also plainly puts Barnardo on a pedestal of kindness, firm compassion, and steadfast support for the children under his care; most of his efforts seem to be genuine, but the book is favourable to his position, which could indicate bias.
What is the book’s perspective on the Home Children program?
Barnardo’s children in particular are described as a success story that supports this initial statement. In accordance with the book: they retained a 98% survival rate in Canada, the majority were well-supported in terms of care, finances, and education / employable skills, and they were able to remain in contact with Barnardo & his team and their families in London. The letters in the middle of the book written by some of the children are somewhat contradictory to that, citing prominent abuse, neglect, and overwork, and the program was terminated in 1939 when the British overseas delegation began sharing this view. Something perhaps overlooked is that Barnardo himself died in 1903, thus removing the children’s biggest advocate; the letters are dated to after his death, so it’s possible that the program deteriorated after his passing without his oversight. Nevertheless, for just under a century, the homeless and destitute children of England were able to harness hope and opportunity in Canada to become successful prairie farmers, industrialists, & professionals, a chance they surely would not have gained had they remained homeless & destitute in England.
