A campaign has been launched to create a permanent memorial at Liverpool's Albert Dock for the thousands of vulnerable children, often called 'British Home Children,' who were sent from Britain to Canada between 1869 and 1932 under government-backed child migration schemes. Many of these children, some as young as nine, left from Liverpool's shores and never returned.
Forgotten chapter of Liverpool's maritime history
More than 100,000 children were sent from Britain to Canada alone during this period. They were often orphaned or from impoverished families, taken into care by charities such as Barnardo's and the Catholic Church, before being shipped across the Atlantic. Simon Roberts, a descendant of a child migrant, and Dr Jim Goddard, chair of The Care Leavers Association, are leading the campaign alongside Canadian descendant organisations.
Simon Roberts, 68, from Shropshire, discovered his family's connection while researching his ancestry. His great-uncle George Roberts was born out of wedlock in Liverpool in 1897. Unable to provide for him, his mother placed George in the care of the Catholic Church. In 1913, at age 16, George was sent from Liverpool's Albert Docks to Montreal aboard the RMS Corsican.
‘The last thing he saw of Britain was Liverpool’
Simon told the ECHO: “He was put on a train back up to Liverpool, the city where he was born, and then shipped out. He would have been standing looking out at the back of the ship and the last thing he saw of Britain before he hit the Atlantic Ocean was Liverpool.” Many children were sent to work on farms or in domestic service, with organisations believing they were offering a better life. However, the reality was mixed: while some found caring families, many faced neglect, exploitation, and abuse.
Simon described the children as “gutter kids” living in extreme poverty. He said: “There was extreme poverty all over the UK during Victorian England, and very sadly, there were literally thousands of little children who were just wandering the streets and living off the streets. So Barnardo’s, the Catholic Church and other charities came along and said, ‘look, we’ve got to do something about this. We’ve got to take these kids off the streets’.”
‘Horrific stories’ of suffering
Simon added: “You can’t begin to imagine being a nine-year-old girl, and your mum says, ‘you’re going with these people, you’re going on the ship’. They were sent across the Atlantic Ocean, not knowing what their future would hold. There are horrific stories about what happened to some of these little boys and girls. Some of them suffered absolutely appalling deprivation and abuse and ended up in a much worse condition than if they’d stayed on the streets in England. It’s heartbreaking.”
The campaigners believe Liverpool, as the port of departure for so many, is the natural location for a memorial. Simon said: “I call it the hidden history of Britain because there are 100,000 children and this massive movement in Canada, and there’s not a single memorial in the whole of the UK for these little kids. I think Liverpool has such a close affinity with these children because Liverpool and the Mersey were the last part of Britain they saw.”
Funding and support
The campaign is asking Liverpool City Council to provide a site for the memorial, but not to fund it. Simon said: “We’re not asking Liverpool City Council for a penny. We’re asking for approval and a small piece of ground. We will raise the money by crowdfunding.” He noted that thousands of families in the UK and tens of thousands in Canada are interested in the campaign. The memorial would also attract descendants to Liverpool, providing a place to remember and commemorate.
The ECHO contacted Liverpool City Council, which said it receives a number of approaches each year for memorials.
