Is anyone familiar with the Bernardo children?

Question

In trying to connect an unconnected person and researching (away from WikiTree), I found an Arthur Norman Dodds (1 Jan 1875-28 Oct 1927) b in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, m in Norfolk, Ontario, Canada, d Brantford, Ontario, Canada. According to his marriage record, his parents were George C Dodds and Caroline Vivian Dodds. His great grand-daughter has contacted me on Ancestry. Apparently Arthur was a Bernardo child brought to Canada. Can anyone help me find more information on his parents? Link to his marriage record: https://www.ancestry.ca/family-tree/person/tree/190140021/person/292485935667/facts. He married Lillian Chambers on 20 Mar 1899 in Norfolk, Ontario, Canada.

Answer 1

see British Home Children

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Barnardo_Home

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Children_Transported_to_Canada

try searching his name in this registry

https://www.britishhomechildren.com/

or this site

https://www.bifhsgo.ca/search-name-index

my grandfather and great uncle were Barnardo boys

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Goldstone-104

Comments

there is an Arthur Dodds living in a workhouse in 1881 with an older brother William (4 and 6) (their parents dead, in jail, or just left them there), but if this is Arthur, his brother William did not travel with him to Canada.

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Oh, wow! Where did you find that workhouse record? Which part of England?

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I found it, thank you.

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see this letter (better google for current address, this letter is from 1982). she could try writing to Barnardo's and see what info they have on the parents.  They did have a fire and lost a lot of records.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Letter_from_Barnardo%27s_Christopher_Goldstone

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Apparently they have not been answering letters since Covid started.

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typically the children were from very poor families, and finding info or records for them is very hard.  Even DNA matches are limited (but she might get lucky).  Many British people do not bother to get DNA tests as they assume they are 100% British and are not looking for lost or adopted children.  Several of my DNA matches were surprised to find this other 'family' of a married man.

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They did not always send brothers together. I have records of 2 brothers sent to Canada from Barnardos one in  1907 and the other in 1910.

They were told their parents were dead, which was not true. In the 1950s one eventually contacted his mother, thanks to a half brother.

Answer 2

He was a British Home child and many hundreds of children were "stolen" from the UK and sent to the colonies. (canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand). This was happening from the mid 1800s and early to mid 1900s.

 Below are some links that may be helpful

 https://www.britishhomechildren.com

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/home-children-1869-1930/pages/home-children.aspx

There is a British Home Children project here on WT as well.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:British_Home_Children

Comments

A lot of British Homechildren took on the last name of their adoptive family. I researched one in a cousins family and DNA proved that his current last name was of no relation to him. Upon searching further and putting theories together based on records and DNA we figured that he was born out of wedlock and his mother married a man not his father. His birth father actually was a neighbor. Many family secrets to be found.

GOOD LUCK with your search

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Searching records for British Home Children can be very frustrating. My grandfather's records are under different last names, his father's name, his mother's lnab (as his parents were not married, and her lnab is not certain), and the Canadian family name where he lived.

Answer 3

Another source of information is Lori Oschefski at homechildrencanada@gmail.com  She may already have a profile on Arthur.  If not, she would like to have the information that you have compiled and may be able to find missing records like ship and Bernardo home records.