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Home Children Canada Virtual On-Line Museum

Take a look through some of the extensive collections of the Home Children Canada. This collection has been built by donations, gifts, and by CEO Lori Oschefski.

Most of our items are shown here, we aim to continue adding items for viewing.

All digital images are copyright to HCC and must not be used without permission and credit. Please contact Home Children Canada for information on the use of these images.

The Winifred Payne Collection

Purchased at auction in 2014 by Lori Oschefski, this collection is currently on loan to the Canadian Museum of History (formally the Museum of Civilization) in Quebec for inclusion in an exhibit on immigration opening pn Canada 150 July 1 2017

Winnifred Payne intake photo	1903 Letter Regarding Mother's death October 27th 1903 Letter to The Rev. MacDonald regarding the death of her mother & admittance into the home. Stating that Winifred cannot be admitted until her eldest brother signs the agreement. This agreement would have contained a clause which once signed, gave the family's permission to emigrate Winifred.	After Sailing Notice Notifying the family that without any further notice to them, she had been shipped to Canada. It does not give any chance for the family to retrieve Winifred if their circumstances had changed or a chance to say good bye to her. This is a standard form with her information written in suggesting that this was standard practice for Barnardo's.
Winnifred's mother Elizabeth	Back of Mother's postcard	In the News Newspaper article dealing with Winnifred's treatment in Canada. Original is not part of our collection.
In the News Newspaper article dealing with Winnifred's treatment in Canada. Original is not part of our collection.	January 17th 1916 Letter January 17th 1916 Letter to Daisy from sister in law May. May was the wife of Winifred's brother James, Daisy was their older sister.	January 17th 1916 Letter to Daisy from sister in law May. May was the wife of Winifred's brother James, Daisy was their older sister.
January 17th 1916 Letter to Daisy from sister in law May. May was the wife of Winifred's brother James, Daisy was their older sister.	Charles J Payne Charles J Payne and his wife May Freeman (next photo) Charles immigrated in 1906 at the age of 19. He was not a BHC. May and Charles married in England and she immigrated to Canada in 1919.	May Freeman - wife of Charles Payne
Post card mailed to Mr. A. E. Payne, Jockey Club, Hamilton, Ontario	back of postcard

The Cecil Bennett Collection

Donated to Home Children Canada by Wilda Hay of Peterborough, Ontario, this collection is currently on loan to the Canadian Museum of History (formally the Museum of Civilization) in Quebec for inclusion in an exhibit on immigration opening at the end of 2016 early 2017. Cecil arrived in Canada through the Dr. Barnardo Homes in 1905. His first placement is unknown. He would be placed with a kind farmer, Ben Johnstone where he was well cared for, educated, and treated like family. Mr. Johnstone carefully kept all documentation regarding Cecil, which follows from the time Mr. Johnstone applied for a boy from Barnardo's through to Cecil's death in the First World War. Cecil perished on the first day of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This remarkable collection was donated to the BHCARA by Mr. Johnstone's Granddaughter by Wilda Hay and is cared for at the Canadian Museum of History.

Image00011.jpg	Cecil's trunk
ID Tag
Receipt for Application This $3 fee receipt documents what the fee was charged for Barnardo's for each application for a child. Not to be confused with the government bonus paid for each child.	March 26 1907 Application Received	August 6 1907 Letter from Barnardo's, Application approved
August 2 1907 Letter from Barnardo's - No boy available	Indenture agreement envelope	Oct 7 1907 Indenture contract Cecil Bennett was treated as a son by Ben Johnson. He was educated and not expected to work until his education was finished.
March 1 1913 Letter from Barnardo's to Ben Johnstone, indenture is finished. Balance outstanding	Envelope from silver medal	December 1913 Silver Good Conduct medal awarded to Cecil
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Cecil's Bible Barnardo Children, as well as many other organizations, furnished each child with a Bible in their trunks.	Image00023.jpg	Image00006.jpg
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The Ronald Chamberlain Collection

These items were returned to Ronald's family.

Although Ronald Chamberlain lived in Canada since he was sent here by Barnardo’s at the age of ten, served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War, married and had children in Canada, it wasn’t discovered until much later in his life that he wasn’t a Canadian Citizen. He had to apply for and finally received his Citizenship in 1976.

Ronald’s father and his mother, Maud’s fiancée, Jack Bradshaw, was a British soldier who was killed in action during the First World War. Maud, who already had another child and was not receiving child support ordered by the court from the father, was forced to live with her parents. They lived in abject poverty – the only means of support was her 73-year-old father’s old-age pension. Maud was only able to get occasional odd work.

Maud applied to Barnardo’s for admission of Ronald, so that she could seek work as a domestic. “She was proved to be of weak will and totally unfitting to bring up her two boys” (Barnardo’s admitting papers).

And although Martha, Maud’s sister, who was married and had family of her own, was willing to raise the boys along with her sons, she was denied.

On the farms in Canada, Ronald had good and bad experiences: one place did not provide him with socks (which gave him trouble with his feet his whole life) and treated him as a farm hand, at best, but there were also kind people – people who treated him like family.

Ronald served in the Second World War as a Wireless Operator and Gunner in the RCAF and was shot down over Germany in April, 1944. He parachuted out of the plane, landing on railroad tracks and injuring his hips and back. He remained a Prisoner of War until his liberation in May, 1945.

Ronald’s brother Reginald was sent to Australia and they never met again. They missed seeing each other during the war when they both visited the home of their aunt Martha, apparently within five minutes of each other.

Ronald and his wife, Beatrice had six children and seventeen grandchildren. They were married for over fifty years.

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Membership to the Caterpillar Club The club was founded by Leslie Irvin of the Irvin Airchute Company of Canada in 1922. The name "Caterpillar Club" simply makes reference to the silk threads that made the original parachutes thus recognizing the debt owning to the silk worm. The requirement that the aircraft is disabled naturally excludes parachuting enthusiasts in the normal course of a recreational jump, or those involved in military training jumps.	Image00020.jpg	Image00019.jpg
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Penny Boxes

Penny boxes were distributed to homes in England as a means of fund raising for the various organizations. Community members were encouraged to put their spare change in the boxes. Periodically the organization representatives would come around and collect the change from the boxes. Penny boxes were made from a variety of materials, early ones from wood and Papier Mache. Newer boxes would be made from Ceramic and then plastic. Our penny boxes are on loan to the Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto.

c1895 Barnardo Home Penny box Donated to the BHCARA by the Late Pauline		c1920 Waif and Strays Penny Box Church of England, Waif and Strays
Side of the National Children's Home	Side of the National Children's Home	National Children's Home

Bibles, Prayer Books and Pilgram's Progress Books

Edward Jones Bible 1949 To read Edward's story, click on photo, then link.	Edward Jones Bible 1949 For Edward's story click on the photo then click on the link.	1949 Edward Jones Bible
Ronald Chamberlain Bible dated 1924	Ronald Chamberlain Bible Dated 1924	Cecil Bennett Bible On long term loan to the Canadian Museum of History. Dated 1905, the year Dr. Barnardo died. Cecil immigrated April 11 1905, Dr. Barnardo died September 19th 1905. Up until his death he would "sign" the Bibles, after William Baker who took over running of the homes would "sign".
Barnardo New Testament post 1905 Barnardo Home New Testament	Prayer Book Barnardo Home Pray Book belonging to Robert Cooke. He came to Canada in 1927 with a brother Thomas.	Robert Cooke in Canada 1929 Robert was born in Liverpool in 1910, the son of Thomas and Phoebe Cooke. He had come to Canada with a brother Thomas. In 1932 both boys returned to England. The prayer book was found in a Home in Ontario. The BHCARA has promised the donor that if his family is found, the book will be turned over to them. We have found a tree on Ancestry and messages have been sent.

Good Conduct and Roll of Honour Medals

Image00003.jpg	Image00002.jpg	Robert John Sellars The Good Conduct medal of Robert John Sellars. Robert arrived in Canada in 1908 aboard the Dominion. Along with him were his brothers Gerald and Bernard. The BHCARA have located family on ancestry and are awaiting an answer to our messages.
Front to the Fegan Medals These medals were awarded to the Fegan Boys who were able to repay their passage.	William Gaynor William's Good Conduct Medal. William was placed with the family of Nellie Henton. William never married and is buried with members of the Henton family.	Fegan medal.jpg
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Barnardo's First World War Booklet

The original donated to Dawn Heuston, Home Children Canada reserves the rights to the digital images

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William Baker Technical School Post Card Collection

These vintage postcards were purchased for Home Children Canada by members Betty Ansel, Cathy Southworth Rioux, and Cheryl Toms. They give us a wonderful view of what life was like for the boys in Barnardo's. 12 postcards in this collection.

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National Children's Home and Orphanage post card collection

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Orphan Homes of Scotland - Book of Views

Take a vintage stroll through the Quarrier's Orphan Homes of Scotland in our vintage 1907 "Book of Views". This booklet was produced by Quarriers, photographed in 1906, as a souvenir for visitors to the Village. This booklet was purchased by Lori Oschefski in 2013. There are 57 photos to view here, press the arrows on the right and left-hand sides to move back and forth in this book.

Book of Views

Published in 1907, this souvenir booklet of photos taken in 1906 was sold to visitors to the village

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Book of Views

Published in 1907, this souvenir booklet of photos taken in 1906 was sold to visitors to the village

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London England Poppy From the Tower of London exhibit Blood Swept Lands and Seas exhibit 2014 to mark the 100th Anniversary of the start of the First World War

Dr. Barnardo Homes Collection Try and Tin

Dr. Barnardo Homes Collection tin and tray. Claimed by the seller to be First World War era, no definate dating of objects. Pre 1922 as per the address on the tin of 18 26 Stepney Causeway, the address of the Dr. Barnardo's Homes in the earlier years.

Dr. Barnardo Homes collection tin and tray for Barnardo Day. Said by the seller to be First World War era, no definite dating. Pre 1966 as per the name change from Dr. Barnardo Homes to Dr. Barnardo's.