Workhouse Children in Eaton Square
Workhouse Children in Eaton Square
More information
Workhouse Children in Eaton Square
SC_PHL_02_0153_53_284 (Collage 172222)
London Metropolitan Archives: LCC Photograph Library
A group of young children dressed in their best clothes are standing in a line. Behind them is a woman, wearing a hat and a long coat, who is looking after them.

Underneath each child has been handwritten their names; James Davis; Sophy Green; Percy Murray; William Macastine; George Murray; Amy White; Harry Macastine; Arthur Osborne; Paul Rudman. However, one boy’s image has been crossed out and next to him is written that “This boy does not appear in the next photo”.

Although the children are named, the name of the workhouse they live at is unrecorded. The picture was taken before the children migrated to Canada. At the top of the photo (dated 25 June 1906) is written that “The next photo shows them after 6 months in Canada”. (see record number 172223 which shows the children in Canada).

Between the late 1860s and 1948, over 100,000 children from British children’s homes, emigrated to Canada from the UK. Canadian agencies drew up indenture contracts and children worked on the farms or in the homes of Canadian families. The children were placed throughout Canada, with the largest group going to Ontario. The name of children and date of births of many children were changed so that they could not be traced by their birth family. At the time, the migration of the children to Canada was done to try to help remove the children from poverty.
Copyright London Metropolitan Archives, all rights reserved. Provided for research purposes only. For commercial and other uses please contact us via support@londonpicturearchive.org.uk
London Metropolitan Archives. Please cite document title, reference and collection.