Nanaimo Family History Society May Meeting
Monday, 4th May 2026 – HYBRID MEETING – Nanaimo Family History Society (NFHS) is holding its last monthly informative meeting & presentation for the season. Upcoming is presenter & author Patricia Skidmore of Nanaimo (BC) lecturing on The Migration of British Home Children to Canada.
The subject matter for this lecture will provide us with an amazing insight into the 350-year history (1619-1970s) of British child migration (more commonly known as British Home Children) – as it applies to primarily Canada – and highlight the Prince of Wales Fairbridge Farm School which was situated just south of Duncan (BC) near Cowichan Station.
British Home Children sent from the UK to Canada primarily between 1869 and 1948 were often extremely young, ranging from toddlers to 18 years old. While many were 7 to 14 years old, some were as young as 4 or 6 months. The average age was around 10 for girls and 12 for boys, with many sent to work as indentured farm labourers or domestic servants. While some of these children were sent to live on farms with very loving families, many others suffered neglect, abuse and loneliness at hands of the their keepers and the system. This lecture discusses the history and impact on these children, like her mother and two siblings, who were sent to schools like these, and often involuntarily without parental permission even after legislation had banned such occurrences.
Ms. Skidmore has well-researched involuntary child migrations to Canada, is currently President of the Fairbridge Canada Association, President of the Fairbridge Alumni Bursary Society, Editor of the Fairbridge Gazette, and author of two amazing related publications (www.dundurn.com/authors_/t156375/t143080-patricia-skidmore).
All new monthly meetings are free to our members and held via Zoom (and also In-Person in the spring and summer months). The upcoming session starts at 1:00 pm for a chance to visit and the meeting begins at 1:15 pm till 3:00 pm. Please be aware that our physical meeting space has changed when in-person is available and is now held at the Nanaimo North Branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library (6250 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo).
Please visit our website at https://nanaimofamilyhistory.ca to learn more about NFHS or contact us via e-mail at infonfhs@gmail.com with any questions, including the Zoom link.
