Did the Middlemore agency’s actions justify the mostly negative things that we hear about the juvenile emigration movement? Dr. Patricia Roberts-Pichette thinks not, says Anglo-Celticconnectionsblogspot.ca.
Unlike most accounts of the movement, Roberts-Pichette places Middlemore’s work and that of 50 or so such agencies within the context of social history of the times, and includes commentary on relevant legislation and government policy on both sides of the Atlantic. The book is an essential read for anyone wanting to understand the causes of the British Home Child movement in Canada. It promises to quickly become an important addition to every home library.
Home Children is a uniquely Canadian term applied to juvenile immigrants from Britain between 1869 and 1948 by more than 50 British emigration agencies.
Dr. Roberts-Pichette was born in New Zealand and completed studies in the USA on a Fulbright Scholarship. She taught for 10 years with the University of New Brunswick and subsequently served 25 years in the Canadian federal and international public services. Since retiring she has concentrated on social history research and writing.