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Record #5551

Name :: : Frederick RICKARD (1924 - )
aka : Fred JENKINS
aka : Frederick Farnhill
Father: :
Mother: : Winnifred RICKARD

BMD and other details

Date of Birth: : 24 Jun 1924 Notes : Source: Fairbridge Kids
Marriage (1): : Spouse/Notes : Joan
Marriage (2): : Spouse/Notes : Eileen
Date of Death: :

Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, London, Hackney

Sep qtr 1924, 1b 630, mmn RICKARD, as Frederick F RICKARD (FreeBMD)

Abode (2) : Place of Death / Burial

Sailing Information

Date of Arrival: : Nov 1935
Country: : Australia
Ship: : Balranald
Placement Family: :

Homes / Agencys

Institution (GB): : Barnardos
Agency: : Fairbridge Homes

NotesIn 1935, Frederick F. Rickard, 11, arrived at Fremantle, Australia, in a group of 25 children from the Child Emigration Society, The Strand, London, England, en route to Fairbridge Farm School, Pinjarra, Australia.

In an article written around 1993, Fred Rickard told his story to "That's Life" magazine:

"Mum died when I was 11 and, soon after, two stern women in suits came to our house. 'We've come to take the boy,' one of them said, pointing at me. 'You can't support three children on your own.'

Dad tried to stop them. 'You can't do this!' he cried, but the women just ignored him. They stuck a name tag on my coat and bundled me onto a train like a piece of luggage.

I was taken to the Barnardo's Children's Home in Stepney, East London.

It was a grim-looking building and my only welcome was an ice-cold bath in a tin tub. 'You're a dirty little boy,' the matron said as she scrubbed me with carbolic soap.

Afterwards, I was taken to an office where a man fired questions at me.

'Name!' he barked.

'F-F-Fred Jenkins,' I stuttered and the man consulted a piece of paper.

'That's not right,' he said.

'It says here your name's Fred Rickard.'

'But my father is William Jenkins,' I protested.

'He's not your father,' said the man. 'Your real mother couldn't keep you and the Jenkins family adopted you as a baby.'

It was the biggest shock of my life, but I never had any time to absorb it. From the minute I arrived at Barnardo's, I had to work like a slave. If i didn't I was ordered to strip naked and stand in the freezing-cold dormitory.

After six weeks, the master called me into his office.

'Would you like to go to Australia?' he enquired.

I had no idea where Australia was but anywhere was better than this place.

'Yes,' I said.

I ended up on a farm in a home for British orphans in Fremantle, WA.

Time passed. I took a job on the railways, married Joan and had two children, Barbara and Stephen. I never discussed my childhood. I thought it was best forgotten.

But after Joan died, I ended up marrying an English widow named Eileen. And when we visited the UK, all the old memories came flooding back. I told Eileen what had happened to me.

'Haven't you ever wanted to contact your birth mother? she asked.

'No,' I said the subject was closed.

Back home in Australia, we were watching TV when a documentary came on. It was called Children of the Lost Empire and was about kids who, like me had been taken away from their parents and sent to Australia. A woman called Margaret Humphreys had set up an agency to put the children back in touch with their real families.

'You should write to her,' Eileen said and eventually she persuaded me.

A year later Mrs Humphreys sent me some photographs. 'These are your stepsisters, Maureen and Peggy,' she told me,' and this is your stepbrother, Bill.'

'But I don't understand...'

'After you were born your mother married a Mr Dover,' said Mrs Humphreys. 'These are their children. I've got their telephone numbers if you want to call them.'

I called Peggy next day. And as soon as I said who I was she burst into tears. 'We've been trying to find you for years,' she wept. 'Mum kept all your baby photos...'

Eileen and I flew to England to meet my new family. All of my siblings were waiting at the airport. Maureen even flew in from Canada for the occasion and, today, we still keep in regular contact.

They've told me heaps about my mother and it's a comfort to me.

Even at my age, it's important to know where you come from."

ContributorsCreated : 2009-03-13 20:57:56 / From original database

Additional Contributions from : mollipops1

Last Updated :

Family History ResearchersRootsChatters with family connections to Frederick RICKARD:

Readers Comments

Surnames starting with: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 90 Entries

Surnames starting with: J »JEAA »JIAA »JOAA »JUAA » JZZZ

ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links
4605	JEANES, Lily May	1907	ENG,	Sep 1922 : Minnedosa	CAN	Barnardos	kehunter13
26421	JEANS, Michael John	1931	ENG, LND, West Ham	Aug 1939 : Strathnaver	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
26422	JEANS, Patricia Ann	1932	ENG, LND, Stepney	Aug 1939 : Strathnaver	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
26423	JEANS, Robert Charles Francis	1930	ENG, LND, Hackney	Aug 1939 : Strathnaver	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
23666	JEFFERIES, Albert	1911	ENG,	Apr 1923 : Melita	CAN	Barnardos
3539	JEFFERIES, Frederick George	1895	ENG, GLS, Bristol	Aug 1913 : Royal Edward	CAN	Sailing Alone	krissy
17793	JEFFERISS, George L	1896	ENG,	Oct 1906 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
4959	JEFFERS, Nicholas	1911	ENG, LAN, Liverpool	Aug 1925 : Montnairn	CAN	Catholic Emigration Association
24272	JEFFERSON, Myra	1893		Apr 1906 : Friesland	CAN	Barnardos
13953	JEFFERY, Edward	1891	ENG,	Jul 1901 : Numidian	CAN	Barnardos
24905	JEFFERY, Ernest	1900		Mar 1910 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
25494	JEFFORD, Henry	1901	ENG,	May 1909 : Corsican	CAN	Barnardos
17775	JEFFORD, William	1900	ENG,	Jun 1910 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
20612	JEFFREY, Agnes		ENG,	Jul 1910 : Southwark	CAN	Quarriers
20293	JEFFREY, Alfred James	1874		Mar 1887 : Parisian	CAN	Barnardos
27458	JEFFREY, George	1862		Aug 1872 : Sarmatian	CAN	Macpherson Homes
25989	JEFFREY, Henry	1895	ENG,	Mar 1903 : Canada	CAN	Barnardos
18119	JEFFREY, James	1875	ENG,	Sep 1886 : Polynesian	CAN	Waifs & Strays
15527	JEFFREY, Lionel	1909	ENG,	Apr 1924 : Montclare	CAN	Barnardos
13199	JEFFREY, Mary Ann	1876	ENG,	Jul 1886 : Parisian	CAN	Barnardos
13191	JEFFREY, Maud	1883	ENG,	Oct 1896 : Scotsman	CAN	Barnardos
26503	JEFFREYS, Albert E	1891	ENG,	Mar 1906 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
11662	JEFFREYS, Charlotte	1892	ENG,	May 1902 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
4914	JEFFRIES, Ada Eliz	1910	ENG, LDN, London	Mar 1925 : Aurania	CAN	Liverpool Sheltering Home
4913	JEFFRIES, Charles William	1914	ENG, LDN, London	Mar 1925 : Aurania	CAN	Liverpool Sheltering Home
9402	JEFFRIES, E F	1894	ENG,	Jul 1903 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
13787	JEFFRIES, Ethel	1894	ENG,	Oct 1905 : Canada	CAN	Barnardos
13988	JEFFRIES, Frank V	1894	ENG,	Jul 1901 : Numidian	CAN	Barnardos
8935	JEFFRIES, Harriett	1916	ENG, , Stepney	Apr 1931 : Duchess of Richmond	CAN	Barnardos
4912	JEFFRIES, Henry	1912	ENG, LDN, London	Mar 1925 : Aurania	CAN	Liverpool Sheltering Home
23550	JEFFRIES, Jack Bernard	1917	ENG, SSX, Hastings	Mar 1928 : Benalla	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
24167	JEFFRIES, W.	1855	ENG,	May 1870 : Scandinavian	CAN	Boy's Home Great Queen Street, London
27756	JEFFS, Mary Eliza	1900	ENG,	1914 :	CAN	Barnardos
17128	JELLYMAN, Alice	1893	ENG,	Aug 1907 : Tunisian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
10214	JELLYMAN, John	1895	ENG,	Aug 1906 : Tunisian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
11238	JEMMETT, William	1889	ENG, KEN, Faversham	Jul 1900 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
23613	JEMPSON, Leonard	1907	ENG,	May 1924 : Demosthenes	AUS	Barnardos
23614	JEMPSON, Ronald	1908	ENG, KEN, Sevenoaks	May 1924 : Demosthenes	AUS	Barnardos
12749	JENDEN, George Walter	1891	ENG, , Tonbridge	Apr 1902 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
20120	JENKINS, Agnes M	1896	ENG,	Jul 1910 : Virginian	CAN	Maria Rye
2764	JENKINS, Elizabeth	1866	ENG,	Sep 1882 : Circassian	CAN	Liverpool Catholic Childrens Protective Society (now Nugent Care)
6981	JENKINS, Elizabeth	1862	ENG,	Aug 1871 : Prussian	CAN	Maria Rye
20125	JENKINS, Elizabeth	1894	ENG,	Jul 1910 : Virginian	CAN	Maria Rye
6952	JENKINS, Ernest	1893	ENG, GLS, Bristol	Jul 1905 : Lake Champlain	CAN	Bristol Emigration Society
7035	JENKINS, Fred.	1860	ENG,	Aug 1871 : Prussian	CAN	Maria Rye
21135	JENKINS, Frederick Edward	1903	ENG, MDX, Islington	Jan 1913 : Australind	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
18943	JENKINS, George	1891	ENG,	May 1905 : Bavarian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
17671	JENKINS, Harry	1898	IRL, , Dublin	May 1911 : Tunisian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
19413	JENKINS, Harry	1864		Apr 1883 : Sarmatian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
4676	JENKINS, Ivor Henry	1892	ENG, GLS, Bristol	Jun 1904 : Lake erie	CAN	Bristol Emigration Society
8476	JENKINS, John S L	1913	ENG, , Amesbury	May 1927 : Samaria	CAN	Middlemore
5790	JENKINS, Laura	1901	ENG,	Oct 1910 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
7019	JENKINS, Mary A.	1861	ENG,	Aug 1871 : Prussian	CAN	Maria Rye
6951	JENKINS, Minnie	1895	ENG, GLS, Bristol	Jul 1905 : Lake Champlain	CAN	Bristol Emigration Society
11258	JENKINS, Percy	1891	ENG,	Jul 1899 : Lake Huron	CAN	Barnardos
8229	JENKINS, Richard	1913	WAL, , Swansea	Sep 1928 : Duchess of Bedford	CAN	Barnardos
13685	JENKINS, Richard	1876	ENG,	Apr 1887 : Circassian	CAN	Fegan Homes for Boys
13686	JENKINS, Richard	1879	ENG,	May 1887 : Circassian	CAN	Liverpool Catholic Childrens Protective Society (now Nugent Care)
20418	JENKINS, William	1898	ENG,	Feb 1908 : Grampian	CAN	Louisa Birt
10525	JENKINS, William George	1909	ENG, , Balham	Apr 1923 : Melita	CAN	Barnardos
7532	JENKINSON, Harriet	1858	ENG,	Nov 1869 : Hibernian	CAN	Maria Rye
5630	JENKINSON, Violet	1892	ENG,	Oct 1902 : Colonian	CAN	Barnardos
10584	JENN, Mabel E	1904	ENG, , Devonport	Sep 1921 : Minnedosa	CAN	Barnardos	tearh60
15465	JENNER, Daisy	1885	ENG,	Jul 1899 : Lake Huron	CAN	Barnardos
7011	JENNER, Ethel	1898	ENG, SSX, Cuckfield	Jul 1907 : Kensington	CAN	Barnardos
26584	JENNER, Henry	1896	ENG,	Mar 1906 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
15503	JENNER, Leslie John	1909	ENG, KEN, Elham	Sep 1922 : Minnedosa	CAN	Barnardos
5095	JENNER, Reginald	1911	ENG, KEN, Elham	Aug 1926 : Montrose	CAN	Barnardos
19469	JENNINGS, Emma	1872	ENG,	Aug 1885 : Sardinian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
21334	JENNINGS, Florence	1900	ENG,	Jun 1913 : Corinthian	CAN	Barnardos
9631	JENNINGS, Henry	1898	ENG,	Jun 1911 : Carthaginian	CAN	Middlemore
6689	JENNINGS, Leslie	1913	ENG, LAN, Liverpool	Mar 1927 : Montrose	CAN	Barnardos
21361	JENNINGS, Lilian	1902	ENG,	Jun 1913 : Corinthian	CAN	Barnardos
8711	JENNINGS, Norman	1912	ENG, DUR	Mar 1930 : Nova Scotia	CAN	Salvation Army
7108	JENNINGS, William	1859	ENG,	Aug 1871 : Prussian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
21193	JENNINGS, William Kitchener	1914	ENG, WAR, Warwick	Jan 1927 : Ballarat	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
14634	JENNS, Alfred Ernest	1904	ENG, , Coventry	Sep 1912 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
25305	JENVEY, Peter John	1932	ENG,	Mar 1939 : Strathnaver	AUS	Christian Brothers
8936	JEPPE, Harry	1917	ENG, , Blythe	Apr 1931 : Duchess of Richmond	CAN	Barnardos
24270	JEPSON, Jessie	1893		Apr 1906 : Friesland	CAN	Barnardos
24271	JEPSON, Minnie	1894		Apr 1906 : Friesland	CAN	Barnardos
18534	JERRAM, Frances	1893	ENG, , Yorks,	May 1909 : Tunisian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
5824	JESSE, Ellen	1894	ENG,	Jul 1903 : Bavarian	CAN	Louisa Birt
12849	JESSOP, George	1873	ENG,	Jun 1886 : Lake Superior	CAN	Barnardos
8792	JESSUP, Douglas A	1900	ENG, , Alverstoke	Apr 1912 : Corinthian	CAN	Barnardos
10986	JETSON, Alice	1894	ENG, STS, Wolverhampton	Jul 1905 : Siberian	CAN	Middlemore
9403	JEUNE, William Augustus	1908	WAL, , Bangor	Mar 1921 : Scandinavian	CAN	Barnardos
23090	JEWELL, Frank	1897	ENG,	Apr 1908 : Lake Champlain	CAN	Fegan Homes for Boys
15572	JEX, Albert George	1909	ENG,	Apr 1923 : Melita	CAN	Barnardos
5551	RICKARD, Frederick	1924	ENG, LND, Hackney	Nov 1935 : Balranald	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links

Surnames starting with: J »JEAA »JIAA »JOAA »JUAA » JZZZ

Surnames starting with: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 90 Entries

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