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Record #5420
Name :
: Marcelle D. O'BRIEN (1944 - )
  aka : Marcel O'Brien


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: Q4 1944

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
:
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Sussex, Worthing
Abode (2) : Place of Death / Burial
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: Jul 1949 (unknown)
Country
:

Ship
: Otranto

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Fairbridge Homes
NotesA birth registration was found for Marcelle D O'Brien: Mother's Maiden Surname: Osborne; Date of Registration: Jul Aug Sep 1944; Registration district: Worthing; Registration county: Sussex, Isle of Wight; Volume Number: 2b; Page Number: 467.

In 1949, M. D. OBrien, 4, arrived in Fremantle, Australia, with one other child.

Marcelle was the subject of an inquiry which involved Queen Mary of England. The Argus reported in 1951:

A little girl of six slept peacefully in a small Australian town last night, unaware that she is the centre of a poignant human drama in which the Queen herself, and her brother-in-law the Duke of Gloucester, have intervened.

The child is Marcel O'Brien, an orphan who, soon after birth, came under the care of an Empire organisation for the care of homeless children.

When little Marcel was 13 months old she was handed over to Mrs. C. Chapman, a widow, who lives in the pleasant little Sussex, town of Lingfield.

Mrs. Chapman loves all children with passionate devotion. She has cared for nearly 100 such waifs as Marcel. And she had a child of her own, a little girl called Valerie.

She was told that Marcel would stay with her for two years and would then be sent to Australia.

She accepted her charge on those conditions. But she came to love Marcel, next to her own child, above all the others she had known.

Twenty months ago Marcel was duly sent to this country. Mrs. Chapman wept bitterly, but accepted the inevitable.

Then recently her own child, Valerie, died aged nine. Mrs. Chapman was prostrate with grief. As the days wore on she was overcome with longing for the other child, Marcel.

She appealed for her return time and again over the months. Her appeals failed. Then she had an inspiration.

She would write to the Queen and the Duke of Gloucester. The letters went, imploring their help to bring Marcel home.

Almost by the next post she received this letter from the Queen's private secretary:

"I am commanded by the Queen to say how very sorry Her Majesty is to hear of your tragic loss. The Queen understands you wish to have Marcell back from Australia to bring up as your own child, and Her Majesty is causing inquiries to be made to see what can be done."

Mrs. Chapman was overjoyed, but later the same day the postman knocked again at her little council house in Lingfield. A second Royal letter was slipped through the letter box--this time from teh Duke of Gloucester.

Mrs. Chapman opened it. When she read it she wept.

The letter was kindly in tone. The Duke sympathised sincerely with Mrs. Chapman's feelings, but earnestly he urged that she "might reflect again." Might it not be, he asked, that it would be in Marcell's real interests to leave her in the warmth of the Australian sun, to grow up among the wonderful opportunities Australia had to offer.

Mrs. Chapman was inconsolable. She still wanted Marcel.

The following day the postman knocked a third time.

A third Royal letter arrived. The Queen was writing again to Mrs. Chapman through her lady-in-waiting.

"I am to tell you," the letter ran, "there are legal reasons why Marcel cannot be brought back. The queen knows how disappointed you will be to hear this, but Her Majesty hopes you may gain some comfort from knowing that it is best for Marcell to stay in Australia, and that legal difficulties apart, it would naturally be very disturbing for a child of her age to be brought back to England, even though it would have been to so kind a home."

Today Mrs. Chapman is inconsolable. To Trevor Williams, The Argus correspondent in London, she said yesterday:

"Months before Marcell was five I knew I could not bear to part with her.

"I asked the home if I could adopt her as my very own, but they said tha the child's background made adoption impossible, and that in any case she must go to Australia as they had said."

On April 16, 2002, a Media Statement from the Minister for Community Development for Western Australia reported:

Perth woman re-united with mother after 50 years thanks to Child Migrants Trust.

The State Government?s funding of the Child Migrants Trust has paid off for one Perth woman, who will be reunited with her 86-year-old mother from whom she was separated as a baby.

Marcelle O?Brien left Perth today for the United Kingdom to meet her mother of whom she has no memories and a sister she didn?t know she had. Ms O?Brien arrived in Perth at the age of five as part of the Commonwealth Child Migration Scheme. She had lived with a foster family in the United Kingdom from the age of one until she came to Australia in 1949. The Child Migrants Trust helped Marcelle to locate her mother.

Community Development Minister Sheila McHale farewelled Ms O?Brien at the Perth International Airport.

In August 2001, Ms McHale announced an additional $36,000 in funding for the Child Migrants Trust on top of its annual allocation from the State Government of $64,000.

The Minister said it was heart-warming to see how the trust assisted the lives of individuals.

?The years of loss and sadness through separation can now come to end for this family,? she said.

?It took many years and much hard work for the trust and Ms O?Brien to locate her mother. I congratulate them on their perseverance.

?The trust supports up to 40 reunions with family each year for its clients in Western Australia.?

The Child Migrants Trust is an organisation that provides services to former British child migrants.

Between 1913 and 1968 approximately 2,950 British children were sent to WA.

In Australia, the trust operates offices in Melbourne and Perth. A higher percentage of child migrants were located in WA than in other States. The trust currently has 300 clients in WA. 
ContributorsCreated : 2009-03-02 21:02:00 / From original database

Last Updated : 2015-04-18 05:15:51 / Berlin-Bob

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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  69 Entries        
Surnames starting with:   O »OAAA »OAKE »OBEN »OETZ »OLDH »OLIV »ORGI »OSBO »OSTE »OVER »OWEN » OZZZ
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
4476 O'BRIEN, Denis1913ENG, MDX, Couch End, London Jun 1929 : Laurentic  Salvation Army  
13990 O'BRIEN, John1874ENG,     Jul 1887 : Sarmatian CAN Canadian Catholic Emigration Committee  
19751 O'BRIEN, John1882ENG,     Jun 1897 : Labrador CAN Barnardos  
14896 O'BRIEN, Joseph1876ENG,     May 1885 : Parisian CAN Liverpool Catholic Childrens Protective Society (now Nugent Care)  
12323 O'BRIEN, Leslie G1929ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
5420 O'BRIEN, Marcelle D.1944ENG, SSX, Worthing Jul 1949 : Otranto  Fairbridge Homes  
5452 O'BRIEN, Mary L. M.1946ENG, ESS, Rochford May 1959 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
12307 O'BRIEN, Michael1927ENG,     Aug 1938 : Strathaird AUS Christian Brothers  
5454 O'BRIEN, Myrtle A.1947ENG, ESS, Rochford May 1959 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
5453 O'BRIEN, Patrick1944ENG, ESS, Rochford May 1959 : Strathaird AUS Fairbridge Homes  
13562 O'BRIEN, Patrick1872ENG,     Jul 1887 : Sarmatian CAN Canadian Catholic Emigration Committee  
15036 O'BRIEN, Peter1884ENG,     Sep 1897 : Numidian CAN Unknown Catholic Group  
20949 O'BRIEN, Peter Vincent1929ENG,     Aug 1938 : Otranto AUS Christian Brothers  
20174 O'BRIEN, S.1880ENG,     Jun 1897 : Labrador CAN Barnardos  
22208 O'CALLAGHAN, Jeremiah1886ENG, DBY, Derby Jun 1900 : Parisian  Liverpool Catholic Childrens Protective Society (now Nugent Care)  
19713 O'CONNELL, Hohn1876ENG,     May 1893 : Sardinian CAN Catholic Emigration Society  
26358 O'CONNELL, Mary1919WAL, GLA, Cardiff Aug 1932 : Oronsay AUS Fairbridge Homes  
26357 O'CONNELL, Patricia1921WAL, GLA, Cardiff Aug 1932 : Oronsay AUS Fairbridge Homes  
15017 O'CONNELL, Patrick1884ENG,     Aug 1898 : Laurentian CAN Southwark Catholic Emigration Society  
25655 O'CONNOR, Albert1897ENG,     May 1909 : Corsican CAN Catholic Emigration Society  
24316 O'CONNOR, Annie1883 Oct 1900 : Numidian CAN Canadian Catholic Emigration Society  
4447 O'CONNOR, Arthur1894IRL,    , Dublin May 1907 : Tunisian CAN Smyly Homes of Dublin  
15307 O'CONNOR, Elizabeth1875ENG,     Jun 1884 : Polynesian CAN Catholic Protection Society  
23555 O'CONNOR, Ian1916ENG,     Mar 1928 : Benalla AUS Fairbridge Homes  
18804 O'CONNOR, Lizzie1885ENG,     Apr 1895 : Sardinian CAN Liverpool Sheltering Home  
27412 O'DELL, David1932ENG,     Jan 1949 : Ormonde AUS Big Brother Movement  
26982 O'DELL, James Clifton1917ENG, KEN, Elham, Folkestone Jan 1928 : Barrabool AUS Fairbridge Homes  
15067 O'DELL, Maurice1883ENG,     Jun 1897 : State of California CAN Lord Archibald Douglas  
16466 O'DELL, Reginald John William1908ENG, NTH, Hardingstone Sep 1921 : Minnedosa CAN Barnardos  
4740 O'DONNELL, Bridget Matilda1872IRL,     May 1887 : Corean CAN Charlotte Alexander  
22380 O'DWYER, Charles1911ENG,     Jun 1929 : Duchess of York CAN Catholic Emigration Association  
20950 O'FARRELL, Robert1927ENG,     Aug 1938 : Otranto AUS Christian Brothers  
12895 O'GRADY, Catherine 1887ENG,     Jun 1897 : Numidian CAN Liverpool Catholic Childrens Protective Society (now Nugent Care)  
12907 O'GRADY, John1885ENG,     Jun 1897 : Numidian CAN Liverpool Catholic Childrens Protective Society (now Nugent Care)  
22397 O'GRADY, John1916ENG,     May 1932 : Duchess of Richmond CAN Catholic Emigration Association  
4970 O'HAGAN, Anthony1909ENG, LAN, Liverpool Aug 1925 : Montnairn CAN Catholic Emigration Association  
19241 O'HALLORAN, Albert Edward1905ENG,     Sep 1912 : Sicilian CAN Barnardos  
24042 O'HALLORAN, H1909ENG,     Jun 1916 : Scandinavian CAN Middlemore  
19367 O'HALLORAN, Walter Henry1902ENG,     Sep 1912 : Sicilian CAN Barnardos  
23959 O'HANLON, Doris1908ENG,     May 1920 : Minnedosa CAN Middlemore  
23960 O'HANLON, Horace1910ENG,     May 1920 : Minnedosa CAN Middlemore  
3785 O'HARA, Annabella1897SCT,     Jul 1910 : Southwark CAN Quarriers  
25684 O'HARA, Nellie1890ENG,     May 1909 : Corsican CAN Catholic Emigration Society  
18675 O'HARE, Robert1899ENG,     Sep 1911 : Lake Manitoba CAN Unknown Catholic Group  
7660 O'KEEFE, Mary1859ENG,     Nov 1870 : Peruvian CAN Maria Rye  
15885 O'KEEFFE, David1870ENG,     Sep 1884 : Sarmatian CAN Liverpool Catholic Childrens Protective Society (now Nugent Care)  
22418 O'KELL, William1913ENG,     Jul 1922 : Montcalm CAN Catholic Emigration Association  
14096 O'KELLY, Patrick1887ENG,     Jul 1900 : Tunisian CAN Catholic Emigration Society  
22423 O'LEARY, William1903ENG,     Jul 1914 : Victorian CAN Catholic Emigration Association  
27223 O'MAHONEY, Richard   1920 : Minnedosa CAN Catholic Emigration Association  
20978 O'MALLEY, A.1881ENG,     Apr 1898 : Labrador CAN Barnardos  
18681 O'MALLEY, Thomas1901ENG,     Sep 1911 : Lake Manitoba CAN Unknown Catholic Group  
8006 O'MARA, Ellen1852ENG,     Jun 1869 : Austrian CAN Maria Rye  
22443 O'MARA, James1902ENG,     Oct 1915 : Corsican CAN Unknown Catholic Group  
15948 O'NEIL, Isabella1872ENG,     Jun 1883 : Sardinian CAN Unknown  
14959 O'NEIL, Norah1874ENG,     Jun 1884 : Polynesian CAN Catholic Protection Society  
13933 O'NEILL, Edward1872ENG,     Sep 1887 : Circassian CAN Liverpool Catholic Childrens Protective Society (now Nugent Care)  
27579 O'NEILL, Gordon1872ENG,     1881 : Manitoban CAN Marchmont Homes   
27578 O'NEILL, Hugh1870ENG,     1881 : Manitoban CAN Marchmont Homes   
13976 O'NEILL, Isabella1888ENG,     May 1901 : Tunisian CAN Catholic Emigration Society  
15910 O'NEILL, John1876 Sep 1884 : Sarmatian CAN Liverpool Catholic Childrens Protective Society (now Nugent Care)  
26925 O'NEILL, Peter1928ENG,     Mar 1939 : Strathnaver AUS Christian Brothers  
15030 O'NEILL, William John1871ENG,     Sep 1884 : Sarmatian CAN Liverpool Catholic Childrens Protective Society (now Nugent Care)  
24389 O'NIEL, James1851 May 1870 : Peruvian CAN Annie MacPherson Homes  
20778 O'SHAUGHNESSY, John1896ENG,     Aug 1908 : Tunisian CAN Catholic Emigration Association  
9544 O'TOOLE, Daniel1889ENG,     Oct 1902 : Colonian CAN Barnardos  
14872 O'TOOLE, Elizabeth1877ENG, LAN, Liverpool May 1883 : Peruvian CAN Board of Guardians (Various)  
14871 O'TOOLE, Mary1872ENG, LAN, Liverpool May 1883 : Peruvian CAN Board of Guardians (Various)  
27614 ODIAM, Robert Alfred 1900ENG, LND, St. Pancras , St. Giles  Jul 1914 : Empress of Britain  CAN Salvation Army  DFKBurr  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Surnames starting with:   O »OAAA »OAKE »OBEN »OETZ »OLDH »OLIV »ORGI »OSBO »OSTE »OVER »OWEN » OZZZ
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  69 Entries