HOME      FORUM      HELP      SEARCH      
News : The Surname Interests Table (SIT), the Database for Special Interests Groups (DBSIG) and Ancestral Anniversaries
are now "mobile friendlier" more here ...
The RootsChat Reference Library

RootsChat.Com »  RootsChat Reference Library »   Database for Special Interest Groups (DBSIG) »   British Home Children : Quick Search

Record #4688
Name :
: Elizabeth FERN (1895 - 1990)
  aka : Ann


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 1895

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 31 Mar 1990   Notes : Old age
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, , London

Lille Road, Fulham
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialEngland, Lancashire, Liverpool
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 1 Sep 1905
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Bavarian

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: MacPherson Homes
NotesElizabeth Ann Fern was taken to Canada, aged 10, along with her sister Lucy and brother William on the SS Bavarian by the McPherson home in Bethnal Green, in the east end of London. They seem to have ended up there from the Fulham Union in west London. They weren't orphans, their mother had died, but their father who was a plasterer was still alive. We think he knew that they were being taken and let them go, but are not sure. The eldest sister Anne was sent 5 years before them and another, the youngest, Ellen who died soon afterwards, came a year later on the Tunisian. Once in Canada, they were split up. A baby brother George was left behind and adopted in England.

Elizabeth Anne (known to us as Annie) was sent to a Mrs Hammond in Ontario and then a Mrs Kirkpatrick. As a young woman she became a stenographer and worked at Havacle Girls College in Toronto. At the outbreak of WWI she married a northern Irish boy called George Greer, but he was killed during the last days of the War in Arras. She gave birth to a son and went to N. Ireland to live with George's family. There she met another Irish veteran, to whom she was married for over 50 years and had a daughter. They both lived most of their lives in Liverpool in England then in Cheshire. Annie had 3 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren, and lived to 95. She was extraordinarily kind and generous and deeply loved. She kept in touch with all her brothers and sisters, but it was 50 years before they could all be together at a reunion in Canada.

She often reminisced about her journey to Canada and her early life in Canada, but she allowed us to believe that her father took them and never mentioned there experiences in the London workhouse. We found this out only after she died. 
ContributorsCreated : 2009-02-08 10:21:00 / From original database

Last Updated :

Family History ResearchersRootsChatters with family connections to Elizabeth FERN:



 
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  30 Entries        
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 596 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
3036 ABBOTT, George1894ENG, MDX, London Jul 1904 : Southwark CAN Barnardos  
3082 ABEL, Walter John1869ENG, MDX, London Aug 1884 : Sarmatian CAN Board of Guardians (Various)  
4994 ADAMS, Edward1915ENG, LDN, London Sep 1930 : Duchess of Bedford CAN Barnardos  
8695 ADAMS, James1884ENG, LDN, London Sep 1896 : Mongolian CAN Unknown Catholic Group  
8751 ALDGATE, Esther1880ENG, LDN, London Jun 1891 : Circassian CAN Maria Rye  
23343 ALDRIDGE, Charles Henry1888ENG, LDN, London Jun 1901 : Parisian CAN Waifs & Strays lostgirl19  
6531 ALEXANDER, Edward1913ENG, LDN, London Apr 1930 : Duchess of Bedford CAN Catholic Emigration Association  
16732 ALEXANDER, Frederick1899ENG, LDN, London Mar 1907 : Dominion CAN Barnardos  
6640 ALEXANDER, John1913ENG, LDN, London Mar 1927 : Montrose CAN Barnardos  
8529 ALLEN, Daniel1898ENG, LDN, London Jul 1913 : Corsican CAN Catholic Emigration Association  
12790 ALLEN, Ernest1916ENG, LDN, London May 1930 : Duchess of Bedford CAN Crusade of Rescue  
6259 AMEY, Elizabeth1904ENG, LDN, London Oct 1913 : Corinthian CAN Barnardos  
6594 ANDERSON, Leslie1913ENG, LDN, London Jul 1927 : Minnedosa CAN Barnardos  
10452 ANDERSON, William1906ENG, LDN, London Jul 1921 : Megantic CAN National Childrens Home  
8858 ANNESS, James Edward1901ENG, LDN, London Jul 1914 : Empress of Britain CAN Salvation Army  
5360 APOW, Leslie1911ENG, LDN, London Aug 1925 : Montnairn CAN National Childrens Home  
5468 ARBOURNE, Frederick A1890ENG, LDN, London Jul 1902 : New England CAN Barnardos  
5073 ARMSTRONG, John 1912ENG, LDN, London Aug 1926 : Montrose CAN Barnardos  
11881 ASH, Charles1885ENG, LDN, London Apr 1894 : Sarnia CAN Barnardos  
8755 ASH, Chris1883ENG, LDN, London Apr 1894 : Sarnia CAN Barnardos  
17119 ATKINS, Percy1895ENG, LDN, London Aug 1907 : Tunisian CAN MacPherson Homes  
3080 AUBURN, John George1855ENG, MDX, London May 1872 : Varuna CAN Shoe Black Brigade  
6643 AUSTIN, John1913ENG, LDN, London Mar 1927 : Montrose CAN Barnardos  
6585 AVES, Rose1912ENG, LDN, London Jul 1927 : Minnedosa CAN Barnardos  
5321 AXFORD, John1913ENG, LDN, London Aug 1930 : Duchess of York CAN Salvation Army  
10504 AYOUB, Richard1908ENG, LDN, London May 1922 : Montcalm CAN Catholic Childrens Emigration Service of London  
5322 BACKLER, John1914ENG, LDN, London Aug 1930 : Duchess of York CAN Salvation Army  
15784 BAKER, Edgar Frank1896ENG, LDN, London Jul 1909 : Scotian CAN Barnardos  
4896 BAKER, Ernest F1913ENG, LDN, London Mar 1925 : Aurania CAN Liverpool Sheltering Home  
4899 BAKER, Lilian E1911ENG, LDN, London Mar 1925 : Aurania CAN Liverpool Sheltering Home  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 596 Entries        
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  30 Entries