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Record #3881

Name :: : Percy BROWN (1913 - )
Father: :
Mother: :

BMD and other details

Date of Birth: : 1913 (approx.)
Marriage (1): :
Marriage (2): :
Date of Death: :

Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland

Abode (2) : Place of Death / Burial

Sailing Information

Date of Arrival: : 27 Mar 1927
Country: : Canada
Ship: : Montrose
Placement Family: :

Homes / Agencys

Institution (GB): :
Agency: : Barnardos

NotesIn 1927, Percy Brown, 14, arrived at St. John, New Brunwick, Canada, along with a group of 29 children en route to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Rev. Percy Brown tells his own story from there (Source: Pier 21 - Canada's Immigration Museum, {website}pier21.ca/research/collections/the-story-collection/online-story-collection/british-home-children/)

At the time, my destination was different. However, sometimes second best turns out to be best.

I was fourteen, in 1927, when the opportunity arrived. After living in a British orphanage for ten years, I read an announcement on the bulletin board. It stated that anyone who was fourteen years old could apply to immigrate to Australia. What a wonderful and exciting adventure! For the first time in many years, I felt light shining upon me. After taking several tests and passing the interviewing process, I was on my way!

Just as quickly as the opportunity came, it vanished. Because of a flu epidemic in Australia, all passages were cancelled. At the age of fourteen, I felt that my dreams had been crushed.

Another door opened. I was asked if I would like to go to Canada. What a blessing for me! I was on my journey with about twenty-nine other boys and three girls.

In March, 1927, I boarded the Montrose. I don't remember a lot of details about the journey. I do remember that, as we crossed the Irish Sea, I was seasick, so sick that I stayed in my cabin. However, the steward came to get me and made me eat breakfast. Quickly I was sick over the rail. The steward made me eat a second breakfast. Finally I was able to keep the food in my stomach. Other memories of seeing whales and sighting land are very vague.

After landing at St. John, I thought, I took a three-day train journey to Hamilton. There I stayed with Mr. Hill until he found me a place to stay. Mr. Hill was in charge of the children.

The first place was a farm in Caledonia. There the owners viewed me and another young boy as workers only. I worked outside from about 5 a.m. to sometimes 10 p.m.. I was allowed to stop only for a few minutes to eat my meals. The other young man worked only in the house. So, we did not have time to develop any friendship.

One day I was so tired that I stopped the horses and rested before I had finished ploughing a field. I had been afraid of not being able to control the horses and falling onto the blades. While I was sleeping, the farmer passed me, but did not wake me up. When I awoke, it was dark. So, I took the horses to the barn and unsaddled them. When I went to get supper, the farmer told me that I could not eat until I had finished the field. I was tired; so, I refused. He refused to give me supper.

After six weeks of very hard work for which I was paid five dollars a month, I was returned to Mr. Hill.

This episode had branded me as incorrigible young man. For two weeks, I was kept in my room. After this time, I was asked if I could behave and do as I was told. Of course I said "Yes". Otherwise, I may have been sen back to Britain.

My second place of work was in Drumbo. The farmer and his wife treated me as if I were their own child. It was this couple who took me to church and who influenced me to sing in the choir. I spent a wonderful six-year period with them.

Am I glad that I came to Canada? Indeed, yes! Canada has allowed me to follow many pathways; it has granted me a successful living and an opportunity to have a wonderful family. I have been very blessed.

Many years have passed since I arrived in Canada. Now, at the age of 87 years, I am an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada. I was ordained in London, Ontario, at the age of 60 ? years old. So, I have been blessed in many ways.

ContributorsCreated : 2008-07-13 12:42:53 / From original database

Last Updated : 2008-07-13 12:47:24 /

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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 30 Entries

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ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links
3004	AARON, Alfred Robert	1899	ENG, LAN, West Derby, Liverpool	Mar 1911 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
3003	AARON, John Richard	1895	ENG, LAN, West Derby, Liverpool	Mar 1911 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
3007	ABBEY, Bertha	1890	ENG, DUR, Stockton on Tees	Jul 1904 : Southwark	CAN	Barnardos
3006	ABBEY, John	1887	ENG, DUR, Stockton on Tees	Oct 1904 : Southwark	CAN	Barnardos
3161	ABBEY, Thomas	1892	ENG, DUR, Stockton on Tees	Oct 1904 : Southwark	CAN	Barnardos
3020	ABBOT, Alice	1877	ENG, MDX, Islington	Oct 1893 : Labrador	CAN	Barnardos
3047	ABBOT, William	1878	ENG,	Apr 1895 : Parisian	CAN	Barnardos
3019	ABBOTT, Alfred	1869	ENG,	Aug 1887 : Parisian	CAN	Barnardos
23669	ABBOTT, Alice	1877	ENG,	Oct 1893 : Labrador	CAN	Barnardos
3022	ABBOTT, Bertie	1894	ENG, SFK, Ipswich	May 1909 : Corsican	CAN	Barnardos	sharonmx5 , patty_in_ms
3025	ABBOTT, David Henry	1891	ENG, ESS, Grays	Mar 1901 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
3055	ABBOTT, Douglas Groves	1910	ENG, HAM, Hartley Wintney	Apr 1924 : Montclare	CAN	Barnardos
3858	ABBOTT, Emily Jane	1886	ENG, YKS, Guisborough	Jul 1903 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
8354	ABBOTT, Frederick Albert Prosper	1885	ENG, LND, Homerton	Apr 1895 : Parisian	CAN	Barnardos
3036	ABBOTT, George	1894	ENG, MDX, London	Jul 1904 : Southwark	CAN	Barnardos
3038	ABBOTT, Herman Henry	1882	ENG, MDX, Hoxton, London	Apr 1895 : Parisian	CAN	Barnardos
10624	ABBOTT, John	1913	ENG,	Apr 1929 : Duchess of York	CAN	Barnardos
3045	ABBOTT, Leslie	1883	ENG,	Mar 1893 : Labrador	CAN	Barnardos
3060	ABBOTT, Lilian	1903	ENG,	Jun 1912 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
3026	ABBOTT, Mary	1888	ENG, ESS, Maldon	Oct 1902 : Colonian	CAN	Barnardos
3049	ABBOTT, Penelope	1901	ENG, KEN, Sidcup	Jun 1912 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
5046	ABBS, Bertie Cecil John	1914	ENG, LND, St. Pancras	Mar 1930 : Duchess of Richmond	CAN	Barnardos
3061	ABDALE, John George	1873	ENG, NBL, Newcastle Upon Tyne	Mar 1891 : Norwegian	CAN	Barnardos
3063	ABEL, Albert Edward G.	1901	ENG, ESS, West Ham	Aug 1910 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
3066	ABEL, Charles	1891	ENG,	Mar 1906 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
3065	ABEL, Florence	1902	ENG, ESS, West Ham	Aug 1910 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
3067	ABEL, Frederick	1889	ENG,	Jul 1900 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
3068	ABEL, George	1887	ENG,	Aug 1905 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
3069	ABEL, George	1897	ENG,	Mar 1907 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
3071	ABEL, John	1886	ENG,	Jun 1897 : Labrador	CAN	Barnardos
ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links

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

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