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Record #11808
Name :
: Peter Whitely MATTHEWS


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

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
:
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland
Abode (2) : Place of Death / Burial
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: May 1947
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Aquitania

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Fairbridge Homes
NotesPeter W. Mathews: from England to Vancouver Island Canada, in a Farm School System

Peter came to British Columbia, Canada at age nine to live in Prince of Wales Fairbridge Farm School in the beautiful Cowichan Valley, on Vancouver Island. The school trained boys to be farm workers, girls to be domestic help, and all were constantly reminded they must work to deserve anything they got. Yet Peter believes his experience as a child migrant was one of the better ones. The school life was ?not bad? but it was difficult for a young child who couldn?t understand why all this was happening to him. He also wondered for years why he was not allowed to write to his mother. He was told if he?d lost his family?s address, that was his fault, and the staff had no way to contact her. Years later he was able to access his records, and found out that of course the school did have her address, and was regularly mailing reports to the family. When Fairbridge Farm School closed, Peter was moved to foster homes in the city of Victoria, eventually finding a good one. He finished school and had no trouble finding work -- but not on a farm! In middle age, Peter and his wife travelled to England and met one brother who welcomed him and kindly shared what records he had, to explain the long-ago family situation. Peter reflects that he was better off coming to Canada.

He is happily retired from a long-time job with the City of Victoria, and is living with his wife Sandra back in Cowichan country, where his first very-own ?farm? consists of six pet chickens, two little dogs, and several spoiled rescue cats. He was never a farm-labourer, but he and his wife love the broad pastoral scene of the neighbour?s farm and wandering wildlife, viewed from the sunny deck of their home. 
ContributorsCreated : 2010-05-10 07:51:34 / From original database

Last Updated : 2010-05-10 07:56:15 /

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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  2 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
4134 ISHERWOOD, Thomas J.1939ENG,     May 1947 : Aquitania CAN Fairbridge Homes  
11808 MATTHEWS, Peter Whitely ENG,     May 1947 : Aquitania CAN Fairbridge Homes