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Record #12752

Name :: : Sarah Amelia ROBINSON (1866 - 1904)
aka : Millie
Father: :
Mother: :

BMD and other details

Date of Birth: : 13 Apr 1866
Marriage (1): :
Marriage (2): :
Date of Death: : 10 Nov 1904 Notes : heart failure

Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Surrey, Bermondsey

7 St James Street

Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialCanada, York, Toronto

Sailing Information

Date of Arrival: : 29 Sep 1873
Country: : Canada
Ship: : Polynesian
Placement Family: : IRWIN, William and Mary

Homes / Agencys

Institution (GB): :
Agency: : Maria Rye

NotesAmelia ROBINSON was among the tens of thousands of orphaned and destitute British Home Children who were sent to find a better life in Canada.

In 1873, a missionary from the London City Mission rescued Amelia, an orphan, from a "house of ill-fame" (probably the Rotherhithe Workhouse). "Covered in sores", she was brought to the care of Miss Maria Rye at her Emigration Home for Destitute Little Girls at Avenue House, High Street, Peckham, London. (Source: Maria Rye, 1872/73 Annual Peckham Report)

Amelia probably spent a few months there receiving medical treatment, proper nourishment, clean clothing and domestic training, all in preparation for her emigration to Canada and placement with a family there. That voyage took place in 1873 when Maria Rye, escorted a party of 60 girls from Liverpool to Ontario. They left on 18 Sep 1873 aboard the "Polynesian", and arrived in Quebec on 29 Sep 1873. From there the group travelled by rail to their destination... Miss Rye's distributing home at Niagara-on-the-Lake.

According to records, Amelia was destined to become indentured to the William IRWIN family, who lived on Lot 13 of the 1st Concession of Westminster Township, Middlesex County. She spent at least five years with William and Mary IRWIN, as there exists a follow-up inspection report that indicates she was still living with them in 1878.

That initial placement was not completed as planned. By 1881 Amelia had been transferred from the IRWIN home to live with Mary's mother, Mary HOWITT, at 22 Hill Street in nearby London. The latter was a widow with six children, several of whom were still living at home at the time. Though the exact reason for the transfer is not known, it was likely prompted by a greater need for domestic assistance for Mary HOWITT.

Amelia probably stayed with Mrs. HOWITT until she turned eighteen in 1884. At that time she would have been free to lead her own life.

There is a story shared by a descendant of the HOWITT family that speaks both to the character of Amelia and to her status as a home child within the family unit.

A funeral for a member of the HOWITT family took place in London, but the burial was to be in a cemetery in North Dorchester Township near the original family farm. Not being "family", Amelia was not allowed to ride with the other immediate family members in the lead carriage just behind the hearse. Obviously feeling offended, Amelia chose to walk and jog behind the carriage the entire thirteen miles from London to the township! No amount of persuasion could convince this proud young woman to accept a ride in one of the other carriages.

ContributorsCreated : 2010-08-26 13:57:50 / From original database

Last Updated : 2012-04-04 20:52:14 /

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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 68 Entries

ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links
26992	ROBINSON, Albert	1912	ENG, KEN, Greenwich	May 1921 : Ormonde	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
6268	ROBINSON, Allen	1897	ENG,	May 1910 : Corsican	CAN	Louisa Birt
22493	ROBINSON, Andrew	1891	ENG,	Jul 1901 : Numidian	CAN	Barnardos
7595	ROBINSON, Annie	1861	ENG,	Nov 1870 : Peruvian	CAN	Maria Rye
13929	ROBINSON, Annie	1891	ENG,	May 1901 : Dominion	CAN	Louisa Birt
9505	ROBINSON, Arthur	1890	ENG,	Apr 1900 : Cambroman	CAN	Barnardos
9728	ROBINSON, Arthur	1888	ENG,	Apr 1902 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
23171	ROBINSON, Bertie	1886	ENG, LDN, London	Jun 1894 : Mongolian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
26514	ROBINSON, C L	1895	ENG,	Mar 1906 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
8561	ROBINSON, Caroline	1890	ENG, LDN, London	Jul 1902 : New England	CAN	Barnardos
4938	ROBINSON, Carrie	1910	ENG, LAN, Liverpool	Mar 1925 : Aurania	CAN	Liverpool Sheltering Home
7503	ROBINSON, Catherine	1860	ENG,	Nov 1869 : Hibernian	CAN	Maria Rye
7731	ROBINSON, Catherine	1857	ENG,	Jul 1870 : Prussian	CAN	Maria Rye
21989	ROBINSON, Cecil		ENG,	Apr 1925 : Athenia	CAN	Quarriers
19930	ROBINSON, Charles M.	1881	ENG,	Apr 1897 : Labrador	CAN	Fegan Homes for Boys
20878	ROBINSON, Charles Thomas	1918	ENG, LND, Wandsworth	Jan 1924 : Baradine	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
10767	ROBINSON, Charlotte	1867	ENG,	Jun 1880 : Sarmatian	CAN	Maria Rye
7992	ROBINSON, Christine	1853	ENG,	Jun 1869 : Austrian	CAN	Maria Rye
7507	ROBINSON, Clara	1856	ENG,	Nov 1869 : Hibernian	CAN	Maria Rye
21047	ROBINSON, D	1926	ENG,	Oct 1935 : Otranto	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
15316	ROBINSON, Donald Arnold	1908	ENG, LND, Kennington	May 1924 : Doric	CAN	Waifs & Strays
7175	ROBINSON, E.	1863	ENG,	Aug 1871 : Prussian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
15349	ROBINSON, Edith	1859	ENG,	Jun 1871 : Prussian	CAN	Maria Rye
7620	ROBINSON, Elizabeth A.	1859	ENG,	Nov 1870 : Peruvian	CAN	Maria Rye
12022	ROBINSON, Elizabeth Harriet	1864	ENG, SRY, Putney	Jun 1874 : Sarmatian	CAN	Maria Rye
4276	ROBINSON, Ellen G.	1886	ENG,	Sep 1895 : Sardinian	CAN	Barnardos
14131	ROBINSON, Emily Louise	1887	ENG,	Jul 1899 : Lake Huron	CAN	Barnardos
15834	ROBINSON, Eric	1913	ENG,	May 1928 : Montcalm	CAN	Crusade of Rescue
5904	ROBINSON, Ernest	1898	ENG,	May 1908 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
8562	ROBINSON, Ethel	1891	ENG, LDN, London	Jul 1902 : New England	CAN	Barnardos
26993	ROBINSON, Frank	1907	ENG, KEN, Greenwich	May 1921 : Ormonde	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
6010	ROBINSON, Frank V	1888	ENG,	Oct 1904 : Bavarian	CAN	Barnardos
12063	ROBINSON, Frederick C	1912	ENG,	Jan 1927 : Ballarat	AUS	Barnardos
20879	ROBINSON, Frederick Henry	1914	ENG, LND, Camberwell	Jan 1924 : Baradine	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
20962	ROBINSON, G M	1922	ENG,	Oct 1935 : Otranto	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
5967	ROBINSON, Grace	1899	ENG,	Jul 1909 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
13351	ROBINSON, Hannah	1877	ENG,	May 1887 : Siberian	CAN	Quarriers
23416	ROBINSON, Henry	1893	ENG,	- Unknown -	CAN	Unknown
25543	ROBINSON, Henry	1911		Feb 1924 : Euripides	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
7255	ROBINSON, Herbert	1914	ENG, NBL, Wallsend	Sep 1929 : Duchess of Atholl	CAN	Barnardos
10588	ROBINSON, Ivy	1904	ENG,	Jul 1914 : Corinthian	CAN	Barnardos
18084	ROBINSON, John	1892	ENG,	Jul 1900 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
14335	ROBINSON, Joseph	1890	ENG,	Jul 1901 : Numidian	CAN	Barnardos
21050	ROBINSON, K	1925	ENG,	Oct 1935 : Otranto	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
15348	ROBINSON, Kate	1861	ENG,	Jun 1871 : Prussian	CAN	Maria Rye
21359	ROBINSON, Katherine	1904	ENG,	Jun 1913 : Corinthian	CAN	Barnardos
24247	ROBINSON, Louisa	1897		Apr 1906 : Friesland	CAN	Barnardos
7673	ROBINSON, Mary Jane	1858	ENG,	Nov 1870 : Peruvian	CAN	Maria Rye
23603	ROBINSON, Maurice C	1909	ENG,	May 1924 : Demosthenes	AUS	Barnardos
16121	ROBINSON, Peter	1871	ENG,	Jul 1885 : Sarmatian	CAN	Cardinal Manning (now Nugent Care)
4277	ROBINSON, Polly P.	1884	ENG,	Sep 1895 : Sardinian	CAN	Barnardos
16527	ROBINSON, Reginald A	1899	ENG,	Mar 1907 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
27163	ROBINSON, Richard			Jul 1930 : Balranald	AUS	Barnardos
24401	ROBINSON, Robert	1858		May 1870 : Peruvian	CAN	Annie MacPherson Homes
6441	ROBINSON, Samuel	1899	ENG,	May 1907 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
18272	ROBINSON, Samuel	1907	ENG,	Mar 1920 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
23417	ROBINSON, Samuel Littler	1876	ENG, , Churton	- Unknown -	CAN	Unknown
12915	ROBINSON, Samuel Victor	1887	ENG, WAR, Birmingham	Nov 1904 : Canada	CAN	Barnardos
19489	ROBINSON, Sarah	1875	ENG,	Aug 1885 : Sardinian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
12752	ROBINSON, Sarah Amelia	1866	ENG, SRY, Bermondsey	Sep 1873 : Polynesian	CAN	Maria Rye
6709	ROBINSON, Sidney	1912	ENG, LAN, Liverpool	Mar 1927 : Montrose	CAN	Barnardos
14598	ROBINSON, Simeon	1875	ENG,	Jul 1887 : - Unknown -	CAN	Middlemore
12017	ROBINSON, Susan Jane	1867	ENG, SRY, Battersea	Jun 1874 : Sarmatian	CAN	Maria Rye
15002	ROBINSON, Thomas	1884	ENG,	Sep 1898 : Numidian	CAN	Westminster Catholic Society
24608	ROBINSON, Thomas H.	1898		Jun 1906 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
20964	ROBINSON, V	1928	ENG,	Oct 1935 : Otranto	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
16073	ROBINSON, Walter		ENG,	Apr 1924 : Scythia	CAN	Dakeyne Boys Farm
9506	ROBINSON, William Watts	1900	ENG,	Oct 1908 : Dominion	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 68 Entries

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