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for cheap labour was so high; now the descendants of these children pay $20 to $25 billion in taxes every year. It has been said that Home Children and their descendants comprise 11 percent of Canada's population. · William Price, so fearful of his past, went on to write a memoir of his ordeal called Celtic Odyssey. · Charlie Martin erected a statue of St. Patrick and a plaque honouring the pioneer families in the idyllic valley of Mount St.Patrick near Renfrew. · Nora Overs became a much-loved Sister of St. Joseph in Pembroke, serving for 72 years. The Lorentes delivered her eulogy at her request. · Susan Kelly Chaput settled in Pembroke and had 13 children. Two Me girls died in a fire, while she was giving birth to a third, who also died young. Her sons just dote on her. She says she loves Canada. Since her landing, ice cream is her favourite food. · Art Monk, so grateful to the Leech family, dedicated a stained glass window in their name at the Anglican church in Rankin. As hard as life was sometimes, he writes, "I am proud to be a Canadian." · Like Joe Lorente, Louis Casartelli and Joe Brown had also gone as farmhands to Brudenell. Both became priests for the RC diocese of Pembroke, ministering to the very communities where so many of the little migrants struggled. Although bittersweet, Rev. Brown reflected a pride common to HCC members when he said, "I never celebrate my birthday. I celebrate the day I came to Canada." (The saga doesn't end here, Mr. Lorente has helped other little migrants, as well: the Child Evacuees of WWII who were sent as late as 1948. He says many suffered the same effects of loss and separation as the original Home Children; some were never allowed to return home.) Q "The last night on board ship, we had a big party before we split up and went our separate ways. They passed out paper hats." Elizabeth Parratf, second from left, top row, 1930. (Courtesy of Elizabeth Parratt.) Recollections of a Home Child by Christine Hamelin etween 1869 and 1940, Britain sent 100,000 children to Canada. These "home children" usually worked as domestics or farmhands. Though they often lived difficult Hues, they contributed enormously to the fabric of our society. In 1898, Quarriers, otherwise known as The Orphan Homes of Scotland, was established near Glasgow by philanthropist William Quarrier. Elizabeth Parratt grew up at Quarriers. She reminisces about her early years in Scotland and her experiences as a home child who immigrated to Canada. I was sent to Quarriers at the age of four, with my two brothers and sister. I have no memories of my life before. My father died in his early 30s, and with no welfare for widows, my mother sent us to Quarriers. I remember the village and the church. There were about 40 cottages with about 25 children in each. I lived with girls from two-years-old to 16. My little sister stayed in the same cottage as me. The cottages were yards apart and though we couldn't B visit, we often played outside. Andy, my oldest brother, couldn't handle so much discipline. He ran away to my aunt's when he was eight. She sent him back, and he ran away again and never returned. At that time, there were lots of children begging in the streets of Glasgow. For 14 years Dave Lorente answered requests for assistance in locating Home Children records. He has now handed the torch to John Sayers of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa. For more information: John Sayers Home Children Committee, BIFHSGO 2157 Fillmore Crescent Ottawa ON K1J 6A1 Elizabeth Parratt at a Quorriers Reunion in 2001. 20 The Country Connection