Dear Editor,
As I get The Senior Paper, I noticed a story about Dr. Thomas Barnardo Homes for British children coming to Canada at the turn of the century – 1900.
My dad, Percy Starmore was one of them. He had a widowed mother who was left with nine of a family, two older boys were out working, but she could not manage. So, she signed off, sending Dad Percy at two-years-old to Barnardo Homes in England.
He never knew his father. He died before Percy was born in 1881.
With help from a lady in Alta. I got information to find the history about my dad’s life. At two-years and one month, he was well looked after in Barnardo Home for children.
At age 11, he and his trunk set off for Canada, arrived in Boston, on to Winnipeg, and on to a farmer in Arrow River.
The farmer abused him, fed bread and water.
Percy and a friend finally ran away and crossed a creek, trying to walk to Virden.
A neighbour of ours picked up two very angry boys and they came to Virden and lived here ever since. Percy lived to 86 years old.
I got a complete report from London, England about Percy’s history abroad and in Canada, which is very interesting. It is well worth the price I paid to England for this history.
Ethel Bowles, Virden
Editor’s note:
Thomas Barnardo was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1845. As a young man he moved to London to train as a doctor. When he arrived, he was shocked to find children living in terrible conditions, with no access to education. Poverty and disease were so widespread that one in five children died before their fifth birthday… the young Barnardo felt an urgent need to help. By 1870, Barnardo had set up the first home for boys.
