This
photograph was taken of William Preston Davis when he was discharged
from the Royal Albert Orphanage, Worcester England and sent to work in
Ontario Canada. He
was 15 years old.
Davis family history
My grandfather William Preston Davis was born in Tibberton, Worcestershire, England on April 13th,1884. He was sent to Canada as a home child when he was a young boy of 15. He worked for the family he lived with and learned to be an excellent blacksmith, He settled in Alameda Saskatchewan, met his wife Margaret Jane Kerr and raised a family.
Life in England
William was born in the small village of Tibberton, just outside of Worcester, England. William was the third born to John Davis (17, December 1856, Dormston) and Eliza Preston (22, Sept 1853, Tibberton).
John and Eliza lived with Eliza's parents, John Preston and Suzanna Woodward, in Tibberton when their daughter Mary Jane was born 28 May, 1880 and son Alfred was born 18 April, 1882. Mary Jane died after 7 months and was burried in the Tibberton Church. Alfred went on to move to Australia and died in Gallipoli, Turkey during World War one.
After William was born in 1884, the family moved to Smite Hill, Worcester where they had another son George, 11 March, 1886 and then moved to Claines, and had their last son James in 1888. Well, I thought it was their last son but Doreen Jones found there was one more son, Herbert John Davis who was born just before their father John died. It appears that Herbert John Davis didn't live until the 1901 census.
John was a farm labourer. The family story goes that he died from the results of a carriage accident. John Davis' death certificate states that on 13, April 1890 he died from 'broncho pneumonia after suffering for 8 days' in Spellis Green, Claines, Worcestershire.
What a birthday for little William who turned 6 that day. The life for the family changed dramatically after the death of John; Alfred was 8, William 6, George 4 and James was just 2 and Herbert was a newborn. Eliza probably could not afford to raise the children, so her mother-in-law Hannah Davis (Ewins) moved in to help take care of the them, while Eliza worked. It was not long after that Alfred was sent to the Royal Albert Orphanage in Worcester and spent 10 months there. Alfred was discharged from the orphanage 6 April, 1892 to the care of his grandmother because his 'conduct was very unsatisfactory'. Alfred went home to his grandmother at age 10 and William was admitted to the orphanage on the same day.
One week later William 'celebrated' his 8th birthday at the orphanage. William stayed in the orphanage until his 15th birthday, 13 April, 1899, when he was discharged to 'Emmigrate to Canada on the S.S. Dominion under the care of Rev. R Wallace of Marchmont House, Belleville Ontario. Conduct of the boy during the time he had in the orphanage - satisfactory.'
Rev. Wallace operated under the British Home Child program
which sent over 100,000 children to Canada and Australia.
Royal Albert orphanage
This photo or the orphanage was taken in 2011 when Patrick and I visited Worcester.
"Located in Henwick Road, St John's, Worcester. The Royal Albert Orphan Asylum for the County and City of Worcester is a large edifice of brick in the gothic style, by designs of Mr. W. Watkins, of Lincoln, it was erected in 1868-69 at a cost of $4,120 for the reception of 38 girls and 38 boys. In 1885 a new wing, called the "Wheeler" wing was added to the south side of the building; there was then room for 50 boys and 40 girls. The grounds of 15 acres were cultivated by the boys."
Source:
Kelly's Directory 1896