Also published as Empty Cradles. In 1986 Margaret Humphreys, a Nottingham social worker, investigated a woman's claim that, aged four, she had been put on a boat to Australia by the British government. At first incredulous, Margaret discovered that this was just the tip of an enormous iceberg. Up to 150,000 children, some as young as three years old, had been deported from children's homes in Britain and shipped off to a 'new life' in distant parts of the Empire, right up until as recently as 1970. Many were told that their parents were dead, and parents often believed that their children had been adopted in Britain. In fact, for many children it was to be a life of horrendous physical and sexual abuse far away from everything they knew. Margaret reveals how she unravelled this shocking secret and how it became her mission to reunite these innocent and unwilling exiles with their families in Britain before it was too late.
About the Author
Margaret Humphreys is the Director and founder of the Child Migrants Trust, supported by Nottinghamshire County Council. For her services on behalf of the child migrants, she was awarded the Order of Australia - one of only a few Britons ever to have been so honoured, and she was appointed CBE in the 2011 New Year Honours list . She lives in Nottingham with her husband and two children.
Prizes
Now a major film, the book that exposed the scandal of Britain's forgotten and abused child migrants, previously published as Empty Cradles
Incredible story and hard to believe Britain has still not acknowledged the systematic replacement of children to countries within the Empire. Not to have parental permission and to tell the children their parents are dead and tell the parents their children are adopted or deceased beggars belief. The Church, Dr Barnardos, and other so called "child facilities" have a lot to be accountable for.
The subject of the book was well worth knowing about and it was an extraordinary tragedy for the children. I realise Margaret is not a writer but a social worker, but on the down side for me was Margaret Humphreys' need to let us readers know what a hardworking, downright lovely lady she was. An example is where she writes that she gathered up all the flowers given to her and made sure they were sent to a local hospital. This continual pat on the back was rife throughout the book. I have no doubt Margaret worked tirelessly for the cause, but it would have been far better for the reader to work it out themselves, and we would have. Unfortunately the self gratification took away from the content in my opinion.
Everyone should read this book! It should be mandatory reading for everyone, so that we learn from our terrible mistakes and never make them again. It's gut wrenching reading, horrific in some ways, but so uplifting in others. Real people, real children, real governments making dreadful life altering decisions for children, with dire consequences. It is not sensationlised in any way at all - just the bare facts of a dark part of british, canadian and australian history which didn't end that long ago. Really well written. It's also a triumph of the human spirit once again, that children treated SO badly, can actually survive and at least have some sort of life once more but never the full life it should have been. Margaret Humphreys is an absolute hero in the real sense of the word, giving up her life with her own family, to reunite hundreds of 'lost' children with their now elderly parents. In fact her whole family sacrificed their lives with their own mother in order to support her quest. I couldn't put this book down.
A fascinating insight into a dramatic and tragic era. This book gives detailed descriptions of people and places and allows the reader to gain some understanding of Margaret Humphrey's determination, courage and persistence in helping those caught up in this situation. Sometimes confronting but always interesting. It is hard to believe that this actually happened in our recent past. I would highly recommend this book.
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