Hazelbrae the receiving home for grandma and her sister

Maggie Jane Kerr was my grandma, her sister was Mary Annie Kerr.  They both came to Canada as British Home Children.  Upon their arrival they stayed at Hazelbrae receiving home in Peterborough until they were accepted and placed in someone’s home. Grandma 12 and her sister 9 were sent to separate families. I can’t imagine how difficult that was for them.  

 Hazelbrae was torn down but you can see a photo of it at this link: https://canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com/hazelbrae-barnardo-home.html#PhotoSwipe1569272002190

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A Heritage marker was placed close to the location of the home on George street, Peterborough.  About 10,000 children stayed at Hazelbrae on their way to being placed with a family.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course the children had to go to church. I was lucky the church on George street was open, so I went in and took pictures.  I can't say the people there were very welcoming. There was a sign: NO Visitors. I went in anyway and wondered how welcome the little children felt going there back in the early 1900's. 

Reverand S.J. Shorey was at the church during grandma's time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is the Hazelbrae monument with about 9,000 of the children’s names listed.  Just this year they added a whole new panel of names.  As new records are found the number of children acknowledged increases.  

The monument is at the corner of Church and Barnardo Street in Peterborough, Ontario Canada.  To look at all the names of those young girls taken away from family and country is quite moving. 

Hazelbrae was just a couple blocks away on George Street and the church (now United) is a few blocks further West on George St.

 

Every name is a child taken away from country and family in England

Here you can see me next to Mary Kerr and  Maggie Kerr’s names.

These are the girls sent to Canada in 1901.

This is an etching of what the home looked like.