Outside the Gate: The True Story of a British Home Child in Canada

by Carol Marie Newall

Between 1869 and 1948, Britain sent more than 100,000 "home children " to Canada to work as indentured farmers and domestics. They were promised a bright future in the land of opportunity, and some managed to make a good life, but many were abused, neglected, and reviled by those who took them in. Although most still had families back home, reunification was discouraged. One of those children was Winnie Cooper. Born in Scarborough, Yorkshire in 1908, she was sent at age twelve to Barnardo’s Village Home for Girls near London. Three years later, Winnie was shipped off to a farm in rural Ontario. Nothing back in England had prepared her for working the rough land in Canada, but despite the long days, isolation, and bitterly cold winters, Winnie’s natural wit and cheery disposition helped her find love and friendship. Yet she always dreamed of returning to her mother in Yorkshire. The story, told by her granddaughter, author Carol Marie Newall, is a family saga of love and loss, pain and joy as Winnie struggled to find her place in a young inhospitable country. It’s also a revealing portrayal of a troubling chapter in Canadian and British history.

Genres: Historical

384 pages, Paperback

Published September 22, 2022

Reviews

[Cheryl Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has brought the story of her grandmother who was a British Home Child to life. British home children in Canada is a story that few of us know about even though 100 000 of these young children were sent to Canada. A must read. Looking forward to Carol's future books.

[Susan Spampinato]

I just finished reading this amazing and inspiring story. I couldn’t put it down. What an eye opener regarding what the children went through. I enjoyed every minute of it. You won’t be disappointed.
Kudo to the Author Carol Marie Newall👍

[Donelda Gallagly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, easy to read, engaging. You get to really know and love these characters. The author's willingness to share her deep emotions about her relationship with these characters is admirable. An insight for me into the British Home Child program. Recommend it highly!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

We were so fortunate that Carol could come to our book club to discuss how she came to write the book but also to share with us the years of research that went in to telling the story of her grandmother, Winnie, as well as her other family members. And to think it all began with a box of photos and other treasures that were bequeathed to her!

Not only were we educated in the history of the “home children” who were sent to Canada from Britain in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s but she also made us aware of the harsh life they encountered once here. Carol has the ability, however, to make each family member come to life and, though tragic in many respects, she has been able to inject some humour into her story.

We all felt that Carol is a gifted author and look forward to her next book.

[Susan Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story worth reading; a well presented account of Canadian history and the narrator's journey to understand her personal family history and chronical the challenging circumstances of her grandmother's immigration to Canada as a home child.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outside the Gate by Carol Marie Newall was suggested to me by a member of our Leonard Lake book club who also happens to be my neighbour and a friend of Carol's in Muskoka. We intend to have Carol attend our book club in September to present her book. I was intrigued to read this book. My Grandmother was a Home child. Nora (Layfield) Carson came to Canada at age 13 and lived on a farm in Millbrook, Ontario. My Father was the eldest of 6, 3 boys and 3 girls. My Father was 17 when my Aunt Joan was born. I am the eldest grandchild, age 76. I remember my Grandmother.
Mu Aunt Joan is still alive at 86. I will be attending a family reunion of 45, including cousins, their children, grandchildren and grandchildren. My Grandmother was always poor and the family struggled. I was interested to read that a staging home for Home children arrivals was located in Peterborough where I grew up. I appreciate Carol's candour and "telling it like it was". It must have been a struggle for Carol to come to grips with the history she found of her family and the estranged sisters' stories. I don't recall growing up that I was aware that my Grandmother was a Home child. My Aunt has filled us in with her research. I think this is an amazing labour of love for Carol, not easy and very emotional. I respect Carol's story, her writing skills, her pictures, and Winnie's accent. I enjoyed her chapter headings, jumping back and forth in time and the intrigue of what happened in the past and what was to happen in the future. I applaud Carol's dedication and the pursuit of writing this saga. It must have consumed her time and life. I recommend this book as a must read for anyone to be aware of what happened in history with the thousands of Home children sent to Canada from England. Perhaps, Carol's book will give some Home children's descendants a platform to tell their stories. Thank you Carol for Outside the Gate
Donna McNeely

[Virginia Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Newall's grandmother, Winnie, was one of the more than 100,000 "home children" sent form Britain to Canada between 1869 and 1948 to work as farm labourers and domestics. Some were orphans, but many were taken against their will from families considered "unsuitable". Some were leaving a life of abject poverty to make a better life in Canada, but others were abused and neglected, Winnie Cooper, born in Yorkshire in 1908, was sent at age twelve to Barnardo’s Village Home for Girls and three years later, found herself on a farm in rural Ontario along with her brother George .Although she was well treated by the family, she always dreamed of returning to her family in England.

Winnie's granddaughter, author Carol Marie Newall, tells the story of three generations of the family using a combination of fact and fiction. While the fictional parts helped bring the story to life and solved the problem of the lack of concrete information she could get, It was at times jarring. I wanted to know hat she knew versus what she was guessing. When creating the thoughts and letters for her ancestors you were torn between what they really might have felt/said.done and what she hoped they might have.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written from the heart with much love. The author was given her Granny's box of what seemed to be odds and sods, but they, to her, were part of a story needing to be told. This is the story of Winnie, her life in England and her life in Canada as a British Home Child. Winnie was wrenched from her brothers and sisters and a turbulent and violent life in Scarborough England. The family was divided, never to be reunited. Winnie made a life in Canada despite hardships, betrayals and great loss. The author is Winnie's granddaughter. A moving and poignant personal story of deep family trauma that has spanned generations. Carol Newall includes much contextual information on the British Home Children, also referred to as Dr. Barnardo's children. A much neglected chapter in Canada's history. More stories like this need to be told. Recommend.

[Gary McGugan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-researched and well-written, Outside the Gate is an excellent read. Carole Newell tells a compelling story of her grandmother's forced migration as a child from the UK to Canada under difficult circumstances. I found this biography personal and compassionate while sharing an insight into life-long issues associated with such a traumatic event so early in life. I learned much from Carole's work.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to the author Carol Newall for writing this account of her family's life and for sharing it. My own great grandmother was one of the British Home Children and I know very little of her life but reading this I can imagine some of what she would have experienced.

[Reading in Fleeting Moments · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read. Many parallels to my own family. An important part of a quietly devastating history for so many children and families.