|

The Horror of Britain’s Child Migration Schemes – ‘Empty Cradles’ a memoir by Margaret Humphreys

Empty Cradles
Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk

Empty Cradles is a harrowing memoir which details the uncovering of an appalling part of British history: Child Migration Schemes. It has been many years since these events were brought to light by Margaret Humphreys. As you read this memoir, though, you understand that there is no end to the pain and its repercussions.

During the 20th Century, over 130,000 children were deported from Britain to distant parts of the Empire and to Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Rhodesia, Australia and New Zealand – the policy only ended in 1970. This was a governmental policy, involving charitable and religious institutions to remove perceived burdens from Britain’s ‘care’ system and help ‘build the Empire.’ Almost all of the children, from orphanages or children’s homes, had parents who did not realise what was happening. Often, both child migrants and their parents were told that their families were dead. In their new countries, their ‘new life,’ as the children were told they were going to, they encountered various things. For some there were positive opportunities but for many there were slavery-like conditions on farms and in domestic service. There was lack of food, no comfort or love and horrific experiences of emotional, physical and sexual abuse. The depth of suffering is devastating to read. In uncovering these events, Margaret Humphreys set up The Child Migrants Trust, in 1987, to attempt to reunite these ‘lost’ migrant children with any family members who were still living.

The initial task, which began in the 1980s, was enormous and the book details this with power. As you read you weep at the stories, so appalling and devastating are they. Children lost without an identity, lost without a homeland. Children believing they had no family, feeling alone in the world without love, often abused and mistreated, never feeling they belonged, wondering what they did to cause the removal from their home country and carrying buried trauma for their entire lifetime. The intensely poignant family reunions which are detailed in this book are a testimony to one woman’s incredible courage and persistence.

And it is this one woman I keep thinking of, when I read, who is in the midst of this firestorm: a Nottingham social worker called Margaret Humphreys. She uncovered this tragedy and sacrificed time with her family, experienced death threats, listened to these unimaginable stories of horror over and over again and became physically ill due to overwork. Yet still she continued. She continued in spite of the huge toll it took on her. She continued for the lost children, the now often lost adults, to try to return something of what was taken from them. To try to help them heal. Whilst we all think that such terrible things must come to light, we often give little thought to what it may have cost the ‘whistleblower’ to pursue this path.

If you think that this memoir will be too painful to read then you are probably right. It is harrowing just for a reader and unimaginable for the children at the heart of it. The film of these events is equally moving: Oranges and Sunshine. But as you read or watch then you are witness to this suffering and offering your support. This is the voice of injustice and we all need to hear these voices. And perhaps most importantly, to wonder if we can help in some way. The work of The Child Migrants Trust is ongoing and relies on donations to support adults, who were once child migrants, in numerous ways. Most importantly, helping to reunite them with family members and return their rightful history to them. Though we may feel powerless as we read or watch, there is in fact something tangible that we can do to help.

I will remember this memoir for Pamela, Harold, Marie, Desmond and many others. For their suffering and for the appalling inability of governments and organisations to accept their role and responsibilities in this tragedy. But most of all for Margaret Humphreys, who innocently and naively stumbled upon this tragedy and pursued it with tenacity. She didn’t work for plaudits, although she has received them: the Australian Order of Merit in 1993 which she considered belonged to the Child Migrants Trust; and the CBE in the UK in 2011. Her only drive has been to support the adults at the heart of this tragedy. She has made such personal sacrifices, showed enormous courage, and succeeded in bringing healing to many lost, disenfranchised and traumatised people. I imagine she wouldn’t want me to say it, but she really is a remarkable and inspirational woman.

Similar Posts

10 Comments

  1. Wow Ruth, over 130,000 children, how absolutely atrocious. 🙁 Kudos to this remarkable woman, Margaret Humphreys. Empty Cradles sounds like a harrowing memoir indeed, and you’ve written a great review on it here Ruth. I may just give it a read or the film a look. Thanks for sharing, Ruth. x

    1. She really is a remarkable woman Julie. Thanks so much for your thoughts on the review. As always, I feel that the book does hold so much more than the film, but either is good – we need to know about these events and the suffering. I have been rather out of action, hence my belated reply. Thanks so much for visiting and making such a great comment – I’ll be over to you soon! Love to you xx

  2. Yes this terrible scar not only on History but upon the lives of those who were affected will forever hold …. We will discover many more things our Governments have done which as citizens we trust them as being Right,, And yet many things in the past and even now are far from Right… The more we discover the more we learn.
    I think this book would be too harrowing for me, as I feel too much..

    Love to you Ruth and thank you for sharing xxx Sue xxx

    1. Hi Sue. Yes, you are right, there is much that we don’t know and it often takes many years for things to be uncovered. Sorry I have taken some time to reply, I have been rather out of action. I’ll be over to visit soon, though. Much love to you and thanks, as always, for your thoughts and visit – I appreciate both. Ruth xx

      1. Dear Ruth, know I have been thinking about you a lot recently, and I played your wonderful music…You are in my thoughts and sending some energy your way via the cosmos your way.. … Lots of love and special hugs for you… Sue xox

        1. Thank you so much Sue, I really appreciate that. You must know I’m poorly as I haven’t visited you for a long time. I’ll be there as soon as I can and back to blogging when I can. Much love and thoughts to you, so kind of you to think of me and lovely to know my music is being played. Thanks again Sue xxxx

  3. It certainly does sound to be a harrowing memoir, but we need to know about these things. Lessons must be learned. History reveals many atrocities and we must never be complacent about questioning things that are going on in our world right now, too. Thank you for this interesting and thought-provoking review. I have a long ‘To Read’ list but I will definitely put this memoir on it.

    1. I totally agree, Jean. As harrowing as these stories are, they must be heard. I think you would find it a valuable memoir. As I mentioned in my review, Margaret Humphreys is just an incredible woman and shows us what is possible when someone decides to fight against injustice. Sorry I have been a while replying. All my best to you Jean and great to see your blog posts in my mailbox again – I’ll be over soon.

Comments are closed.