Reverend Lord Archibald Edward Douglas (1850–1938) was the son of
Archibald Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry
Archibald William Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry PC (18 April 1818 – 6 August 1858), styled Viscount Drumlanrig between 1837 and 1856, was a British Conservative Party politician. He notably served as Comptroller of the Household betwe ...
and his wife
Caroline Margaret Clayton, daughter of General Sir William Clayton, 5th Baronet (1786–1866).
Reverend Lord Archibald Douglas was a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
priest who arranged the emigration of children to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
as part of
the child migration movement, whose stated goal was to place these children on farms, in sparsely settled parts of the world where they would receive training, and be able to start farms of their own. The movement was controversial from its inception, being accused of forcing the children to emigrate, of breaking up families, and of placing the children in a situation hardly different from slavery.
Douglas sent children to the
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
area, to Manitoba, and into
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
.
St. Vincent's Home
In 1874, Father Lord Archibald Douglas became Head of St Vincent's Home for Destitute Boys, in Brook Green Lane,
Hammersmith, London
Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
It ...
. There he started a printing press and bakery to provide work for the boys.
The home moved to 333/339 Harrow Road,
Paddington, London
Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Paddi ...
, in 1876. He used his own private means to purchase and run the Home,
and was assisted for a time by his sister Gertrude.
He changed the policy of the Home, and took in boys of greatest need. Under Father Douglas a threefold development took place.
# Boys from all parts of the country for whom no patron could be found were received.
# Appeal was made to the public conscience for funds.
# An extensive program was initiated, to organise the emigration of children to Canada.
Rev. Lord Archibald Douglas edited a monthly magazine called ''Boys and Girls'' and published by The Southwark Diocesan Council and Rescue Society, to encourage interest and support for its work.
Southwark Catholic Emigration Society
Father Douglas first arrived in Canada on 2 July 1882 aboard the ''Peruvian''.
Accompanying him were his first party of children. He accompanied a group of forty boys to Manitoba.
Exactly when the Southwark Catholic Emigration Society was formed is unclear, but the first formal report of the arrival in Canada of children sent by the Southwark Society dates to 1893 when 45 boys landed at Quebec. The following year there were 17 more. Over the next three years a further 84 boys were sent, taken either by the Rev. Edward St John or by the Rev. Lord Archibald Douglas, the joint secretaries overseeing the emigration.
Lord Archibald Douglas was instrumental in the formation of the Canadian Catholic Emigration Society, which was headquartered in Westminster, London. The Society absorbed the emigration work of the Southwark Rescue Society which commenced in 1892, and the work of emigration of the archdiocese of Westminster.
A reception Home (New Orpington Lodge, later St. George's Home) was established in Hintonburg, Ottawa, in 1895.
In addition, land was obtained in Manitoba in 1895,
and in 1897
the New Southwark Training Farm was opened in the village of Makinak
in the
Lake Dauphin district of Manitoba.
The Society selected the children from industrial and
Poor Law
In English and British history, poor relief refers to government and ecclesiastical action to relieve poverty. Over the centuries, various authorities have needed to decide whose poverty deserves relief and also who should bear the cost of hel ...
schools, and from other sources. It sent them, under escort, to Canada. The escorts also supervised the work of the agency there. Parties of 40 to 60 children were sent out at intervals.
On retirement, by which time he was close to bankruptcy,
he returned to his native Scotland, and St Vincent was given over to Father Douglas Hope.
Note
Home Children
Home Children was the child migration scheme founded by Annie MacPherson in 1869, under which more than 100,000 children were sent from the United Kingdom to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. The programme was largely discontinu ...
is a common term used to refer to the child migration scheme founded by
Annie MacPherson in 1869, under which more than 100,000 children were sent to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa from the United Kingdom.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, Archibald Edward
1850 births
1938 deaths
19th-century Scottish people
20th-century Scottish people
British emigrants to Canada
Younger sons of marquesses
Scottish Roman Catholic priests