Together Trust Archive

As it approaches Mother’s Day it prompts reflection on what our relationships mean to us: whether that be with one’s biological mother; grandmother; step-mother; foster or adoptive mother, or any other influential female who plays a significant part in our lives. For some this may stir up feelings of confusion or sadness. For others this can be a happy time in which to share fond memories and create new ones together. For those young people who were in the care of the Refuges many may not have had a relationship with their mothers. The reasons for a child entering care were varied and complex. Some had faced the trauma of losing their parents at an early age to illness, or were removed from their situation either permanently or on a short-term basis. Regardless of circumstance, we should all have a person in our lives who provides us with the same sureties a mother does, be they female, or indeed, male. So as Mother’s Day approaches we ask ‘what is the role of a mother?’

With only a few days left until Christmas Day we thought we’d finish off the year with a motto card from 1905. These were created yearly by the Manchester and Salford Boys’ and Girls’ Refuge and Homes in order to send to all of their children in Canada. They were also given to all the young people in the Manchester Homes on Christmas Day morning.  motto card for 1905

It’s been a busy few weeks here at the Together Trust . As Christmas 2014 is fast approaching however, it seemed a good time to turn back the clock 100 years and see how our boys were faring in France and Belgium as World War One raged on. Our Boys

On letters - “This is just me, me the way I write, the way my writing is, the way I want to be to you, giving myself to you across a distance, not keeping or retaining any part of it for myself, giving this piece of myself totally, and you can tear me up or throw me out, or keep me, and read me today, tomorrow, any time you want until you die.” - Love Letters, A. R. Gurn ey Emigration scrap books

After the last few blogs about the importance of documents for establishing identity I thought we would look at some more of our fabulous emigration collection and the individuals they represented. Passengers on the boat to Canada

We’re heading back across the seas today to sunny Canada, simply because I’d like to relate to you some of the letters sent back to the Refuge by the children who went to live in Ontario. Within the Together Trust emigration collection there are many of these letters which give us an insight as to what life was like in Canada in the late 19th and early 20th century. Marchmont Receiving House, Belleville, Ontario