Lord Archibald Edward Douglas

Reverend Lord Archibald Douglas (1850–1938), the son of Archibald Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry, was a priest who arranged the emigration of Catholic children to Canada, many going to the Ottawa area and into Quebec between 1882 - 1886.

In 1874, Father Lord Archibald Douglas became Head of St Vincent’s Home for Destitute Boys, in Brook Green Lane, Hammersmith, London. There he started a printing press and bakery to provide work for the boys. The home moved to 333/339 Harrow Road, Paddington, London in 1876. He used his own private means to purchase and run the Home.

He changed the policy of the Home, and took in boys of greatest need. Under Father Douglas a threefold development took place.

1. Boys from all parts of the country for whom no patron could be found were received.
2. Appeal was made to the public conscience for funds.
3. A new and great development was made in organising 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.

Father Douglas arrived in Canada on 2 July 1882 aboard the Peruvian. Accompanying him were his first party of children, who were sent to Ottawa. While in Canada, Douglas visited other parts of the country and, in 1891, established a home called New Southwark in Dauphin, Manitoba.

The first report of the arrival of Southwark children in Canada is to be found in 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. A reception Home (New Orpington Lodge) was rented in Ottawa and later purchased.

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.

The Society selected the children from poor law and industrial schools and other sources, to send them under escort to Canada and incidentally to supervise 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 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.