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Margaret Humphreys

Empty Cradles Paperback – February 1, 1996

by Margaret Humphreys (Author)

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In 1986 Margaret Humphreys, a Nottingham social worker, investigated the case of a woman who claimed that, at the age of four, she had been put on a boat to Australia by the British government. Margaret Humphreys soon discovered that as many as 150,000 children had in fact been deported from children's homes in Britian and shipped off to a "new life" in distant parts of the Empire—the last as recently as 1967. For numerous children it was to be a life of horrendous physical and sexual abuse in institutions in Western Australia and elsewhere. Margaret Humphreys reveals how she gradually unravelled this shocking secret, how she became drawn into the lives of some of these innocent and unwilling exiles, and how it became her mission to reunite them with their families.

Print length

383 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Transworld Publishers
Publication date

February 1, 1996
Dimensions

4.7 x 1.01 x 7.7 inches
ISBN-10

055214164X
ISBN-13

978-0552141642
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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

'Brought tears to my eyes. It is impossible to read Empty Cradles without thinking "These could be my parents. These could be my children."... Despite the sadness and anger at its centre, hope remains the principal message of this remarkable book' - TERRY WAITE, THE TIMES

'A TRULY ASTONISHING, HAUNTING, REAL-LIFE DETECTIVE STORY' - She (Australia)

'THE SECRETS OF THE LOST CHILDREN OF BRITAIN MAY NEVER HAVE BEEN REVEALED IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR [THE ACTIONS OF] MARGARET HUMPHREYS' - Sunday Times

'IT IS A STORY THAT DEFIES BELIEF' - Independent

'A MODERN FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE' - Sydney Morning Herald

About the Author

Margaret Humphreys is the Director and founder of the Child Migrants Trust, supported by Nottinghamshire County Council. For her services on behalf of the child migrants, she has been awarded the Order of Australia - one of only a few Britons ever to have been so honoured. She lives in Nottingham with her husband and two children.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Transworld Publishers (February 1, 1996)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 383 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 055214164X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0552141642
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.7 x 1.01 x 7.7 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,788,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,990 in Children's Studies Social Science (Books)
- #2,471 in Child Abuse (Books)
- #5,643 in Social Services & Welfare (Books)

Customer Reviews:
802 ratings

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3 star		5%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Jeanette Armstrong

A sad book, but one that needs to be read.

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2015

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This was based on a true story that I knew very little about. In the early 1900's The United Kingdom placed orphans, or underprivileged children up for adoption. Only adoption wasn't what happened to most of them. They were deported to enhance the populations of Australia and several other British Commonwealths. The children had been brought up to believe they were orphans and their parents had died. Some of them were old enough to have memories of their homeland and were not convinced they were orphans. If the biological parents went searching for them they were told their children had died. Some of them believed that, others had serious doubts. It wasn't until the children were all adults that a social worker began to dig into the history of what happened and she was shocked at the cruelty of tearing children from parents and placing them elsewhere. Most of the children were never adopted but used as slave labor. Some of the boys went to a Catholic run institution in Australia and were used as child labor and often abused repeatedly by the brothers. It was hard to read about the abuse and it continued on for so long. If this had been exposed to the public I must have missed it because it was a surprise to me. The social worker then set up a means of connecting children to their biological parents, if it was at all possible. Most of the children had no papers, birth certificate or documentation of who they were. Tracing them back to the UK was a long and tedious process and I was amazed they met with success as often as they did. Unfortunately, many of the now adult children were met with the news that their parents had passed away. Others had siblings to connect with. It was all very heart breaking and I'm glad I read the book. It needs to be a movie if it isn't already.

9 people found this helpful

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Lora S.

Wonderful book. But so sad!

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2018

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A wonderful book, but so sad!

In 1986 Margaret Humphreys, a social worker in Nottingham, England, became aware of two instances of people who had been sent to Australia alone as children some forty or more years earlier – by themselves. Her first thought was that this was not possible and that her first correspondent had forgotten or was unaware of some of the circumstances of her travel to Australia. But when she heard of the second case, she became curious. She wound up researching both cases and was eventually able to connect both of these people with their families.

But in the process, she discovered that there had been literally thousands of other children who had been basically exported to various British territories over hundreds of years, with a heavy concentration on children being exported to Australia shortly after World War II.

Almost all of these children were told at the time that they were orphans and that they had no families. Silly me would have thought that, in the immediate aftermath of the war, when a great many people had actually been killed, the great majority of such children really would have been orphans. But as Mrs. Humphreys heard from more and more of these former child migrants and began researching their histories and trying to reunite those who still had families with those families, she discovered that almost none of them had actually been orphans at the time they were sent out of their country. They had, however, almost all been living in some sort of children’s home or orphans’ home before they were sent away without being asked whether they wanted to go. In most cases, their parents were not asked whether they wanted their children sent away either. In fact, many of the parents were lied to as well, being told, if they asked, that their children had either died or been adopted.

The truth was that few if any of the children sent to Australia were ever adopted or even made available for adoption. They continued to live in various children’s homes until they were grown and moved out into the wider society. In some of these homes, they were physically and sexually abused. In others, they were only worked very hard. Some were able to overcome their harsh upbringing to become successful citizens after leaving their respective institutions. Others were rebellious and continued to be in constant trouble of one kind or another even after they were grown.

Margaret tells her own story of building a small organization to try to help these people and trying to discover why and how this had happened without anyone seemingly knowing anything about it. She relates the stories of several of the migrants, some of which had happy endings while others did not. Somehow, she managed to rouse such enmity from someone that they threatened her life and her family.

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ECL

Moving story of a woman's fight to help others

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2014

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I saw the movie and then had to buy the book. This story is wonderfully written and the story is very interesting.

The British Government sent poor children and some orphans out to their commonwealth nations. They said it was to populate the newer countries, and that the children didn't have families in England. Some of these children grew up in appalling conditions having to do backbreaking work just to earn their keep (some endured physical abuse of all natures) in the orphanages in some of the countries, Australia being only one. The orphanages were mostly charity based and many of these very young children were taken away from mothers who were having a difficult time, too poor, had to work, had other children... but wanted them back!

Margaret Humphreys worked for British Social Services. After some of the orphans found out what had happened to them, she worked tirelessly to help them find a living parent, sibling or their grave. She worked hard though she was being verbally abused and others trying to physically hurt her. Making herself ill in the process, she had to be away from her own children and husband in order to help these children who are now adults find a little peace. This happened in modern times, not only 100 years ago.

She helped a lot of them find some peace if not a parent or sibling. Not all stories have a happy ending, but to me, the work she did is the happy ending. Well Worth the price. I own this in Kindle form.

7 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Emm

A brilliant, haunting and unforgettable book.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2018

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I have read this book twice already. I will read it again. I have visited Perth but unfortunately was unable to get to Bindoon.
Like so many others, I had no idea about child migration until I saw a film on the television.
I was very upset about it and did my best to forget it. In vain! I had nightmares over and over. Still, when I saw the book I was unable to resist it.
Why? Because it could so easily have been me, along with my brother and sister!
It was 1955, my mother was ill and was hospitalised. My father, still traumatised after having survived four years in a concentration camp, worked nights in the local colliery.
I distinctly recall two social workers inspecting us as I sat with my brother and sister lined up on the settee in our front parlour.
My father argued with them that we were supervised at night by my aunt, who sat nearby nodding earnestly, so there was no need to take us into care.
This was a not true. As my father departed at 10.30pm every night I locked the door and took charge. I was nine, my sister was eight and my brother four.
My mother suffered for years with mental illness, my father was somewhat inclined to drink too much and I have often wondered whether we would have been better cared for in a home, foster home, or even adopted.
Now I know the answer.
Anything was better than the fate endured by the child migrants. When I think of what could have happened to my little brother!!We did the best we could to care for each other and stay together. Whatever else, we kept our roots, our extended family, friends and neighbours. I know where and when I was born and still have a relationship with my siblings. We have aged together and shared our very different lives and families.
We know who we are.
My heartfelt sympathy goes to each and every one of those of my peer group who suffered this outrage, wherever they are.

26 people found this helpful

Taylor Phillips

Emotional roller coaster

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2018

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I bought this book several months ago but finally started reading last week. I had not really read the promo details before buying and was not prepared for what I was reading. Children torn from their families, friends and country and shipped to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Zimbabwe. In most cases the children's identities were changed to ensure no one could find them. Most of the children suffered dreadful abuse and were used as slave labour. That the governments of these countries encouraged this illegal migration is a gross abuse of power. The illegal migration continued until 1967 yet to this day the British govt has not apologised for their part in the illegal transportation. At times I became so incensed that I had to stop reading. My heart goes out to the adults ( previously migration children) who still have no closure or have not located their biological families. I have also had a complete change of heart towards those institutions, Dr Barnardos being just one of many. Will never again donate to these charities.

10 people found this helpful

K A Byrne

Writing Wrongs

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 20, 2019

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I was a social worked in London when this story broke in the press and I can remember watching the films that were made about the children separated from their families and removed from the UK. Their story deserves to be told and this book is a vivid reminder of the emotional and physical abuses that many of these children suffered and the impact that this and their removal from the UK had on them as adults.

Maraget Humphrey's did a remarkable piece of international social work and no one can argue the importance of that work to so many families, I just wish the book had been better written. I did read it until the end, but I felt it was so repetitive that is could have easily been half as many pages without any loss of information or emotional impact.

5 people found this helpful

Mrs. S. Hall

Empty Cradles (Oranges and Sunshine)

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2018

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I defy anyone to read this book and not feel some kind of emotion while reading it, knowing all the time you are reading the book that every word and everything that happened was true. I felt ashamed that as a Brit this was caused by people in this country to children of this country, some of whom should never have been sent away! I cried for the children, as I was born in 1945 some of those children are my generation. I remember when I was in the infants school in Bristol a very official looking man in a suit stood at the classroom door and one of the boys in the class went with him. The boy was from a poor family (not that any of us were rich at that time) and there was just himself and 2 sisters, after reading this book I hoped that they never went on any of those ship journeys as I never saw the boy again.
This is just a brilliant written book and I say thank goodness for Margaret Humphries, at least some of the children found some happiness in their lives. It is sad that children who were sent away always asked the same questions why was I sent away, what did I do to deserve being sent away. I shed a few tears reading this book, and no doubt I will shed a few more when I read the book again. Certainly deserves 5 stars and I very highly recommend this book.

4 people found this helpful

rcl16

Insightful and harrowing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2018

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This book is very well written and gives a true insight to the devastating decision by British government to send many children thousands of miles away from their homes and families.
The book reveals the devastating consequences to the lives of these children. Many were too late to be reunited with their families years later and many had been told that they had no live family. But many, with the dedication of Margaret Humphries had that opportunity. This book will both shock and move you. A very emotive read, which has made me further research the places and people involved.
This is our history and Britain should be ashamed!

6 people found this helpful

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Empty Cradles Paperback – February 1, 1996

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