Lord Archibald Douglas

Reverend Lord Archibald Edward Douglas (1850–1938) was the son of Archibald Douglas, 8th Marquess of Queensberry and his wife Caroline Margaret Clayton, daughter of General Sir William Clayton, 5th Baronet (1786–1866). Reverend Lord Archibald Douglas was a Roman Catholic priest who arranged the emigration of children to Canada 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 area, to Manitoba, and into Quebec.

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. 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, 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. 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. In addition, land was obtained in Manitoba in 1895, in the Lake Dauphin district of Manitoba.

The Society selected the children from industrial and Poor Law 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 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.