Everything I’ve learned and have come to understand in researching British Home Children cannot and would not be possible without the amazing efforts of Lori Oschefski and her amazing achievements with the British Home Children Advocacy and Research Association. I cannot recommend a better source for those with BHC connections. That being said, when we encountered the 1921 Canadian Census for Minnie Keffer and Thomas John Hodsdon hosting two lodgers by the names of Sidney Maidment and James Salmon, we knew exactly where to look.
Sidney Maidment is a recognized BHC through Fegan Homes. When we originally found the census due to an Ancestry transcription error, we assumed James was his brother – However James’s surname is ‘Silmon’ or ‘Salmon’. James was BHC and his name was mis-transcribed in confusion due to Sidney and we had thought he was connected to Robert Salmon as a sibling, but upon further examination we’re going to give him a profile all of his own in our next post. All that being said, here is what we’ve managed to put together on Sidney Frank Maidment, British Home Child through Fegan Homes.
Sidney is also spelled Sydney on some records.
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
Name: Louisa Croutcher
Registration Year: 1897
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district: Christchurch
Inferred County: Hampshire
Volume: 2b
Page: 1300
Records on Page:
Percy Maidment
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Sidney Frank Maidment
Registration Year: 1904
Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration district: Christchurch
Inferred County: Hampshire
Volume: 2b
Page: 622
Sidney was accounted for twice on the 1911 Census, with both his parents and with his Aunt and Uncle.
1911 English Census records place Louisa Croucher (34) and Percy Frank Maidment (33) at 2 Alcester Road, Upper Parkstone, Poole, Canford, Dorset. In residence were their children Albert Percy (12), Frederick Charles (8) William Henry (7), Sydney Frank (6), Doris Emily (4), Hilda Gertrude (2), and Arthur John (1). Also in residence were Louisa’s siblings Frederick Croucher (18) and Gertrude Croucher (16).
Percy was a Pointsman for Bournemouth Corporation Tramways by trade. Frederick worked as an attendant at a skating rink, and Gertrude worked ironing laundry.
1911 English Census record confirm Alice (40) and George (39) of Fernlea on Ernest Road, Hornchurch, Romford, Essex. In residence are their children Arthur George (13), Ellen Annie Emily (10), May Beatrice (8), Percival John (8) and their nephew Sidney Maidment (7).
George was a ‘Sorter’ by trade for the Foreign Section of the London General Post Office.
Alice notes the couple had been married 14 years, had 4 children born alive and were still living.
Circumstances changed for the Maidment families during the First World War.
Sidney’s Uncle, Corporal George Maidment was Killed in Action 13 Nov 1916.
Acknowledgement of having received her husband’s Victory Medal came from Alice Brown Maidment on 11 May 1921. He served as C/6544 Corporal George Maidment, 10 Platoon, C Company, 1st Kings Rifle Corps. Corporal Maidment is mentioned and has record of a letter he wrote in the book ‘The Quick and the Dead’ by Richard van Emden, published by Bloomsbury Press (July 31 2012). ISBN-10: 1408822458. ISBN-13: 978-1408822456.
Library and Archives of Canada
Item: Sydney MAIDMENT (92664)
Given Name(s): Sydney
Surname: MAIDMENT
Gender: M
Age: 16
Year of Arrival: 1920
Ship: GRAMPIAN
Date of Departure: 1920-05-04
Port of Departure: London
Date of Arrival: 1920-05-15
Port of Arrival: Quebec
Party: Fegan Homes
Destination: 295 George St., Toronto, Ontario
Children travelling together: Q20AH
Type of Records: Passenger Lists
Microfilm Reel Number: T-14704
Reference: RG 76 C1a
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Database Item Number: 92664
Item: Sidney / Sydney MAIDMENT (137714)
Given Name(s): Sidney / Sydney
Surname: MAIDMENT
Gender: M
Age: 16
Year of Arrival: 1920
Ship: GRAMPIAN
Sent by: Fegan
Record Title: Records of the Fegan Distributing Home in Toronto
Page Number: 229; see also an addition to 229 at the end of the volume
Volume Number: 6
Family History Library Microfilm Reel Number: 2027622
Reference: Genealogy CS88 A2 F43 1995, microfilm #2
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Database Item Number: 137714
Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935
Name: Sidney Maidment
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Birth Year: abt 1904
Date of Arrival: 15 May 1920
Vessel: Grampian
Port of Arrival: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Port of Departure: London, England and Le Havre, France
Canada, Ocean Arrivals (Form 30A), 1919-1924
Name: Sidney Maidment
Gender: Male
Estimated birth year: abt 1904
Birth Place: England
Age: 16
Date of Arrival: 16 May 1920
Port of Arrival: Quebec
Port of Departure: London, England
Ship Name: Grampian
Notes: Confirms Fegan Homes as sending agency. Next of Kin was his Aunt, Mrs. Maidment of ‘Fernley, Ernest Road, Hornchurch, Essex’. This confirms his connection in the 1911 English Census to Alice Brown and her husband George Maidment who were of Fernlea on Ernest Road, Hornchurch, Romford, Essex. No mention of his parents.
1921 Canadian Census records place the family of Minnie Keffer (39) and Thomas John Hodsdon (35) spelled ‘Hodson’ on the record, on the East Half Lot of 10, Concession 4, in the township of Vaughan, York, Ontario, Canada. Thomas John Hodsdon was from England and had arrived in Canada in 1908. In residence were their sons Frederic (4), and Enos (2) as well as Minnie’s sisters Anna Keffer (44) and Alice Keffer (40) as well as two boys listed as Lodgers, Sidney Maidment (17) and James Salmon (15). Sidney had arrived in Canada in 1920 from England, where as James had arrived in 1921.
Upon his return to England, Sidney married Jessie Elizabeth Gallop:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
Name: Sidney F Maidment
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1929
Registration district: Poole
Inferred County: Dorset
Spouse: Jessie E Gallop
Volume Number: 5a
Page Number: 665
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Louisa Maidment
Death Age: 59
Birth Date: abt 1878
Registration Date: Jun 1937
Registration district: Poole
Inferred County: Dorset
Volume: 5a
Page: 286
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Percy F Maidment
Death Age: 82
Birth Date: abt 1879
Registration Date: Mar 1961
Registration district: Bournemouth
Inferred County: Hampshire
Volume: 6b
Page: 227
Edit 11 Nov 2017: Amazingly, just today Lori posted a research tip on BHCARA that gave us additional paperwork on Sidney Maidment! This confirms Sidney was with Minnie Keffer and Thomas John Hodsdon as we knew from the 1921 Canadian Census, but also confirms he went to work almost immediately afterward for Jesse Keffer who was relatively next door. From there he made his own arrangements, we know he had returned to England by 1929.
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_mikan_161388
