THE CHILDREN'S FRIEND SOCIETY

INTRODUCTION

The Children's Friend Society (CFS) was a philanthropic organization founded in London in 1830. At first known as the Society for the Suppression of Juvenile Vagrancy, its aim was to improve the 'helpless and fallen conditions of the children of the poor'. Thousands of vagrant and pauper children were then living on the streets, or in workhouses and prisons. The CFS established 'asylums' where children could be sheltered, rehabilitated, educated, trained and indentured in various occupations, to give them an opportunity to escape from their disadvantaged circumstances and become industrious, self-supporting British citizens.

Although initially the CFS had no intention of sending these children overseas, the unemployment rate in Britain was high, and the CFS had difficulty finding suitable situations for the children taken into its care. Due to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, there was at the same time a shortage of labour at the Cape of Good Hope. The CFS decided that sending the children to the Cape as indentured labourers was the solution to these problems. Between 1830 and 1840 approximately 800 juvenile emigrants were shipped to the Cape, and apprenticed to employers as artisans or farm workers.

In 1839, allegations were made of ill-treatment of the children by their Cape masters, and an unjustified perception arose in the minds of the public that the CFS was dealing in slave labour. A Government Inquiry was instituted and resulted in the 'Report from the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope to the Secretary of the Colonies, relative to the Condition and Treatment of the children sent out by the Children's Friend Society'.

The CFS was largely vindicated in this Report, published in 1840, but the Cape child emigrant scheme was discontinued. Nevertheless, it paved the way for other similar future schemes and led to a change for the better in laws governing indentured labour at the Cape.

For family historians, the value of the 1840 Report is that it contains the names of many of the children then resident in the Cape, together with useful details of their ages, occupation and treatment by their masters. In some cases there are clues as to their place of origin, whether they had relatives living and, if so, whether the emigrant maintained contact with family members in England. Magistrates who conducted the interviews also made comments as to the apprentices' health, appearance and general behaviour.

CHILDREN NAMED IN 1840 REPORT FROM THE GOVERNOR OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TO THE SECRETARY OF THE COLONIES, RELATIVE TO THE CONDITION AND TREATMENT OF THE CHILDREN SENT OUT BY THE CHILDREN'S FRIEND SOCIETY.

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