My maternal grandfather JAMES WILLIAM BIRCH was born on 4 Apr 1879 at Deptford on Thames, England. His father was JAMES BIRCH (labourer) - born 23 Dec 1852, at Loampit Hill, Lewisham UK. His mother was EMMA JANE PECK MONK BIRCH. EMMA JANE was possibly dead before James' 10th birthday. His widowed father remarried. The name of James' stepmother is uncertain. James had an older sister, JESSIE CATHERINE BIRCH (later MONTAGUE). His younger sister (3 years his junior) was HARRIET BIRCH. JAMES and HARRIET were British Home Children and were exiled to Canada in March 1890. JESSIE CATHERINE remained in Britain. Their father and stepmother were both alive and well at the time of the exile of JAMES and HARRIET. I find that most Birch's on genealogy pages come from the north of England. Mine are from south of the Thames. Does any of this ring a bell with anyone out there? Jim Spencer An Anglican Catholic (TAC) with Orange and Jewish ancestry.