Hi again, My grandmother's birth could have ended up in many, different situations. My siblings and cousins, and her only surviving child will probably "never" find out the truth about who her birth-parents were. She was Oops. I'm watching a very old movie right now, while I'm typing, and Jimmy Durante just told a "tall tale" to the IRS and FBI agents about the money they've been receiving "from Heaven." The tall tale started out with him being a 2-day old baby in a basket and someone "stole" him and "sold" him. (The Amazing Rupert) How is that for coincidence? Anyways, my grandmother was conceived during the "summer of 1888" - somewhere. I can only come up with an educated-guess that a married lady in Killingly, CT, had a pregnancy outside of her marriage. She lived on a farm and her husband had a good job, and they were a respectable couple. So, "who" got her pregnant. A wild imagination can come up with many possibilities. It was around the same time that her parents "left town" and moved to Melrose, MA. And, "somehow" a little baby girl started living in the house with them. They formally adopted the little girl in 1892, just after she turned 3. During her pre-school years, when important company came to call, she was told to stay in the back room of the house. Soon after she turned 10, the adoptive mother died, and she was taken to an orphanage. (Etc.) When she was about 8, she overheard a conversation. A man said, "Some day that little girl 'must' learn who her real father was." She never did. But, that means that both the adoptive parents and other people "knew" who her birth-parents were ! I was reminded 2 years ago about "the Victorian Era," which became a story of the "have's" and the "have-not's" in England. Read below for more of the story. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era But, "Victorian America" told a slightly different story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_America And this is what I've been trying to find on-line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_morality The 1800's in England were terrible, especially in London and Liverpool and other large cities in the U.K. And, the 1800's in North America - couldn't help be somewhat similar to life in the U.K. Betty (near Lowell, MA, USA) (The book from England, "Yesterday's Naughty Children" tells many stories of 1850-1900 England life. Not pleasant reading. One boy was sent to a Reform School for 3 years because he had a turnip in his hands. One boy sent to a Reform School for 5 years because he stole 3 apples. Etc.) ----- Original Message ----- From: <syrnick@mts.net> To: <can-usa-migration@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 4:09 PM Subject: Re: [CAN-USA-MIG] "Butterbox" scanndel > Hi Linda: > > A child born out of wedlock was considered something very shameful in > earlier times. Families tried to hide this sort of scandal which lent > itself to ugly types of abuse including selling babies to the highest > bidder, etc. > > Am sure this type of thing was not unique to Nova Scotia, Canada and > happened in the U.S. too. In fact there is some suggestion that many > missing young children in the U.S. have been kidnapped and sold on the > blackmarket to backstreet adoption agencies, etc. > > Lauraine

That is terrible. I think that the little girl in that case deserved to know who she was....... if not as a child, someone should have left her a letter or something to be read later on...... or someone appointed to tell her the story. Everyone has a right to know his/her own identity. ...whether it be good or bad!!! -----Original Message----- From: can-usa-migration-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:can-usa-migration-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Betty Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 7:42 AM To: can-usa-migration@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [CAN-USA-MIG] "Butterbox" scanndel Hi again, My grandmother's birth could have ended up in many, different situations. My siblings and cousins, and her only surviving child will probably "never" find out the truth about who her birth-parents were. She was Oops. I'm watching a very old movie right now, while I'm typing, and Jimmy Durante just told a "tall tale" to the IRS and FBI agents about the money they've been receiving "from Heaven." The tall tale started out with him being a 2-day old baby in a basket and someone "stole" him and "sold" him. (The Amazing Rupert) How is that for coincidence? Anyways, my grandmother was conceived during the "summer of 1888" - somewhere. I can only come up with an educated-guess that a married lady in Killingly, CT, had a pregnancy outside of her marriage. She lived on a farm and her husband had a good job, and they were a respectable couple. So, "who" got her pregnant. A wild imagination can come up with many possibilities. It was around the same time that her parents "left town" and moved to Melrose, MA. And, "somehow" a little baby girl started living in the house with them. They formally adopted the little girl in 1892, just after she turned 3. During her pre-school years, when important company came to call, she was told to stay in the back room of the house. Soon after she turned 10, the adoptive mother died, and she was taken to an orphanage. (Etc.) When she was about 8, she overheard a conversation. A man said, "Some day that little girl 'must' learn who her real father was." She never did. But, that means that both the adoptive parents and other people "knew" who her birth-parents were ! I was reminded 2 years ago about "the Victorian Era," which became a story of the "have's" and the "have-not's" in England. Read below for more of the story. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era But, "Victorian America" told a slightly different story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_America And this is what I've been trying to find on-line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_morality The 1800's in England were terrible, especially in London and Liverpool and other large cities in the U.K. And, the 1800's in North America - couldn't help be somewhat similar to life in the U.K. Betty (near Lowell, MA, USA) (The book from England, "Yesterday's Naughty Children" tells many stories of 1850-1900 England life. Not pleasant reading. One boy was sent to a Reform School for 3 years because he had a turnip in his hands. One boy sent to a Reform School for 5 years because he stole 3 apples. Etc.) ----- Original Message ----- From: <syrnick@mts.net> To: <can-usa-migration@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, September 11, 2009 4:09 PM Subject: Re: [CAN-USA-MIG] "Butterbox" scanndel > Hi Linda: > > A child born out of wedlock was considered something very shameful in > earlier times. Families tried to hide this sort of scandal which lent > itself to ugly types of abuse including selling babies to the highest > bidder, etc. > > Am sure this type of thing was not unique to Nova Scotia, Canada and > happened in the U.S. too. In fact there is some suggestion that many > missing young children in the U.S. have been kidnapped and sold on the > blackmarket to backstreet adoption agencies, etc. > > Lauraine When you want to respond to a query or comment posted on this List, I find it MUCH easier to post a new message -- remembering to include the SUBJECT from the post you are responding to !! Please make sure there is a SURNAME or place-name in the Subject. To search the archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/search?path=CAN-USA-MIGRATION The information page is: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Immigration/CAN-USA-MIGRATION.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CAN-USA-MIGRATION-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message