Cape Breton Post July 13, 2008 Monday Family Reunion A Long Time In The Making BY LAURA JEAN GRAN CAPE BRETON POST GLEN TOSH - Descendants of a family torn apart almost a century ago were reunited on the weekend in Cape Breton. Judy Ross, of Glen Tosh in Victoria County, and Pete Stowe, of Banbury, England, had each been conducting searches for family for years when they finally made contact earlier this year. "My grandmother and three of her siblings came over here from England in 1910," said Ross, explaining they were among the thousands of children, now known as British home children, sent from England to Canada between 1869 and the mid- 1900s. At the time, those four siblings left behind three brothers in England, who were allowed to stay with their mother, a widow, who was having great difficulty providing for her family. Stowe's grandfather was among the three brothers who stayed in England. In the years that followed their separation, the seven siblings and their families were able to maintain some contact but all ties were eventually lost around 1942. That is until now. Intrigued by stories their parents had told them about their family history, Ross and Stowe had begun searching for clues to their roots several years ago, when, after hours and hours of online searching, Stowe stumbled upon an archived obituary for Ross's mother that had been published in the Cape Breton Post. He sent letters to the family members in Canada noted in the obituary and upon seeing a letter her brother had received from Stowe, Ross immediately e-mailed him this past February. They've been in contact ever since and Stowe, along with his daughter Rachel, mother, June, and sister Jo Hopkins, decided to make a trip to Cape Breton to meet his long-lost family members. Ross said it's an overwhelming feeling to re-establish contact with her family and roots in England. She said it's neat to think of four of her family members travelling to Canada, almost a century after four young children - her grandmother and three siblings - made the trip. "It's 98 years later and four people came over," she said. The Stowe family are equally thrilled to see the reunion become a reality. "It just makes the world seem a smaller place," described Pete, who noted he had travelled to Toronto before and in flying over Nova Scotia had wondered where his family might be. "Now to actually meet them is brilliant." A large family reunion was held Sunday at the Bras d'Or Yacht Club in Baddeck and the Stowes are in Canada for a two-week visit. ljgrant@cbpost.com Photo of family members Judy Ross, left, and members of her family including Pete Stowe, right, his daughter Rachel, in front, his mother June Stowe, and his sister Jo Hopkins, middle, were reunited last week in Glen Tosh, Victoria County. Laura Jean Grant - Cape Breton Post Family reunion a long time in the making