Memorable Manitobans: Thomas John Barnardo (1845-1905)

Philanthropist.

Born in Ireland on 15 July 1845, he founded one of many child-saving institutions in Britain devoted to the care of orphans and waifs. In 1888, he opened an industrial farm of 10,000 acres near Russell, which provided work for about 40 boys. When a boy had saved $150 and taken up a homestead, the farm manager outfitted him with a house and supplies, including farm machinery, which could be paid off by easy installments. There were charges that Barnardo’s people often separated children from their parents and generally rode roughshod over what remained of family life in Britain’s slum districts. By 1893, however, his operation had sent more than 6,500 children to Canada. He died in England on 19 September 1905.

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Barnardo Industrial Farm Monument (Municipality of Russell-Binscarth)

Dr. Barnardo: The Foster Father of Nobody’s Children by J. H. Barr (1904).

Sources:

“Dr. Barnardo passes away,” Winnipeg Tribune, 20 September 1905, page 1.

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 7 June 2024

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

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