Mystery Photo - Chinese orphans? 1909

Yesterday I was checking out some folders in my genealogy cupboard when I came across a bag with some photos that came from my great uncles Peter Dawson's house. There were many that I had previously seen, some that I knew about and ones that were a complete surprise. This photo was one of the latter.

Sharon Brennan collection from Peter and Pauline Dawson.

Before I looked at the back of the photo, I wrote down what I could ascertain from the photo.

The children in the photo are Chinese.
There are 2 westerners in the photo.
One of the men has a queue (plait).
According to Wikipedia it was compulsory for the men to wear a queue until the 1910's.
I'm unsure about what is in the sack. Initially I thought it may have been food for the children, but I'm not sure.
On second thoughts the sack may in fact be part of the clothing of the woman? whose hand is outstretched.
Some of the children appear to be wearing a name tag.

The writing on the back gives some clues as to who the children were.

1909

Keavefsford children - all over China

brought back from Swalow South China

in baskets from the hold of Ship

20 in all

I'm not sure if I have transcribed this correctly.

My great uncle Ernie worked in Shanghai as a police officer from 1907 until 1912. He would have sent this photo to his brother Peter in Australia.

If there is anyone who knows who Keavefsford? children were I'd love to know. One wonders what happened to them.

Caroline Chisholm

I am currently in England visiting my daughter who is working in London. Naturally I decided I would have to spend some time on genealogical pursuits. The problem was where would I choose for a few day's retreat from London? In the end I decided to go to Northampton to visit the grave of Caroline Chisholm. Caroline is known as the immigrant's friend. She was a well known social reformer of her day. Why is Caroline significant to me and my family? You may recall that Caroline Chisholm was on the original $5 note in Australia. As well as her image there was a picture of a ship. That ship was the Waverley . Caroline agitated at the Home Office to reunite the wives and families of convicts with their husbands and fathers. On 22 June 1847 she wrote that she ‘had just left the Home Office and had obtained a passage per Waverley for forty-nine souls.’ SMH 9 August 1847, extract from letter 30 March 1847. My great great grandmother Matilda Agnew, her older siblings James, Joh...

My WW1 soldiers (2) - Ernest Lee Dawson

Ernest Lee Dawson (500) (1885 - 1968) This is the second post in a series of posts over the next few years to remember all the men in my extended family who enlisted in World War 1. So far I have identified 26 soldiers who enlisted between 20 August 1914 and 2 November 1918 and I feel sure I have missed some. Of the twenty six, five were killed overseas or died here in Australia. My aim is to publish these posts on the 100th anniversary of their enlistment. Ernest Lee Dawson (my great uncle) was the eldest child of William Henry Dawson and his wife Bridget Mylan. He was born in the Cooma district of NSW in 1885. On 25th August 1914, less than three weeks after the outbreak of the First World War Ernie, a farmer who lived at Old Bonalbo enlisted in the 2nd Light Horse Regiment in Lismore. Ernie had previous military experience. In 1906, he answered an advertisement to join the Shanghai Municipal Council Police Force, as a recruit. He ...

The Tree of Me

Search This Blog