Barwell Boys & Little Brothers

[Elspeth Grant]

Hello

Please see this webpage for an overview of the Barwell Boys and Little Brothers schemes that operated in South Australia during the 1920s: www.safarmapprentices.net/1920s.htm

I find that I am often provided with excellent information and resources about the Barwell Boys and Little Brothers who emigrated to South Australia but I am not sure what to do with the information, as my website focusses on the farm apprentices who arrived before the First World War.

I thought that as a first step it would be useful to start this message board for people to record details of Barwell Boys or Little Brothers they are related to, hosted on their farms or just remember meeting.

People have the chance to meet fellow relatives and friends of these men at the annual informal meetings of the Barwell Boys and Little Brothers Association (see the above weblink for details).

At the March 2009 meeting of the Association, I will ask whether anyone would be interested in setting up a sister website about the 1920s schemes. Please contact me if you are interested.

The State Library of South Australia also has a little-known private record group for the Barwell Boys and Little Brothers to which people can donate records, photos, diaries, etc.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks
Elspeth

[Elspeth Grant]

Hello again

I have just confirmed with the State Library of South Australia that they would like to receive any originals or copies of photos, letters, diaries or other records relating to the 1913-14 farm apprentices, Barwell Boys and Little Brothers. They already hold an archive series relating to the Barwell Boys and Little Brothers Association and a series of oral history interviews conducted by Tony Evans in the 1990s.

I would recommend you contact the State Library if you would like to share the story of a family member or friend and/or want your records to be safely stored for future generations.

Please contact Tony Leschen, Manager Collection Development at the Library for further information.

Thanks
Elspeth

[etude]

I am trying to find information regarding Hubert (Hugh) Rigney born 1899 in Dublin, that came under the Barwell Boys scheme around about the 1920's. I believe he was assigned to T.G.Schulz of Glencoe, South Australia. This shows on the 1924 electoral Roll. I am particularly interested in when he left England and on what ship.
Thank You....Iris

[peter]

Hello Iris. There are 2 possibilities in the emigration records from UK.
First is a Hugh Rigney age 22 who left London on the 'BENALLA' on 12th May 1921 for Melbourne. He occuaption is listed as Boilermaker and his last address in the UK as 30 Whitefield Ter, Heaton, Newcastle-on-Tyne and England as country of last permanent residence. If that is your Hugh, it seems he may be a little old to be a Barwell boy.
Second is a Hugh Rigney age 22 who left London on the 'HONORATA' on 14th June 1921 for Melbourne. He occuaption is also listed as Boilermaker and his last address in the UK as Scand'n Sailors Home and England as country of last permanent residence.
It seems to me your Hugh may be a little old to be a Barwell boy, but maybe he came through a Victorian immigration scheme although neither of the above are with a group of young lads as would be usual. Maybe he paid his own way.

If you'd like to contact me at [e-mail] I'll send you copies of the shipping transcripts.

[hodge]

i am looking for any infomation on john william frances street he left london on the ss BENALLA bisembarcked in adelaide 1922

[peter]

Hi Hodge,
I notice there is quite a bit of family information on Ancestry.com including his army photo.
Is that you?
Peter

[hodge]

HELLO PETER THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY I THINK THE INFORMATION ON ANCESTRY IS MY HUSBANDS COUSIN I HAV J.W.F. STREET'S BARWELL BOYS RECORDS AND HIS MILTARY RECORDS HOW EVER THERE IS A TEN YEAR GAP I KNOW HE MARRIED GARRY'S GRANDMOTHER AND THEIR CHILDREN WERE BORN AND THATS IT HE ALSO WORKED FOR THE RAILWAYS SO FROM 1925 TILL 1939 I CAN FIND VERY LITTLE THANK YOU AGAIN HODGE

[larrybee]

Hi Hodge,
The State Record in Adelaide and Gepps Cross South Australia, have many records of the Barwell Boys, well worth looking into if not already done so.Cheers larrybee

[llewellyn]

Hi elspeth

My Father Ernest Edwin Jones came out on the Barwell scheme and I am trying to track this down for my children

Do you have any information on him as he died in 1953 when I was three years old . Any Info would help?

Llewellyn Jones

[Elspeth Grant]

Hi Llewellyn

Hopefully by now you have received an email from me - it appears there is a file relating to your father at State Records of South Australia.

Unfortunately this message board was spammed so your message was hidden amongst a lot of bogus stuff! I've deleted them all now, so hopefully it won't happen again.

Kind regards
Elspeth

[caroledee]

Hi
I'm looking to find out information about my grandad James Harry Ewing mills who came out to Australia as a farm apprentice...not sure with which wave and worked on doon doon ranch. He came back to England after a few years, but died before I was born. My dad says he wrote to someone in Australia for years after he came back. Are there any web based records of farm apprentices other than the 1913-14 ones anywhere? Im interested in finding out about the scheme, the farm and why

he came back. Regards Carole

[montyscott]

Hi there,im researching Montague herbert Edwards,who was 18 when he arrived in Freemantle on the 10th May 1927.He was on remittance,for being a bit of a lad back home in England.I believe his mother sent him to this scheme as the other option of going to jail.He spoke of working in a sugar plantation,would this be correct? Rumour has it he got a young aboriginal girl pregnant and got out of town by the skin of his teeth,but theres lots of rumours of this guy.He was born in Lewisham 1909.He arrived in New Zealand 1928. Any help gratefully recieved.Regards Graeme Duckett,New Zealand.

[montyscott]

Hi again,Montague herbert Edwards arrived on board the S.S.Beltana 10 may 1927,Freemantle from London.regards Graeme Duckett

[Lavinia]

Hi there,

My grandfather, Desmond Alexander Charles Grey, was on the Largs Bay coming from London to Adelaide, listed as a farm boy at the age of 16 in May 1922. I read an article from the Register in that year that some of the farm boys on the ship were part of the Barwell scheme.

How would I go about verifying this?

Regards, Lavinia