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Season 2022 – Talk 19 – 19th Century Colonialism – did the National Trust get it right?
In 19th Century Colonialism – did the National Trust get it right? Peter Duffy discusses how the spread of the ‘Anglo’ communities was different to previous centuries.
Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk.
His own experience:
He tells us that as a young boy, he and his brother left England to live with his Aunt in Canada because a German invasion was expected at any time.
We learn about their journey to Regina. First across the Atlantic, where they were in the charge of a family friend, followed by a train, in the charge of the guard. The train journey takes some days with Peter having happy memories of meals in the Dining Car.
In Regina:
In 1940 Regina is already a large city. It also houses the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Peter’s aunt is married to a retired Mountie.
We hear that the two brothers sang the Canadian National Anthem every morning in school with Saturday mornings reserved for the Cinema!
Rudyard Kipling:
Many people associate Rudyard Kipling with the Empire however they often forget his writings about the US and Canada. Peter tells us about the book Captains Courageous which recounts the adventures of 15 year old Harvey Cheyne Jron and life on the Grand Banks fisheries.
He falls from a ship and is saved by a fisherman. When he finally reaches shore his parents race across the US by train to be reunited with him.
Emigration from poverty:
Peter tells us that many of the people who emigrated from the British Isles did so to escape extreme poverty. He tells us about the vast numbers who set off for a new life in the 19th Century.
Listen to the podcast and hear Peter tell the full story.
About this podcast:
This is an edited recording of a talk given to the Farnham u3a World History Group.
It is not always possible to use all of the images in the original talk for copyright reasons.
The Farnham u3a site is here.
This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.
AKM Music licenses Media Magazine for use as the theme music.
© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham u3a World History Group 2018 – 2023