Frederick Hunter Wilkinson, orphaned in infancy and raised by Barnardo’s in England, was sent to Canada at age nine as one of the British Home Children—a program born during the Industrial Revolution to address poverty through child emigration. Apprenticed as a blacksmith, Fred later served in World War I with the 13th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery. After the war, he settled in Uxbridge, Ontario, where he ran a blacksmith shop, married Vera Frances Cook, and raised seven children through decades of social and economic upheaval. Though many Home Children faced hardship and stigma, others like Fred found opportunity and made lasting contributions to Canada’s development; today, they form a vital part of the country’s heritage, with about 10% of Canadians descended from them.