The Ballad of Eliza Showell

Poet Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's poetry archive and selects The Ballad of Eliza Showell - the story of an orphan.

When poet Liz Berry stumbles onto a hidden part of her own family's story, it leads her into an investigation of a lost chapter of British history; a story that takes us from the slums of Edwardian Birmingham to the snowbound hills of Nova Scotia.

Between 1860 and 1960, over 130,000 of Britain's poorest and most vulnerable children were forcibly emigrated to distant parts of the British colonies to work as indentured farm labourers and domestic servants. They were known as Home Children. It is estimated that one in ten Canadians is descended from a 'Home Child'.

In 2010, Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an official apology on behalf of the UK Government to the child migrants - "We are sorry that instead of caring for them, this country turned its back, and we are sorry that the voices of those children were not heard."

Presented by Liz Berry

Original music composed and performed by John Matthias. Recorded by Dan Smith.

Produced by Mair Bosworth for BBC Audio

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2023.