Do you recognise this family? They are described as:

“Trefeglwys Family Migrate: This is a photo of Mr and Mrs Davies and family Trefeglwys, who sailed on the S.S. “Dorie” of the White Star line, for Calgary, West Canada. They intend to settle in a district where now reside friends who emigrated within the last year.”

Around 1926, there was a mass recruitment of farming people from Wales to Canada. My grandfather was one of these people who migrated. Below are some examples of what appeared in the local newspaper (as articles not adverts):

February 16, 1906

Canada’s Call for Britishers
Emigration made easy

So urgent is the demand for British men and boys to work on the land in Canada and for British women and girls for domestic work (both in the cities and on farms), that Her Majesty’s Government and the Government of Canada have made arrangements under which the following special third class fares, from British ports, will be applicable to approved settlers, viz., to Canadian landing ports £3, Montreal £4, Toronto £4 10s, Winnipeg £5 10s, Saskatoon, Begina and Moose Jaw £6, Edmonton and Calgary £6 10s., and to Vancouver £9. Those eligible for these reduced fares are married men of farming experience (with or without children), experienced farm workers, a few men without farming experience, domestic and household workers. In certain cases even part of the reduced fare is advanced. Emigrants are met on arrival in Canada, situations are found, and free advice, information and assistance given for a period of five years by Government superiors.

There is also a scheme for British boys between the ages of 14 and 17, who are given free passages; no farming experience is necessary under this scheme. The boys are met on arrivel [sic] and are placed in homes with people of the same religious denomination, and will receive a small wage, the minimum being ten shillings per week.

The most attractive scheme is known as the “3,000 Families’ Scheme” under which it is ?reposed to settle 3,000 families on farms throughout the various provinces of Canada. Applicants must have had some farming experience. Those families that are approved receive the benefit of the reduced rates, and their children go free to destination. They are placed on settled farms and are granted loans of up to £300 for equipment and stock. The husband and the older members of the family are placed in situations, as near as possible to the farm, to learn Canadian farming and customs, whilst the wife, with the younger children, carries on at the farm, under the advice and assistance of supervisors, until such time as the husband is competent to take over the farm on his own account. The wife is provided with a cow, poultry, pigs, and, if necessary, with a horse and buggy. This scheme provides a splendid opportunity for occupiers of small holdings insufficient to provide a living. Only a small amount of capital is required for the purpose of carrying on until settled. Hundreds of letters of satisfaction have been received from families who went out under the scheme last year. Full particulars of the various schemes and forms of application can be obtained free of charge, from Mr Trevor M Turner, Travel-Emigration Agency, 44 Welsh Walls, Oswestry, an accredited agent for the Colonial governments, and for all steamship lines. Those wishing to go out this Spring should apply at once for application forms.

February 23, 1926

Canada

SATISFIED SETTLERS

The following letters from a husband and wife who went from Chirk, Denbighshire to Canada, last year, under the 3000 Families’ Scheme, have been received by Mr Trevor M. Turner, Travel-Emigration Agent, 44, Welsh Walls, Oswestry.

Cecil Sniller Farm
Panoka, Alberta
11 January 1926

Dear Mr Turnor

I am sorry to have kept you so long, but I have been working on a farm six miles from here all summer. Well, I may say we are going on very nicely so far. We are 14 miles west of Panoka, and 80 miles south of Edmonton. This is a big wheat farming district, but there is quite a little mixed farming and dairying too. I am not starting in on my farm until the spring. I have 90 acres under cultivation, and there is more to break up. Dairying and hogs seem to be going very well here. We have quite a nice house, kitchen, dining riom, and sitting room, with three good bedrooms upstairs, milk house, good well, good barn, stabling for six horses, cow barn for 12 cows, and good hog pasture all fenced. On the voyage out everything on the “Lancastria” was O.K. Fine dining room tables nicely laid out’ the food was very good, also the sleeping apartments. The orchestra played every afternoon for tea. When we got to Panoka we were met by the Mayor and Council with their wives and given breakfast at the Royaol Hotel. We received a great welcome. We wish to thank you for all you did for us, and we intend to “make good”. We are having a lovely winter, and can sit with the door open to have our meals.

Yours respectfully
Richard W. Morgan

Dear Mr Turnor

As Mr Morgan has at last found time to write to you I thought I would enclose a note to let you know how I like Canada. Well I like ti fine, and have only met with kindness everywhere I have been. The people here are all very kind and nice to me. I have a good cow, poultry and a nice hose and buggy, we have had quite an influx of visitors from England to come near to starvation when there are such splendid opportunities waiting for them in Canada. I have got quite fat and bonny since I came out. When we got to our farm we found a nice cooking stove, a table, two chairs, bedsteads, mattress and sundry cooking utensils provided for us, in fact, we are in clover and are going to do our best to win through. No one need be afraid of coming out under the 3,000 families scheme because it is loyal to you all through. A neighbour provided us with all the potatoes we required for the getting up of them. We have also been provided with meat and garden produce. In fact everybody just seems as if they were out to be kindness itself.

Yours sincerely
(Mrs) M. Morgan

The above are typical of hundreds of letters received from families who went out under the scheme last year. Parents should give their children a chance, and write at once for particulars to Mr Trevor M. Turnor, 44 Welsh Walls, Oswestry.