ABSTRACT
In 1875, Andrew Doyle reported to the local government board at Whitehall on the emigration of pauper children to Canada. He spoke to many children, some of whom had happy experiences, some not. ‘We all sicked over each other’, was one description of the sea voyage, while a child patiently explained: ‘’Doption sir, is when folks gets a girl to work without wages’ (Doyle 1875). Innovation and claims of innovation have become key metrics by which scholars as well as entrepreneurs are measured but listening to children, and providing this frontline evidence to policymakers, has a longer history than we care to acknowledge. While the migration of unaccompanied children from the UK continued for almost a century after his report, Doyle had a degree of influence on the flourishing child migration movement, and the voices of children undoubtedly played a part.
