File contains copies of birth certificates for children in the Refuge. These were obtained by the Refuge under the Elementary Education Act of 1976 and the Factory and Workshop Act of 1901. They were usually obtained to prove a child was of working age. The 1976 Act had placed a duty on parents or guardians to ensure children received instruction in reading, writing and arithmetic up to the age of ten. The 1901 act required all children under the age of 16 to produce a certified copy of their birth certificate in order to work in a factory or workshop.
