Author Topic: 1911 census - found adoption details  (Read 9151 times)

Offline gazania

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1911 census - found adoption details
« on: Thursday 12 November 09 01:21 GMT (UK) »
I am aware that formal, legal adoptions were not enacted until the 1920s but no doubt informal arrangements have been around for along time.  However, I was surprised to see adoption details on the 1911 census, with the child in question being recorded twice, once with the mother then again with the "adopting" parents.  The Blincow family in question are my husband's distant relatives and we had no previous knowledge of the family let alone the "adoption".

So I would like to share what I found on the 1911 census:

Mary Gwendoline Helen BLINCOW aged 8 is living with her widowed mother, Helen aged 43, two siblings, Irene 16 and Helen 6 and a boarder. The address is Bodenham, Harpenden.

(A Freebmd search reveals that Arthur John BLINCOW, father/husband died at Pancras in 1906 aged 38.)

Mary's birthplace is listed as Wheathampsted, Herts.  Now against Mary's name is the notation " Now adopted by S Jacob Esq/-  Ullerwater Rd Southgate". 

A search for the "adoptive" father reveals:

Siegmund JACOB aged 39, Fur -Skin Merchant/Dealer b Russia, Nat British subject
Olivia Sarah JACOB 41 wife, married 16 years no children b USA

Then:
Gwendoline B JACOB  adopted daughter aged 7 b Hertfordshire

(also a servant)

The address was 85 Ullerwater Road Southgate.

A lot of questions are now flying around - when & why etc.

Regards, Gazania
ALDERMAN, Bucks
BELK, Yorkshire, London
CARLING, Bedfordshire
CUNDITH,CUNDILL, Yorkshire, PALIN. Lincolnshire
FOX, Essex; Camberwell Surrey
LANE, Cork IE;Askeaton LIM, Liverpool, Clifton, Bristol
VOLLER, Surrey
WALL Clonlara Co Clare Ireland
WAREHAM, Esher, Surrey; London
WINCH, Surrey

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: 1911 census - found adoption details
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 12 November 09 13:26 GMT (UK) »
You are fortunate to have those entries as someone has misunderstood the instructions on filling in the householder's census schedule. The census was meant to taken of each individual in the household on census night only.
Gwendoline B JACOB is shown as being at two different addresses, and she should have only been shown at one. 
As the census schedule was distributed in the week before the census, it could be filled in early with the people who would be expected to be there on the night. Therefore you sometimes get people enumerated twice, at their usual home and at a house they happened to be visiting.

Stan
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline gazania

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Re: 1911 census - found adoption details
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 14 November 09 01:42 GMT (UK) »
Hi Stan,

Thank you for explanations.  Indeed I am lucky to find the adoption information. This entry and others I have found have indicated how the census form has been misinterpreted (and to my advantage);  in particular column 4 - for a MARRIED woman to disclose the number of children, living or deceased.  I can understand a widow struggling to raise her young children, feeling obliged to report all.  I am sure  there were others who believed it was not the Government's business to know what their circumstances were.  Anyway I suppose we will have to wait until the 1921 census to see if the form was simplified or changed much.

I have researched this family a little more, especially to see what type of "adoption" was proposed. For example, did Gwen. continue to have contact with her natural family?  This may account for her being included on the census, if she went home for a visit, especially if the census was taken at Easter. I think I have found her marriage which was in 1933 and she appears to use her birth name then.  Regards, Gazania
ALDERMAN, Bucks
BELK, Yorkshire, London
CARLING, Bedfordshire
CUNDITH,CUNDILL, Yorkshire, PALIN. Lincolnshire
FOX, Essex; Camberwell Surrey
LANE, Cork IE;Askeaton LIM, Liverpool, Clifton, Bristol
VOLLER, Surrey
WALL Clonlara Co Clare Ireland
WAREHAM, Esher, Surrey; London
WINCH, Surrey

Offline gazania

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Re: 1911 census - found adoption details-New York update
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 16 January 10 23:38 GMT (UK) »
Hi Everyone,

This census entry now takes another twist:

Passenger lists to New York gives the arrival of Gwendoline Jacob (b1904) and her "adopted' mother, Olivia Sarah Jacob aged 39 arriving on the "Caronia" on
10 April 1911.

Admittedly the list was not easy to read with my poor eyesight and on the Library version of A*** and I could have made a mistake, but I am pretty sure this couple was in New York when the 1911 census in the UK was taken.  I am a very surprised.  "Adopted " Dad was not with them.  But he filled in & signed the 1911 census entry so....  I would like to hear your comments.

Regards, Gazania
ALDERMAN, Bucks
BELK, Yorkshire, London
CARLING, Bedfordshire
CUNDITH,CUNDILL, Yorkshire, PALIN. Lincolnshire
FOX, Essex; Camberwell Surrey
LANE, Cork IE;Askeaton LIM, Liverpool, Clifton, Bristol
VOLLER, Surrey
WALL Clonlara Co Clare Ireland
WAREHAM, Esher, Surrey; London
WINCH, Surrey


Offline Gaie

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Re: 1911 census - found adoption details
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 17 January 10 00:52 GMT (UK) »
Hi Gazania

The 1911 Census was for the night of 2nd April 1911, so it is possible for Gwendoline and her adoptive mother to have been in the house that night and still made it to New York by 10th April.  Well it would be if the boat had left on or after 3rd April but in fact it left Liverpool on 1st April!!  If you look at the first page of the ship's manifest it definitely says 1st!

But Stan already referred to the forms being distributed a week before they were due so perhaps that's the explanation.

And I love Olive's "Calling or Occupation" being Wife  ;D  A noble occupation indeed  ;D ;D

Kind regards
Gaie
Sussex, Burwash/Somerset/South London: PANKHURST/FABLING/GREEN/KING/PARROT/POPE/PEMBROKE
Notts/Leics/London: POLLARD/BELAND/FELLS/MORRISON/MARYSON/CLARKE
Northants: MARRIOT/T
Suffolk: LINGLY/LINGLEY/LINDLY/LINDLEY/ SEAGER /SIGGER/SEGGAR/VINCE
Gloucs: WINDOW Glamorgan: JENKINS Cardiganshire: JONES
Poland: OZIEMKIEWICZ France: LINETTE

Offline gazania

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Re: 1911 census - found adoption details
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 17 January 10 06:46 GMT (UK) »
Hi Gaie,

Thank you so much for providing a pretty good explanation for the issues.

It reminds me of the time we filled in a census form due on the last day of a New Zealand holiday and then on our return to OZ, a few weeks later the OZ census was held.  I did wonder at the time what my descendants would think.

Best regards, Gazania
ALDERMAN, Bucks
BELK, Yorkshire, London
CARLING, Bedfordshire
CUNDITH,CUNDILL, Yorkshire, PALIN. Lincolnshire
FOX, Essex; Camberwell Surrey
LANE, Cork IE;Askeaton LIM, Liverpool, Clifton, Bristol
VOLLER, Surrey
WALL Clonlara Co Clare Ireland
WAREHAM, Esher, Surrey; London
WINCH, Surrey

Offline Nick29

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Re: 1911 census - found adoption details
« Reply #6 on: Monday 18 January 10 15:33 GMT (UK) »
You are fortunate to have those entries as someone has misunderstood the instructions on filling in the householder's census schedule.

It's a good job that these mistakes happened, though.   My grandfather filled in the "Years married" and "Number of children, born, living and died" columns in the 1911 census, even though his wife had died 6 years previously.  Were it not for the mistake, and the fact that the enumerator had only obscured it with a single line through it, I would not have had confirmation that their first son had died.

RIP 1949-10th January 2013

Best Wishes,  Nick.

Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline SFWood

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Re: 1911 census - found adoption details
« Reply #7 on: Saturday 17 April 10 06:52 BST (UK) »
Dear Gazania,
    Please contact me.  I am related to Olivia Jacob wife of Siegmund Jacob.  She was born in the USA and is my great grandfather's sister.  I have found their "adopted daughter" Gwendoline in 1950 and would love to share the information I have and perhaps get some help. 
     Regards Susan
Olivia and Siegmund Jacob - London
Olivia Jacob - Hove

Offline gazania

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Re: 1911 census - found adoption details
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 17 April 10 07:43 BST (UK) »
Hi Susan,

I am sending you a PM.  I am afraid I know very little about the family as I just happened to come across them on the 1911 census and have not taken the research any further.  But I am more than happy to share what I have.  Best regards.  Gazania.
ALDERMAN, Bucks
BELK, Yorkshire, London
CARLING, Bedfordshire
CUNDITH,CUNDILL, Yorkshire, PALIN. Lincolnshire
FOX, Essex; Camberwell Surrey
LANE, Cork IE;Askeaton LIM, Liverpool, Clifton, Bristol
VOLLER, Surrey
WALL Clonlara Co Clare Ireland
WAREHAM, Esher, Surrey; London
WINCH, Surrey