'Adoption' 1919

[girrys]

My grandmother Mona Violet Clarke was 'adopted' in 1919 by a family with the name of Sowerby in Manchester and I am trying to find some information about this.
I know officially adoption did not exist then but surely you couldn't just give your baby away to anyone!!??  My grandmother is deceased and would never talk about it. I have her birth certificate with her parents names father Robert Clarke (deceased) mother May Clarke nee Pierce but I have not found a marriage for them so I suspect they never were.
Any suggestions gratefully received.
Gill 

[stanmapstone]

Welcome to RootsChat
The 1926 Adoption Act which came into effect 1st January 1927 was the first Act legalising adoptions. Prior to that children were just handed over with mainly a verbal agreement and, at best, a declaration setting out the child's change of identity was drawn up by a solicitor, but it was by no means a legally binding document. Adoption was viewed as an essentially private arrangement between the parties concerned. The term "adopted" generally included fostering and guardianship.

Stan

[CaroleW]

Welcome to Rootschat

This is a complete longshot and assumes that Pierce/Clarke never married

Births September qtr 1894
May Pierce  Barton upon  Irwell    8c   629

Marriages September qtr 1925 
May Pierce/Herbert Faulkner    Manchester South  8d 128

[KGarrad]

Birth Registration (from FreeBMD):

September qtr 1919
Chorlton Registration District     vol 8c, page 1352

Clarke, Mona V       Mother's Maiden Name: Pearce

[stitchwitch]

What other details does the birth cert give? Occupations, address, etc?

At that time, I believe it was possible for the informant to put anybody down as the father? Married or not?

[stanmapstone]

At that time, I believe it was possible for the informant to put anybody down as the father? Married or not?

Not correct. The Registration Act of 1874 stated:
"The putative father of an illegitimate child cannot be required as father to give information respecting the birth. The name, surname and occupation of the putative father of an illegitimate child must not be entered except at the joint request of the father and mother; in which case both the father and mother must sign the entry as informants"
The Act came into force on 1st January 1875

Stan

[girrys]

Apologies the mothers maiden name is Pearce not Pierce. Fathers occupation 'Labourer at iron works' it says deceased underneath this. Their address was 25 St James Street, Moss Side, Manchester.

I have already come to the conclusion that they were not married. Would May have had to provide the death certificate to put the deceased fathers name?

[carol8353]

Before the 1927 adoption act came into force,babies were often given up to childless friends or relatives of the mother. You might find a link to a friend living nearby. On occasions of course the grandparents took a baby on as their own,especially if the baby's mother was very young.

[c-side]

While researching something completely different I came across an advert in the personal column of our local paper in 1916.  Someone looking for a good home for a baby girl "for love only".  In other words they were not looking for any form of payment, just a good home!

It shocked me just thinking about it.