Was my great grandmother adopted?

[maddys52]

That's a good thought JM. There is a marriage for a Jane WARD to Edwin TAYLOR in NZ in 1881.

Added: Oh ignore this, I forgot she was married at age 17, so not in 1881!

[majm]

And in that era the legal age for females to marry was likely to be 12, so it is possible she had been married previously, widowed, and at 17 was marrying for a second time. 

JM

[bellysally]

The birth record I ordered from GRO for my great grandmother Frances Jane Ward arrived two days ago and I am positively sure that my great grandmother was adopted by William and Frances Ward.
 The birth register has her date of birth 10 October 1849 (exact same record of her birth date on her baptism record 12 months later) and Frances Jane was born at (back of)138 Moseley Street, Aston, Birmingham; mother ELIZABETH TAYLOR; father - blank; and informant of birth Charles Pountney (looks like the spelling) who was the occupier of above address where Frances Jane was born.
I have been searching census records for both Elizabeth Taylor and Charles Pountney and using the above address hoping it would give me some clues but no luck and I do realize the next census after Frances Jane's birth would have been in 1851, two years later.
Has anyone got any other ways/ideas that maybe I could search for both Elizabeth Taylor and Charles Pountney. Also I have no idea when and where Elizabeth Taylor was born but I have been searching with birth year from 1830-1835 and either Aston, or Warwickshire.
I know it's a long shot but....
 Thanks and Cheers

[brigidmac]

Good luck with this .

Sorry I've not got time to read whole topic now .but have had some luck in discovering babies origins 
Send me a pm and i.ll get back to you asap

Just a few things to consider .. baptisms were sometimes made several months or years after birth

Middle names were sometimes used as a clue ..proof of father's identify

Unmarried mothers could apply for affiliation orders to get money for child

[maddys52]

This looks like them in 1851 census:

Moseley St, Aston

Charles Pountney    39    Birmingham  (Forger)
Jane Pountney           30    Birmingham
Thomas Pountney    4    Birmingham
Elizabeth Pountney    2    Birmingham
Charles Pountney    0    Birmingham
Elizabeth Taylor    Sister In Law    32    Birmingham

HO107/2060 / 386

[maddys52]

Charles POUNTNEY and Jane TAYLOR marriage registered at Kings Norton Dec qtr 1845 (18/538).

[jim1]

+ Elizabeth Taylor was a witness. Father Thomas.

[maddys52]

There is this possibility, though it probably needs more research to confirm:

There are these baptisms all on the same day at St Martin Birmingham to parents Richard TAYLOR and Margaret:
05 Sep 1822  Elizabeth
05 Sep 1822  James
05 Sep 1822  Mary
05 Sep 1822 Jane

quite a few other baptisms to children born to Richard and Margaret, though a bit earlier, so hard to say if they are the same family.

Added after reading Jim's post - ignore this, must be the wrong family!

[bellysally]

WOW!!! And THANK YOU for all your help. The 1851 census definitely is the family and also the information of the marriage between Charles Pountney and Jane TAYLOR and Elizabeth TAYLOR being the witness to said marriage. The Jane in Frances Jane must be from Elizabeth's sister Jane.
 Frances Jane's adoptive parents William and Frances Ward must have always been open about adopting Frances Jane as Frances J used the name Taylor when she married and also used the name again when she had my grandmother. I am glad she did as it was from that I started wondering where did the Taylor come from!
 Thanking you all so much for all your help. I will start searching using all you have so kindly helped me with.
 Kind Regards, Judy x