In the course of my research, at the beginning of last year, I found out that the elderly aunt with whom my family had many holidays 50 years ago, turned out to have been my father's mother rather than his sister. It is now clear that she became pregnant in the late 1920s, got married, gave birth to my father who was then brought up by his grandparents. Both the grandparents and his birth mother kept this deception secret for the rest of their lives. My late father discovered this 30-odd years ago, although at the time I was not in contact with him and only made the discovery myself last year.
I would be interested through the forum or confidential personal message to hear from anybody who has made similar discoveries about themselves, as I can't imagine how my father would have felt on discovering this deception. Last year it took me several months to have any interest in my father's birth father, who nobody ever knew, and who was very quickly separated from his wife. My father's birth father and his forebears are now an additional and integral part of my research.
I know it is reasonably common for children or even adults to find out that they were adopted, but I would like to understand the emotional feelings of somebody who finds out that he was knowingly deceived for so many many years. Even in her dotage, and, retrospectively, probably suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, my (now) great grandmother kept her secret, even when my parents were looking after her in her eighties.
Martin
