Why was my gt grandfather adopted?

[Silvercup]

I know that it will be difficult to figure this out but I got some amazing help on my last thread, so here goes!

My gt grandfather was born George William Teagle SMITH on 25/12 1893. On the birth cert his father was Edwin SMITH and his mother Jane SMITH formerly SIMPSON. They married in 1884.

However on the 1901 and 1911 censuses George was living with George Thomas TEAGLE as his adopted son. In 1901 George TEAGLE was married to Rhoda (maiden name SMITH) and by 1911 Rhoda had died and he was remarried to Rosa Eliza.

The story that was passed down through the family is that George TEAGLE was his father but he hated him so took his mother's maiden name Smith. Well Rhoda's maiden name was Smith but she wasn't his mother according to the birth cert!

What's obviously curious is that he was given Teagle as a middle name at birth. Jane Smith appears to be alive on the 1901 census as a widow. I don't know when Edwin Smith died and if that's relevant in any of this.

I guess what I'm looking for is the connection between Jane Simpson / Edwin Smith with George Teagle / Rhoda Smith. I did think that perhaps Edwin and Rhoda were related but I can't find it.  Why would a married couple have a child, give him another man's surname as a middle name and then give him to that man for adoption?! What am I missing

[Jool]

Hi Silvercup, I just thought I'd put the link to your previous thread in case it helps anyone searching

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=784296.0

[avm228]

I haven't read the other thread in any detail (too long).

What checking have you done so far into the backgrounds of Edwin Smith and Rhoda Smith to see whether they were related?

I see that Rhoda was 21, daughter of William Smith (farmer) when she married George Thomas Teagle on 6th Dec 1890 in Lambeth.

Am I right in thinking George and Rhoda had no children born to the marriage - or at any rate none who survived?

[avm228]

Edwin Smith was a 26 yr old warehouseman, son of Benjamin Smith (decd), hotel proprietor, when he married Jane Simpson at St Mary, Lambeth on 31 July 1884.

[avm228]

What was the precise address in Lambeth at which George W T Smith was born in 1893?

Was it Rosetta St?  This was Edwin Smith's address at marriage, and he & Jane and their daughter Violet Simpson Smith b 1887 were at 1 Rosetta St with his widowed mother Rhoda in 1891.

Alternatively Edwin and Jane appear to have spent time at 21 Meadow Place; this was the address on the baptisms of their daughters Ethel Simpson Smith (1885) and Violet Simpson Smith (1887).

Edwin was born in Bath per 1891; likely birth reg is Sep qtr 1858 Bath.

[Palladium]

No formal system of adoption existed until 1927. A family would often take in and care for an orphan and also look after a child of someone fallen on hard times, ...though not always willingly!

[crisane]

Who was the informant on George William Teagle Smith's birth certificate?

[chempat]

George W T Smith is recorded as Smith in 1901 and 1911, so ignore family tales about not using Teagle because Smith was his original surname which he has kept.  George Teagle could have had him recorded with surname Teagle, but he is down as Smith.

Possibly given Teagle as middle name because family were close, and George Teagle and wife offered to look after him - no children of their own. The Teagle name being used to indicate the proposed link.

[Janelle]

It’s curious that there is a Rhoda Smith on both sides of this story - his adoptive mum was born Smith 1870 At Daglingworth glos and his true father Edwin’s mum was Rhoda Budgett b 1834 nunney somerset, married Benjamin Smith of Walcott, bath.

So apart from the Smiths all coming from the West Country into Lambeth, as well as George teagle, I don’t see any blood or marriage connection for the Smiths.

Jane Simpson’s folks are x Ireland, per 1871 census at woolwich.

Giving a child to another childless couple happened in my husband’s family - his ggm to her aunt, and she was a replacement for her elder brother who got to come back into the family when he was old enough to work. Sad life for ggm who had a wealthier home to grow up in but was never able to get past feeling abandoned by her own mum.

Salute,

Janelle