Adoption - Finding a half brother

[CelticMom]

I want to try and find my half-brother, he was adopted in 1958/1959 - born in Islington, London in 1958.

I have his birth name, but not his adopted name. I don't believe he will be on the adoption contact register. If anyone can offer some advice on the best route for me to take it would be appreciated.

Thank you

[groom]

If he was legally adopted, he'd be on the adoption register wouldn't he? What makes you think he wouldn't be?

This may be of some help

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/adoptions/

[CelticMom]

If he was legally adopted, he'd be on the adoption register wouldn't he? What makes you think he wouldn't be?

This may be of some help

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/adoptions/

Sorry I mean the adoption contact register, not the official adoption register. Yes he will be on the adoption register.

[CelticMom]

the hardest thing I am finding is trying to locate the correct intermediary service.

I contacted the LMA, as he was born in Islington registration district, but they can't find any record of him, by what I provided on his birth certificate. But of course, I have not idea of what his name is now.

It's likely he was adopted in a different district from where he was born. I have an inkling it might have been Watford, so maybe I should contact that office?

The other issues are I am now living in Canada.

So if anyone can advise on the best route to go to try and find him, it would be really appreciated.

[dawnsh]

Hi Shevy

the best way forward is for you to register on the GRO adoption contact register here despite your reservations

https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records/the-adoption-contact-register

or here

http://www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk/default.htm

or here

http://www.missing-you.net/categories/adoptions.php

in the hope that he may also have registered to find his birth family.

Unless you know his name after adoption, it will be impossible to find his entry in the GRO Adopted Childrens Index.

Does the place of birth on his birth cert give any clues?

See page 74 of this book provided by Camden Council

https://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/stream/asset/?asset_id=3586793&

and this from Islington

http://directory.islington.gov.uk/kb5/islington/directory/service.page?id=qx1Cx58B-TM

either or neither of the 2 councils may have been involved.

Dawn

[CelticMom]

So the Catholic Adoption Agency has located some records and are now doing a search through the GRO to try to find out which court dealt with the adoption and hopefully we can move forward from there.

In reference to the adoption index (like the birth, marriage and death index etc), what kind of information is given on there?

If I am in the UK next year and still haven't had any luck finding my half-brother, would it be an impossible task of going through the index and ruling some out one by one, as I know the adoption definitely was in the London or surrounding areas, so if it names the place of adoption, I could perhaps rule out quite a few, or would that be a lengthy task, I'm willing to try anything at this point?  The adoption most likely happened in 1959, as he was born the end of 1958 and I know was kept for approx 6 months.

[dawnsh]

Hi Shevy

The GRO adopted childrens index contains very little in the way of useful information.

Upto 1969, the entries consist of the name after adoption and a volume number and entry number and are compiled by surname and by the year of adoption.

After 1970, the entries have the same information but are complied by year of birth not adoption and there is no mention of the year of adoption.

So the starting point for this index really is the name the adopted person was known by after the adoption.

Once you have found the relevant entry and ordered the certificate, the information contained in it is very similar to standard birth cert, the date of birth, the adopted persons name, the names of the people adopting the person and the court that processed the adoption.

At no point is the birth mother or actual place of birth recorded.

So as I mentioned before unless you have both names and the date of birth to confirm, there is no way a random check of either index will link the 2 events together.

Your best best is to wait for the Catholic Adoption Agency to come back to you and in the meantime put your details on the GRO contact register.

[CelticMom]

Hi Shevy

The GRO adopted childrens index contains very little in the way of useful information.

Upto 1969, the entries consist of the name after adoption and a volume number and entry number and are compiled by surname and by the year of adoption.

After 1970, the entries have the same information but are complied by year of birth not adoption and there is no mention of the year of adoption.

So the starting point for this index really is the name the adopted person was known by after the adoption.

Once you have found the relevant entry and ordered the certificate, the information contained in it is very similar to standard birth cert, the date of birth, the adopted persons name, the names of the people adopting the person and the court that processed the adoption.

At no point is the birth mother or actual place of birth recorded.

So as I mentioned before unless you have both names and the date of birth to confirm, there is no way a random check of either index will link the 2 events together.

Your best best is to wait for the Catholic Adoption Agency to come back to you and in the meantime put your details on the GRO contact register.

I thought that was possibly the case. I do have an idea of the year he married so thought I may be able to cross reference against that to rule out too.

But am waiting, of course, to see what the Catholic Adoption Agency come back with.

Thank you for your reply and help.