adoption

[kprobes]

I want to know if in 1955 or there abouts when someone had a baby adopted, the mother had a birth certificate for this child.   Would it of been possible for the new adoptive parents to then change the name of this child and given them a new birth certificate.?
What I'm trying to find out is if the adoptive child later in their life asked for their birth certificate which one would they get.
I suppose it all depends on the adoptive parents whether they told the child or not whether they were adopted .
Hope this makes sense.

[Little Nell]

It was only from 1926 that formal or legal arrangements for adoption were made.  Since then an adoption register has been kept which gives the new name of an adopted child, BUT there is no link back to the name with which the child was originally registered. 

Adoptive parents usually gave their adopted baby a new name.  It is only more recently that fewer babies have been available for adoption.  The adopted child would be given their adoptive parents' surname.  The certificate they would get would be the certificate from the adoption register, not their original birth certificate.  The adoptive parents would not have this and probably would not know who the birth parents were. 

Nowadays any adopted person is counselled before they are allowed to receive information about their birth parents.  Back in the 1950s many mothers were not allowed to keep in touch once they had given the child up for adoption and it was made difficult for the child to trace them.

Does that answer your question?

Nell

[kprobes]

Yes Thankyou very much.
Kerry

[MaryA]

Little Nell you seem to be quite informed about this and so wondered if you were able to answer, and in my case it is only for curiosity value because I've seen posts in the past about adopted children looking for a birth certificate - would this be because they were registered maybe a couple of years later with their "new name" rather than near the date of their birth, and so a different time and register would have to be searched. 

In other words if they search what they know is their birth, they wouldn't find it because they don't know what their name was.

Thanks
Mary

[Little Nell]

Hi Mary,

In other words if they search what they know is their birth, they wouldn't find it because they don't know what their name was

I think that is it in a nutshell.

The Adoption index gives the adopted name of the child and the date of adoption.  A certificate provides the register entry made by the Registrar General after a court made an adoption order.  It gives the court's name, date of the adoption order, date of the child's birth and names etc of the adoptive parents.  From 1950 the country  of the child's birth is shown and from 1959  the place of the child's birth is shown.  That might prove to be the only clue in addition to the child's birth date.  With no birth name to go on, it is very difficult to find the correct birth.  It might take quite a while for a child to be adopted, so there could easily be a time lapse between original birth registration and adoption registration.

Nell

[MaryA]

Thanks for your advice.  I've seen people ask a question on this subject before and I've not been positive enough to be able to suggest that answer.

Mary

[lisajk]

I know this thread has been quiet for some time but can I ask, I have  a relative born in 1919 who was subsequently adopted. As this was before 1926 what would be on her birth certificate, and I assume she wouldn't have had an adoption certificate?  And was it common practice prior to 1926 for adopted children to be given the surname of their adoptive parents?
thanks
Lisa

[Little Nell]

Hi Lisa,

Do you know if she was "adopted" at birth or soon after?  There probably was no official adoption with the court order or an adoption certificate.  Perhaps she was taken in by members of her extended family?  It sometimes happened that way.  The child could take the new family's name - and could revert back again if they wish!  A great uncle of mine was apparently adopted by another family along the road (no known link yet) and took their surname. This was early 1900s.  He married my great aunt using that surname and continued to use the name until he died.  His children were all registered in that name, but his son has decided late in his life to revert back to his father's birth name.  Very confusing!

Nell

[lisajk]

Thanks Nell - unfortunately I don't know.  I have found potential entries for her birth on the BMD indexes using her maiden name (i.e. the name she was using before she married) but have no way of knowing whether that maiden name actually was the name under which she was born.  Guess I just need to send for the certs - if the birth date is right then it probably is her.......

Lisa