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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Leicestershire => Topic started by: Tuggybear on Thursday 22 October 20 14:40 BST (UK)
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If someone was born in 1940s to a single mother who later married another man and he adopted you when you were about 10 so that you have the same surname as your siblings. Would you be able to obtain any details of that adoption such as names of birth parents? If so, where would be the best place to try and obtain these details?
I'm trying to help an ex-pat relative lay a ghost from her past to rest. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
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This might be useful background reading:
https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records
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If you knew the birth name you would be able to search for the birth in the index and send for the cert BUT based on the details you have given the birth is of an illegitimate child so the father wouldn't be named on it.
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Thank you Glen, the birth name should be the same as the mother, my husband's aunt but his cousin remembers being told that her father was not her real dad and being taken to court where both her mum and her step father had to adopt her so she believes that her mum wasn't her real mum too. She is 78 now and has lived in Australia since the 1970s so trying to find anything out is very difficult for her and she has asked me to help. I'm not sure I can find out anything that shew doesn't already know. :(
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Have you tried the link I gave?
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Thank you Glen, the birth name should be the same as the mother, my husband's aunt but his cousin remembers being told that her father was not her real dad and being taken to court where both her mum and her step father had to adopt her so she believes that her mum wasn't her real mum too. She is 78 now and has lived in Australia since the 1970s so trying to find anything out is very difficult for her and she has asked me to help. I'm not sure I can find out anything that shew doesn't already know. :(
Her birth mother would have also had to adopt her because if not the adoptive father would have become her only legal guardian leaving her birth mother without any legal rights. This happened to a friend of mine in the 1960's in Australia and I think it would be the same in the UK.
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Dna tests can give clue to fathers line tho not necessarily identify the man himself
It would also.prove or disprove whether she came from same maternal line as her half /adopted siblings (im sure she does )
If one of them or a niece/ nephew/ cousin from the known line would test too
Any different high matches would show people who match.the birth father
Its quite expensive but sending for two tests at once reduces postal cost .
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Please re assure your friend that her Mother would be her natural Mother. It was the law that if a new husband wished to adopt her child , they both had to adopt even though the child was her own.
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Could you give a link to the law, as I was trying to find it yesterday to make sure what I believed was correct, and was obviously searching using the wrong terms?
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"When an adoption order is made the natural birth parents of the child are wiped clean from the child’s legal history and the child is viewed from then on as being the ‘birth child’ of the adoptive parents. For this reason the step parent and his partner, one of the child’s biological parents, must make a joint adoption application."
From this NZ site. https://thefamilylawyer.co.nz/2011/06/22/his-kids-her-kids-our-kids-formalising-the-role-of-step-parents/
Not having much luck with any UK site other than this vague reference "If granted, the adoption court order gives you parental responsibility for the child - along with your spouse or partner." on here https://www.gov.uk/child-adoption/adopting-a-stepchild
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Thanks for looking. I wanted something that clearly stated the birth parent had to re-adopt, instead of a statement being added in semi-explanation afterwards.
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Could you give a link to the law, as I was trying to find it yesterday to make sure what I believed was correct, and was obviously searching using the wrong terms?
Have you tried family lives. Org UK, adopting step children ? There might be something there.
Alternatively , Parliament UK children's adoption bill.
Sorry I can't do links.
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A timeline of changes made to the adoption act through time at
http://www.historyandpolicy.org/docs/dfe-jenny-keating.pdf
The Adoption Act 1949 as enacted is detailed on the following link, keep clicking on "next provision" to advance page by page through the legislation.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/12-13-14/98/introduction/enacted