"Adopted" recorded on birth certificate

[lisajk]

I have a birth certificate of a child born in a Plymouth suburb in 1933.  Her mother was not married so she is registered under her mother's maiden name, with no father listed.    At the right hand side of the certificate, adjacent to the column which says "name entered after registration" there is a box added with the word "Adopted" in it followed by the signature of the Superintendent Registrar.

This may sound like a dumb question, but does this mean what it appears to, i.e. the child was adopted?  Because if so I am a bit confused, because I am 99% sure I have traced her later on, which I would not expect if she were adopted.  To explain:

Her mother didn't marry until 6 years after she was born, and had another daughter 5 years after this.  A woman with the same first and middle names (the combination being relatively uncommon, not like Mary Jane or similar) turned up on the second daughter's marriage certificate as a witness.  I therefore traced her own marriage records, to find that her maiden name is registered as her mother's (unusual) married name.  I'm sure I have the right person - the age is exactly right, and surely it's too much of a coincidence otherwise.  The only thing I can think of is that she was adopted within the family and then the mother took her back when she got married.  Does anyone have any other thoughts or suggestions?

thanks
Lisa

[casalguidi]

Hi Lisa

Yes, this means that the child was adopted and issued with a new birth certificate in the adoptive parents' names.  Perhaps she was adopted by her mother's new husband - it's possible?

Casalguidi

[lisajk]

Thanks - possibly, I did think of that, but discounted it as her mother didn't marry until 6 years later; in which case would that adoption be recorded on the birth cert retrospectively i.e. would someone go back to the birth cert 6 years later and note that she was adopted?   

Lisa

[Tati]

I guess they would have gone go back whatever time has passed, wouldn't they?

Glad somebody will hold the anwer to this 

Tanja

[casalguidi]

Yes, if somebody was adopted then they would add the "adopted" to the original birth certificate irrespective of the time lapse.

There are indexes for adopted children (would show the child's new name in the index) at the Family Records Centre, London (I assume that they are still available to the public) which are indexes for short-form "adopton/birth" certificates showing child's new name/date and place of birth only (like ordinary short-form birth certificates) - these are indexed by year of adoption if I remember rightly.

Casalguidi

[lisajk]

Thank you very much - I think that just about clears it up, as it is the most likely explanation.  Must take a deep breath and make the trip to London......

thanks again, and best wishes
Lisa

[Little Nell]

Lisa,

This thread ties in with your question:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,129677.0.html

It sounds like you have an unusual find - an original brith certificate of an adopted child. 

Remember: the adoption index does not link back to the original birth certificate.

Nell

[lisajk]

Thanks Nell
I'm fairly sure now that I know what happened to the child in question, looks like she was kept by her mother/mother's family so therefore her given names weren't changed, and then 6 years later adopted by her stepfather.  Therefore when a woman with the same given names turned up as a witness on the wedding cert of a close family member it was relatively easy to go back and find her own wedding and then follow the trail.  My only interest in the adoption register is just inquisitiveness to confirm what actually happened!

However as a result of this thread and the one you pointed me to I think that my dad couldn't have been legally adopted as I'd always believed, as there is no mention of it on his birth cert.  Is this possible?  He was born in 1939 to an unmarried woman so was registered under her name, then given to his father's family to bring up, and therefore used their surname (i.e. what would have been his anyway had his father and mother been married).  He was told he was adopted from a very young age, but there is no legal evidence of this.  He managed to get married and get a passport with no problem so I'm not sure how?

Lisa