Adoption

[maggie smith]

Please can someone advise me how to find out when my cousin was adoped and by who.  Unfortunatly he has since died, and I have just been told that he was born in Oct/Nov/Dec 1934 named William Phillip Swinden.  He was born in Kensington, but was adopted by his aunt who lived in the Peterborough area.

[Ken_from_Wisbech]

Hiya

You don't say if Swinden is a birth name or adopted name, but, I have found this:

Dec q. 1934, William P.  Mother's maiden name, McGrath, Kensington, 1a, 168

Hope that is of help.

Ken

[corinne]

I don't think you will be able to get access to any official records for this one.  For a start 1934 is rather too recent, and for another thing, you are not the person involved or a direct descendant of theirs. 

Of course that doesn't stop you finding out things in a very roundabout sort of way that may give you at least as much information.  Do you know who this aunt was?  Perhaps you need to flesh out the family tree a bit to include more of the extended family, so you can see where he fitted in, and why he went to that aunt rather than being adopted by someone else.  If you can find out which village/town he lived in then you might be able to find out more about him and the family he was adopted by from local records, papers, school photos etc.  What about the church?  Many adoptions were organised informally through the local church, and again it is possible that if you find the right person they may just be able to tell you something more.