Was it normal for children to be adopted if their mother died?

[pennine]

Despite all the current day adoption regulations, during the course of my work, as recently as 1996 I came across two very curious cases whereby the authorities had not intervened in informal arrangements for children.

Case One: A mother in her forties gave birth to twins. As she had already got nine children she 'gave' one of the twins away to the next door neighbours who couldn't have children. After a few months the neighbours went to live in Ireland with the baby and no one knew exactly where.

Case two. A man's wife died. There were two children aged 2 and 4. The man remarried and had another child. Then he left his new wife and child after a year, for someone else and moved to another part of the country, without leaving a forwarding address. He also left behind his two children from his first marriage. So effectively those boys were being brought up by a stranger.

In both these cases though the families were struggling with their own demons over what had happened Social Services were not interested in either case!
In the second case there was undoubtedly evidence that the boys were being treated very differently from the natural child of the woman concerned.*

It seems that some of these informal, dare I say illegal arrangements are still going on.
*Some details modified to prevent identification.

Pennine

[Maggott]

Hi  One of 'my' families lost mother & father very close together.  The older kids-the ones who could earn, I suppose, were taken in by family members.  The others (including a newborn) went to the Workhouse.  One of them was shipped to Canada by Dr Barnardo's (& seems to have managed a decent life there).  Another went to Oz as soon as he was old enough. 
Maggott

[aghadowey]

I researched a similar family situation for someone. Large family and one of the older daughters was accidentally murdered, parents moved from Ireland to Scotland and about a year or so later mother died after giving birth to another child and father died a short time later. One of the children sent to father's brother who already had 10 of his own, younger ones put into care. At least one of the boys sent to Canada from Barnardos Home. All very, very sad.

[Maggott]

Yes, deeply sad, poor little s*ds.  I suppose the families were poor & saw Barnardo's as a way out for them & for the children. No state hand-outs, of course. And although a lot of the kids seem to have been abused in Canada some, at least, had lives that seem to have been happy enough.  In my family the boy who went to Oz made a go of things, & I'm in touch with his grandson.
I'm glad to live now & not then....
Maggott