C19 adoption

[brianph]

I know that my great grandfather was adopted within the family by his uncle and aunt.
His year of birth is recorded in the censuses.  I am unable however to find a birth record for him.
I have sent for several birth certificates but none of them is the right one. I subsequently do not know who his birth parents were. Can anyone suggest how I might find them?

[avm228]

Hello Brian and a warm welcome to Rootschat

You don't mention any dates (other than the 19th century) but you may know that pre-1927 there was no formal process of adoption. Children were simply taken in to a family and often (but not always) kept their birth surname rather than taking on the surname of the adoptive parents, if different.

Without more information on the detail, all I can suggest for now is that you narrow down the possibilities for the parents by identifying the siblings of the adoptive parents (if you're sure they were originially aunt & uncle to the boy) and find any who died young or had any other reason (such as serious illness) to give him up. 

Is the boy shown in the censuses with the same surname as his adoptive parents, or a different surname?

Anna

[avm228]

Another point, depending on the age at which he was "adopted", is that he might have been baptised as the child of his birth parents - it might be worth looking for a baptism record, unless you know that he was adopted at birth.

Anna

[stanmapstone]

His year of birth is recorded in the censuses.  I am unable however to find a birth record for him.

See http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,270557.msg1547601.html#msg1547601

Stan

[brianph]

Thanks for the help. My great grandfather was Thomas John Phillips b 1874 In the 1881 census his birthplace was given as Llanelly In the folowing two censuses it was given as Aberdare where the adoptive parents lived. I have already explored the siblings of the adoptive father and 1874 births in Llanelly and got nowhere.  I am at the moment trying to establish the maiden name of the adoptive mother to try that side of the family. I am having some difficulty in finding a matching marriage for them in BMD at the appropriate time. It maybe as you suggest that the couple either didn't bother to register their marriage or were not even married. If I find out the maiden name I could then try the adoptive mother's family.

[suzard]

Did Thomas John marry?

If so his marriage cert should give his father's name -or be blank if he was illegit.

I suppose you have checked this birth out???
Thomas John Phillips
mar qtr 1874
Llanelly
11a 778

Who is he living with on the census?

Suz

[brianph]

I have a copy of the birth cert it is not him.
He did marry and the certificate which I have gives the adoptive father as his father

[AnneMc]

Any chance that his mother could have had him when she was single?  Maybe look for a birth under the mother's maiden name.  Just a thought.

Cheers
Anne

[brianph]

I have checked these birth certs
Thomas John Phillips 1873 Oct-Nov-Dec   Merthyr Tydfil Breconshire, Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan
11a 464
Thomas John Phillips 1874 Jan-Feb-Mar   Llanelly (To 1974) Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan
11a 778
Thomas John Phillips 1874 Jul-Aug-Sep   Pontypridd Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan
11a 384
Thomas John Phillips 1875 Apr-May-Jun   Merthyr Tydfil Breconshire, Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan
11a 536
Thomas John Phillips 1875 Oct-Nov-Dec   Merthyr Tydfil Breconshire, Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan
11a 481
 None of them match