Adoption?

[Keith Sherwood]

My grandmother was unofficially "adopted" by a family living on Highgate Hill in 1895 when she was 4 or 5 years old, by some kind of mutual arrangement.  In the 1901 Census she appears as "visitor" in her new home, almost as though the whole thing had to be clandestine in those days, and the real truth behind her relationship to her new mother and father had to be covered up.
She only discovered that her adoptive parents were not her real parents when she first applied for a passport in 1913, and saw her own birth certificate.
Needless to say I have had the greatest of times tracking down and finding out all I can about her REAL mother and father, my great-grandparents - but it's been extremely difficult!
Keith

[gennig]

Do you look back at your adopted parent's history as well as your "real" parents? 

Keith

I'm really lucky, I was adopted within my own family.  So myself and my sister are on our family tree twice.  Coming in at 2 different levels as we were adopted by our mothers aunt after she died.

It appears different countries handle adoption records differently.  In Victoria once adopted, the records are sealed and full birth certificates are not accessible.

There is a thread on the beginners board with regards to adoption, which may interest you.

If its of any interest Phoebes maiden name appears to be DALE and her husband was Joseph BANGS.  (could they be connected to Elizabeth's mother?)


Cheers
Genni

[Burrow Digger]

My mother was adopted and didnt apply for her original BC until 1999. Naturally of course I have a copy. But while her mothers name is listed, her fathers name is not. So I still have a major brick wall.
I'm inclined to think that my mother was probably born out of wedlock. This was back in 1937 just before WW2 broke out.
But I'll deal with it later. I'm having too much fun looking for various branches of my fathers ancestry.

BD