Adoption in 1887

[mrstar]

Hello,

My apologies if this has been discussed before but I can't seem to find it. Iam looking for advice about a possible adoption in 1887. Am I right in thinking official records did not start until 1927? Does this mean there are no documents detailing adoptions in 1887? Would there be any court information? or any sort of differences on a birth certificate perhaps? Does anyone know what an adoption procedure would have been like in 1887 and what could be the reasons for such? Is there anywhere I could find more information please?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks for your time 

[groom]

Hi

This might help

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,253490.0.html

Jan

[dawnsh]

There's a history timeline here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/familyhistory/bloodlines/familysecrets.shtml?entry=national_adoption_register&theme=familysecrets

Dawn

[stanmapstone]

Prior to 1927 there was no formal adoption process, and the term "adopted" generally included fostering and guardianship. In many instances a child was simply "adopted" into the extended family or taken in by neighbours/family friends and brought up as a member of their own family. Occasionally it was arranged through a solicitor, doctor or charitable organisation but adoption was viewed as an essentially private arrangement between the parties concerned.

Stan

[mrstar]

Thankyou so much for all the advice. I will have a good read through and see if there are any other angles I haven't tried. if the adoption was arranged through a local church or group could there be any records? or would it have been kept private?

Thanks to the census records, war records and marriage and death certificates and also stories which have been passed down the family, we have found evidence that he lived with at least three different families (who I have managed to connect) and had at least three different surnames. We are still not 100% sure on his birthname and so are still not sure we have found the right birth certificate. We know his birthday but not the year for definite.

I really feel it would be admitting defeat if we don't crack this puzzle, but after many years of piecing it together Iam starting to feel Iam running out of options! It seems the more we uncover the more questions there are....

Thankyou again for your time 

[LizzieW]

How do you know the birthday you have is correct?  If he had at least 3 different surnames, it's possible he also changed his birthdate, unless you are just saying that each time he lived with a different family he took on their name?  Is there any connection between the 3 families, could they be his aunts, uncles, married sisters, brothers etc? 

Lizzie

[mrstar]

Hi Lizzie,

Thanks for your response. We have always understood his birthday to be 9th July, and this matches old diaries and family bibles we have found. However although we believe it to be 1887, this is questioned by his half sister in her diary (all her other notes have proved correct), and is different on each census (I know the census forms do round up/down) we also have his original wedding and death certificate which give an age.

In the 1891 census he is listed as aged 3, living with, we believe, an uncle and his family and has taken on their surname: BENNELL One of the children of this family always used to say he was her brother and couldnt understand why he went to live elsewhere.
In the 1901 census he is living with, who we believe to be his biological father (our g.g grandfather) and his wife and children (who also always said he was their brother) and has their surname (and the name he was alwasy known by0 STRATFORD
in 1911 he is living just down the road from his 'father' with his father's mother in law, but is listed with a different surname entirely - one which we then discovered on a birth certificate dated 9 July 1887 which he had in his possession 2 months before he died: HAWES
On his wedding certificate (from 1920) and war records and medals from WW1 he goes by his fathers surname STRATFORD, yet there is no birth registered under this name.

I have reordered the birth certificate he had and tried to trace the mother named on it but with no luck. My mother in law and I have been piecing his life together for many years now but still are frustratingly no closer to discovering his real mother and why he came to live with the other families. We will continue looking...

Thanks.

[LizzieW]

Presumably the mother named on the Hawes birth certificate was called Hawes. 

1.  He lived with Mr and Mrs Bennell, the children thought he was their brother.
2.  He then lived with a Mr Stratford, who you believe was his father and the children there thought he was their brother.

Is it possible that his mother went on to marry Mr Bennell and that both the Bennell children and the Stratford children are correct in saying he was their brother.  Or have you already gone down that line of research?

Lizzie

[stanmapstone]

(I know the census forms do round up/down)

Only for the 1841 Census, not for any of the others 

Stan