Dr Barnadoes

[squeeze]

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone can help in regards to accessing records from Dr.Barnadoes,Babies Castle at Hawkhurst.
I am not sure if my grandmother was a child there. However there is a search fee which is the thing I am querying.
If I person has died and the information about them is well over 100 years am I or a member of my family entitled to ask for these details without payment? Does this breach the 1998 dpa act. Can I request to see if there is any connection with the institution by right. Would anyone know if the details would be held by the National Archives?
 My Grandmother was adopted before 1921 and came from miles away from the village she ended up in. A childless couple adopted her. My Grandmother remembers travelling in a coach from her birth place to her new home. This was a distance of nearly 120 miles. Was it usual to do this sort of thing?
Very curious to any sort of explanation.

Thanks

Sue

[CaroleW]

My Grandmother was adopted before 1921

This extract from http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/806

Child adoption had no legal status in Britain (including under the separate legal system of Scotland) until 1926, when the first Act was passed which regulated this in England and Wales.  Until then, child adoption was an informal and generally secretive procedure which gave the adoptive parents no rights whatsoever: a biological parent could (and in some cases, did) appear at any time and demand custody of a child they had neither seen nor contributed to the care of for years at a time.

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Hi Carole,

Thanks for your post. I do understand that children put up for adoption were not regulated in any form before 1926. I know I cannot trace that any records from before then. What my angle is - if she was a Barnardoes child they do keep records of where the children were placed and to whom. Would I be entitled to receive information from the Babies Castle records without paying if they had a connection to my family. If my Grandmother was placed in a childrens home in say 1905 for example that is well out of the 100 year rule and she has passed away. I am curious as to know the legal side of this.

Thanks
Sue

[Rosinish]

Hi,

I don't know anything about the legalities if they do hold such records yet, but......................

I would have thought that any payment would be expected as a "charitable donation" which I would agree with as I think it would be of far less worth than any info. they could give you in my opinion for the work they done and still do 

Annie

[mazi]

The data protection act only applies to information about you and a fee is allowed to be charged.

The freedom of information act only applies to public authorities

Mike

[CaroleW]

Might it be best to contact Dr.Barnadoes,Babies Castle at Hawkhurst and discuss the matter with them? 

There appears to be some uncertainty in your opening post as to whether she was actually in the care of Barnado's so it may be better to establish whether their records go back that far and whether your grandmother shows up in their records.

If she does - then any fee they charge would need to be paid to gain access to the info.

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Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. It's all very helpful. I also agree the work they do is incredibly important. I will pursue this further.

Thank you.
Sue

[GrahamSimons]

Loads of info on their website about their records and how to access them. Fees are involved but the extraction of the records costs time and money - Barnardo's would want to spend their money on current children, so it's reasonable to have to pay, and for there to be a margin to go towards Barnardo's charitable objectives. National Archives are unlikely to hold anything relevant as their remit is to maintain government archives.
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/our_history/working_with_former_barnardos_children-2013/family_history_service/family_history_service_our_service.htm