Mystery Adoption

[dawnsh]

Heather asked about posting images which can't be done on this bit of the forum but she sent them to me by email.

She sent a short form 'birth' cert with an 1923 date of birth but issued in 1954 and an adoption cert dated 1944 but issued in 1982.

The short form is an abbreviated copy of the adoption cert just like any short form birth cert being an abbreviated copy of the traditional birth cert we are used to seeing.

Elizabeth Joan was adopted 12 days before her 21st birthday. The date of registration was 8 May 1944. The court order was made 18th April 1944.

Only Elizabeth Gwladys is named as the adopter. Her husband Oscar could not be named as he had predeceased in 1941.

I've sent an email to Heather but she may not reply here until later today.

[groom]

Still a strange one isn't it, with so late an adoption?

[alpinecottage]

I wonder if the OP knows anything about the living arrangements of the family or whether she knew the adopted daughter. 
thinking along the same lines as MargP, it crossed my mind that maybe EG was living in a Council house and EJ needed to be recognised officially as a daughter to continue living there after EG's death.  Otherwise did EJ have some sort of disability or illness that meant EG may have needed to be involved beyond the point at which children normally become independent.  Or alternately, perhaps EG was ill or becoming frail and needed EJ to be recognised as a daughter to act as a guardian/attourney for her.  Perhaps something had happened when Oscar died that prompted the family to formalise the adoption.

[dawnsh]

As I mentioned to Heather there are a couple of scenarios:

As she suggested the child could have been born to an unmarried aunt (either sides of the family) and taken in by Oscar & Elizabeth.

The child could have been a result of Oscar having a relationship with someone else.

With Elizabeth approaching 21 and Oscar having died 3 years earlier they might have decided to rectify whatever situation had occurred.

Elizabeth Joan needed a 'proper' birth cert with Elizabeth Gwladys's name as a parent on it.

[Jebber]

There are numerous possibilities, there  may have been inheritance implications, possibly even relating  to a previous generation.

[a-l]

It certainly is a strange one . My first thought was that Elizabeth Joan had had an illegitimate child named after herself, who was adopted by Elizabeth and the elder Elizabeth 'adopted ' herself into the family. 
Trust me to read it wrong.

[Heather58]

Good evening - sorry for being a bit thick but what does OP stand for? I am wondering why Elizabeth Joan's GRO index isn't there.  My mum & and her 2 sisters original entries are there and they were adopted by different people, plus I sent for my mum's birth certificate and it had "adopted" in the right hand margin. Hope the GRO can help me.
Regards
Heather

[groom]

OP = Original Poster (ie you in this case) just a shorthand way of writing it.

[Heather58]

Thank you - I have been looking for Elizabeth Joan Morgan's GRO index - can't find it!

Regards
Heather