Author Topic: Inter-family adoptions  (Read 700 times)

Offline EeyoreBlue

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Inter-family adoptions
« on: Wednesday 11 July 18 13:24 BST (UK) »
I've been doing some research for a friend, whose Dad was adopted.  His birth mother was his adoptive mother's sister.  This happened
early 1960's, but her father is now deceased.

I've been unable to locate a birth certificate for him, under his adopted name.  I assumed once an adoption had been
made, then all documents reflected this.  But on checking, a family member with similar circumstances, (interfamily adoption), and her
and her original Birth is on FreeBMD.  The only thing I can think of is that the adoption was unofficial.  I have found what we think
is the original birth, (mother's name, dates, place etc all tie up) but he has a different name, and I was wondering how this would
affect him going through life etc, trying to prove who he was, his names etc.

How likely was it that this late in time, it was still an unofficial adoption?  Would a registration be made with his new name?

Thanks!
Marshall (Northumberland)
Burns (Scotland, Durham, Northumberland)
Chilton (Northumberland, Cumbria, Durham)
Dixon (Northumberland)
Brown (Northumberland, Cumbria)
Tallentire & variants (Durham)
Phillips (Briton Ferry, Wales)
Seaton (Cumbria)
Moffat (Cumbria)
Garstang (Cumbria, Lancashire)

Online AntonyMMM

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Re: Inter-family adoptions
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 11 July 18 14:34 BST (UK) »
The original birth register entry is not changed, just noted as "adopted" in the margin when the legal adoption process is completed.

A new record is made in the Adopted Children Register giving the child's name (which would usually be different from the birth name, but doesn't have to be) and the names of the adoptive parents. A certificate is issued from that which serves as the child's "birth" certificate in later life. The indexes for the ACR are available at a few sites on microfiche, but not on-line.

The two records are not linked in the indexes so you can't find one from the other without special access.


Offline EeyoreBlue

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Re: Inter-family adoptions
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 11 July 18 14:38 BST (UK) »
Thank you, that makes sense now.  It was just the confusion over the records I couldn't get my head around.  Would you perhaps know, if an adopted person did a search for their name somewhere like Freebmd, and it didn't appear, would that be an indication that they may be adopted?
Marshall (Northumberland)
Burns (Scotland, Durham, Northumberland)
Chilton (Northumberland, Cumbria, Durham)
Dixon (Northumberland)
Brown (Northumberland, Cumbria)
Tallentire & variants (Durham)
Phillips (Briton Ferry, Wales)
Seaton (Cumbria)
Moffat (Cumbria)
Garstang (Cumbria, Lancashire)

Offline carol8353

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Re: Inter-family adoptions
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 11 July 18 16:04 BST (UK) »
Thank you, that makes sense now.  It was just the confusion over the records I couldn't get my head around.  Would you perhaps know, if an adopted person did a search for their name somewhere like Freebmd, and it didn't appear, would that be an indication that they may be adopted?

That is exactly what happened to a friend of mine in the 1980's,he happened to search at Somerset House for his birth records,whilst killing time,and found that his late 1940's birth wasn't registered.
He asked for advice and was taken into a side room and told that he may have been adopted and that he had to have counselling. We have since found all his birth family and they welcomed him with open arms..........not all do.

But there must be other reasons why you cannot find a birth reg,errors occur on a big scale in later years,and before 1875 many people just did not always register a birth.
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Offline iolaus

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Re: Inter-family adoptions
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 11 July 18 16:32 BST (UK) »
My husband was adopted (by his step father so he's always known) - you can't find him under his legal name, but he's on there under his birth name

Online AntonyMMM

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Re: Inter-family adoptions
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 11 July 18 16:37 BST (UK) »
  Would you perhaps know, if an adopted person did a search for their name somewhere like Freebmd, and it didn't appear, would that be an indication that they may be adopted?

It is one possibility, but there are lots of others so it wouldn't automatically follow.