illegitimate baby

[sylvieme]

I have been researching a female relative born 1927 to an unmarried domestic servant, who could not keep the child. However through living relatives I discovered that the Mother never forgot this child and I would love to be able to fill in all the pieces of the puzzle.
Through electoral rolls I found the name of a possible Father but have not been able to trace him with any certainty.
I know that from 1943 onwards my relative was living in Sussex but have been unable to find where she went as a baby, who looked after her and who paid for her care.
I have the name of the adoptive Mother, who was a only 10 years older than my relative and was a single woman until 1941, at which point my relative was 14 years old. I can't imagine why a single woman with no medical or teaching experience would take in another woman's child, and I haven't found any link between the two families. Did the government make any payments for unwanted children? If so are there records I can search?
 Are there any hospital or nursing home records I can search? The 1939 register is inconclusive and school records for Sussex are somewhat hit and miss.
Any tips or hints gratefully received!

[louisa maud]

I don't think it was uncommon for a single mother to adopt a child, I have seen it elsewhere

Do you know the exact date of birth of the child?

Louisa Maud

[sylvieme]

Hi yes, I have a copy of the birth certificate. the date is 27th May 1927 (which I believe is shortly before adoption was formalised in law)

[Jo Harding]

It was quite usual for illegitimate children to be adopted. In this case, the domestic servant wouldn't have been able to keep her child as she would have to have lived in her employer's home in all probability. They wouldn't have allowed her to have her child living there.

In the event the child was formally adopted then there would be adoption records but I think these are closed for many years.

The child would have been born in a hospital, or home, again I doubt whether the records would be in the public domain but you could check. Do you know where she was born?

Jo

[louisa maud]

I would assume she would be on 1939 unless of course she lived to a great age or even be live now

Louisa Maud

[sylvieme]

Hi, I agree that her employer would not have allowed the child to stay with her Mother, and this is why she had to give her away.
I don't know where she was from her birth in 1927 to starting work in 1943. The 1939 register asks for location of the person at that time, which I don't know for sure if she was with the adoptive Mother that I know about or not. She died in 2018 and we are deeply regretting not asking questions while we had the chance - though as she never wanted to talk about her past, this might have been a closed topic.

[chempat]

Welcome to rootschat, sylvieme.

You have put:

'I have the name of the adoptive Mother, who was a only 10 years older than my relative and was a single woman until 1941, at which point my relative was 14 years old'

Sorry, I do not understand.  How could she have adopted when she was 10 years old?

Did the baby retain her birth name?

[CaroleW]

Thanks Chempat - glad it's not just me wondering about that one 

[louisa maud]

So did I but  thought it was me not reading it correctly

LM