Owens, John Darlington

[shanreagh]

During the life of your friend's father was he known as Owens or Moulden?  If he made a change to Owens when would that have been? 

Was your friend given any reason why the adoption records could not be opened. Things have moved along since 2007/9 as far as adoption is concerned.  Sometimes adoption advocates can sort their way through. Might pay to see if anything can be shaken loose on the adoption front now, as well as all the help you will receive here. 

[shanreagh]

The will of his adoptive father is available through Archway.

He names his 'adopted son John Darlington Owen known as John Darlington Owen Moulden' in the will.  Intriguingly he names his wife Alice Carter known as Alice Moulden.  He, WH Moulden, was born in London. 

In 1923 a New Zealand - Certificate of Competency as Third-Class Engineer - William John Owen Moulden was issued.  This has restricted access in Wellington.  I find it interesting that it has the form '....Owen Moulden" as if this was a series family names.

1938 Alice Carter and JD Moulden had some land dealings in relation to the issue of a Certicate of Title.  The names of the parties are Alice Carter of Auckland, Widow and John Darlington Owens Moulden of Auckland, Electrician - City of Auckland, Allotment 3 of Section 40 of the City of Auckland (R25524546)
NB 'Owen' is now 'Owens'

Alice Carter died on 7/7/1939. In her will she leaves all her estate to the 'adopted son of William Henry Moulden'.  This is John Darlington Owens Moulden. From this reading it seems as though it was William Henry Moulden who adopted him and that Alice was not involved.  This may have been a reflection of the male-centric times though. 

[wivenhoe]

1966/106185   MOULDEN   John Darlington Owens  parents    - / William Henry   

Did he know that he was adopted?

Did his daughter know that he was adopted....during his lifetime or after he died?

When / how did his daughter know that John was adopted?

[shanreagh]

Alice Carter died in 1939 and was 61years old when she died.  Born apx 1878. 

William Henry Moulden died 1927 aged 74years. Born apx 1853 so quite a bit older. 

OP's neighbour's father died

1969/31340   Moulden    John Darlington Owens CKA William John Owens    68Y

Perhaps Alice Carter was JDO Moulden's mother?  Perhaps they lived in very straitened circumstances until WH Moulden adopted him and lived with Alice as his wife.  That could explain why there was no mother entered on the certificate.  She would not have needed to adopt her own son.  Perhaps the wee boy was in a home until this adoption. 

Just thinking off the top of my head OP, I wonder if your neighbour should take a DNA test? 

Please reassure your neighbour that in these sorts of queries we do go all over the place and range far and wide and there is nothing untoward about this.....we need to get information, seek to tease out information and make sure it is correct or relevant.   

[Pauline Sheddan]

William Henry Moulden m Grace McHattie in 1874 and divorced October 1884. Their son Thomas Henry Moulden died aged 15 on 6 Aug 1893 in Auckland NZ.
WHM was not originally granted a divorce by the court so may have gone on to live with Alice Hill and I guess it is possible JD Owens was her son. But in that case I do find it odd that she was not listed on his birth certificate as his mother.

NZ birth, death and marriage certificates generally name both parents. JDO Moulden's birth certificate only lists his father and has no other information. Not even grandparents or addresses.

Margaret Owens with a child at a Wellington Woman's Refuge Home in the 1890's is interesting and maybe we could follow this lead. Also the John Darlington in Puni in 1897.

Thank you all so much for your help. The more I learn the more fascinating the search becomes.

[Fresh Fields]

Hello again.

As with all research, it helps to have some understanding of the "norn's" of the period being researched. And the area that the parties were known to be residing at.

Adoption laws, and adpotion practice in 1905, was not as it is today. Informal within community or extended family was common in 1905.

https://teara.govt.nz/en/adoption

For a period I was a member of an adoption support group.

LawLink, a legal publication, published info after I drew attention to the fact that a codicil could be required to be attached to a will, to give a child cover under a will, for that grace period [then six months minimum] before the Family Court finally signed off on the full adoption, and the child was legally re-named.

Therefore I'm a little surprised than it is inferred a legally binding adoption was conferred by the Manukau Court in 1905, without apparently, corresponding updating of any civil registered birth.

Though others are more experienced than I, usually a  birth registration number that carries a later year date, in the life of a person indicates a lack of record of any previous registration. It is common to find them dated at the time of first marriage; for insurance reasons; and at time of applying for a pension.

Alan.

Edited in an attempt to be more percise in the point that I wished to make.

[wivenhoe]

Can you please give consideration to these questions......

* You have very specific information about the age at adoption. Where does this information come from?

* Why was the application for access to adoption records denied in 2007?

* What happened in the next two years that prompted your friend to again apply for access to adoption records in 2009?

* The birth record that you have....can you please list all the information on it.

1966/106185   MOULDEN   John Darlington Owens  parents    - / William Henry   

* Did his daughter know that he was adopted....during his lifetime or after he died?

* When / how did his daughter know that John was adopted?

[shanreagh]

From the little I know the natural mother does not have to adopt her own child.  If she subsequently marries or lives with a person that person can adopt the child but the mother does not have to.  Whether this was the case back in the early 1900s I don't know. 

From the link from Teara above
'From 1915 adopted children were re-registered with the names of their adopted parents. From 1955 new birth certificates showed the adoptive parents as the birth parents. '

[minniehaha]

Not recorded as a son in the death notice for Alice........

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19390708.2.2.3?end_date=31-12-1950&items_per_page=10&page=2&phrase=2&query=william+moulden&snippet=true&start_date=01-01-1899


Minniehaha.