How does one know there wasn't an adoption in one's family tree

[Daltonator86]

I understand that adoption was totally informal before the 1920s, but how would one actually know whether one's ancestors' birth certificate was absolutely accurate. How difficult would it have been for someone to have been adopted at birth and then his 'parents' were to put their names down on the certificate.

[jimbo50]

Did you see the last Long Lost Family episode. That covered the birth registration crimes that were committed by 'unmarried mother's homes'. The birth registration was quoting the adoptive parents as birth parents. I think this was up to the early 1970s. If the child discovered they were adopted, only local gossip and nun's memories were able to solve, although there would be the DNA route. In history, there would also be affairs to consider and charitable father's adoptions where the mother had been deserted.

[CaroleW]

If you are looking at births in the 1920’s I think the biological mother was more likely to be recorded than the stories told recently on Long Lost Family.   I have only come across 2 threads on here where the mothers of the unmarried girls registered the child as their own.

The LLF programme was concentrated on the actions of nuns in Ireland

[jimbo50]

The LLF programme was concentrated on the actions of nuns in Ireland

Nuns did what they were told to do. Their 'actions' were on such a similar pattern in England I wouldn't rule it out. All orphanages were sending children to other countries without a proper documentation trail, and without permission of the birth parents. Let's face it,they couldn't have cared any less. There were 30,000 illegal registrations from 1874 just in Ireland, not a small number. Irish independence 1921.

[Daltonator86]

If you are looking at births in the 1920’s I think the biological mother was more likely to be recorded than the stories told recently on Long Lost Family.   I have only come across 2 threads on here where the mothers of the unmarried girls registered the child as their own.

The LLF programme was concentrated on the actions of nuns in Ireland

This actually concerns births around 1890-1910.

[jimbo50]

I don't recall being asked for any identification when going to register my child's birth. I wouldn't have had any, I think I was alone and the registrar took the information down and that was it.(circa 1979).
1980 the Registrar visited the hospital to record births from the mothers in the maternity ward. I wasn't there but I am registered as the father.
Imagine when births happened at home with a midwife, if you were lucky, how easy it would be to register anybody as parents, maybe in a distant town. In history there were no passports, no driving licences, no voting register etc.

[CaroleW]

This actually concerns births around 1890-1910.

My original reply still stands

I think the biological mother was more likely to be recorded

It may be more helpful if you gave some info as to why you are asking this question?  Do you have suspicions about the biological origins of an ancestor?

[Biggles50]

You don’t know.

None of us can really be sure of our Lines.

Paper trails are all well and good but you really need DNA match’s on each one of your Great Great Grandparents lines at their level and that of each of their parents.

Beyond 2xGGP’s the percentage of a correct match being identified drops to a level where doubt has to be present.

My paper trail is OK but that does not stop at least one NPE being in my recent Parental side.

Hence if an unofficial adoption took place or an extra marital affair took place then I have very little chance of proving it other than DNA and a whole bag of assumptions.

 

[Daltonator86]

This actually concerns births around 1890-1910.

My original reply still stands

I think the biological mother was more likely to be recorded

It may be more helpful if you gave some info as to why you are asking this question?  Do you have suspicions about the biological origins of an ancestor?

I would imagine that adoption was more rare for working class couples? My ancestors in question were a mining family; hardly well-to-do but there is a possibility that my great-grandfather's parents were in fact not his, although I have very little evidence to prove that he wasn't.