Adoption in the 1950s

[Barbara F]

I am looking for advice on obtaining the original birth certificate for a child adopted in the late 1950s.
 
The person concerned, who lives abroad, has managed to make contact with us (her birth family) using the information about the birth mother and has asked me for help to get a copy of the original certificate.

The person knows:
Birth Name
Name of birth mother

A record made by the adoptive parents names a hospital as the birthplace.

This site indicates that obtaining the birth certificate is possible.

http://www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk/search/righttosearch/righttosearchni.htm

"I already know my original birth name so what do I have to do?

If an adopted person already knows their birth name they can apply directly to the Registrar General for a copy of their original birth certificate."

However when I check this site

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/order-birth-certificate-online

there is a list of questions that need to be answered to obtain a certificate.

    full name of person whose birth certificate you are ordering
    date and place of birth (district or street and town)
    names of parents (including mother's maiden name)
    mother's address at time of birth

Has anyone experience of this situation please who can offer me advice please? 

I have kept details here to a minimum but am happy to provide more privately.

Barbara

[Dundee]

These are the conditions and the form you need.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/application-form-to-access-original-birth-records-by-a-person-adopted-before-18-december-1987-acr14.PDF

Debra 

[Barbara F]

Thank you.  I will have a look at the link tomorrow.

Barbara

[Elwyn Soutter]

    full name of person whose birth certificate you are ordering
    date and place of birth (district or street and town)
    names of parents (including mother's maiden name)
    mother's address at time of birth

Has anyone experience of this situation please who can offer me advice please? 

I have kept details here to a minimum but am happy to provide more privately.

Barbara

My understanding is that as long as you know the birth name and date of birth (and the birth was in Northern Ireland) anyone at all can order a copy of the certificate. You don’t actually need all the information. (That’s really to help GRO in case there’s a discrepancy over some aspect).

You can order it by phone. It will be posted to you a few days later. You pay over the phone using a credit card (£15 I think). You type your number in on the phone keypad. They don’t know what it is. 

Phone: 0300 200 7890 (+44 300 200 7890 from outside the UK).

There’s a complex and restricted procedure for adopted folk who don’t know their birth name. But where that information is known, it doesn’t apply and you can order the original record like any other birth record.

[Barbara F]

Thank you, that would certainly be a lot easier!

I will come back to this when I have had a look at the other link.

Barbara

[Barbara F]

As I had originally thought this is all rather confusing!

It does seem that there is a set procedure for adopted children who wish to obtain their original birth certificates.  I suspect that an application by phone would also lead to this special process.

I think I will suggest that the person in question uses the phone line to clarify.

Barbara

[Elwyn Soutter]

Phoning will obviously resolve the matter.

My information comes from a public talk given just a few weeks ago by the head of GRONI. She covered records of folk who were adopted in NI post 1930.  In the vast majority of cases the person seeking the records does not know what the birth name was and consequently has to go through the special process which can involve counseling etc. And there are strict rules about who is eligible.  However she said that where you do know the birth details, you can order the birth certificate just like any other birth certificate. It is not closed or hidden as it’s a public document, open to all. So test that out!

[Barbara F]

Well that sounds very hopeful!  Thank you.

I will report back to our new cousin.

I will let you know the outcome. 

Barbara

[Barbara F]

Success! Birth certificate ordered online and now received with no problems at all.

The certificate relieves some concerns as it is clear the birth was in the County Hospital.  Interestingly the mother's occupation is shown as "Servant" which is definitely incorrect but was maybe reported that way to avoid drawing attention to herself as a health professional.

Thank you for all the advice.  I think I know my way around NI birth and adoption records now!

Barbara