Adoption mid 1940s

[lisalisa]

Hello,

I wonder if anyone can clarify the situation regarding adoptions in England in the mid 1940s, please?

Two siblings were adopted in the mid 1940s, I have copies of their birth certs, and both certs have 'adopted' and the signature of the superintendant registrar.  The children would have been under 5 years old at the time.

So my query is really about the 'kind' of adoptions at that time, does the possibility of a 'so-called' 'private adoption' still exist at this time, ie, where the birth mother (possibly) 'found' a family (not related) and 'gave' the children to that family?
And if that type of adoption did exist, would it result in 'adopted' being on the birth certs?
Both children did keep their first names, but had a new surname (they stayed together).

This probably happened close to the end of the war or shortly after the war, so I appreciate that things may have been done a little differently.

Or is the scenario more likely, that the children were removed from the mother's care for some reason (or she was unable to care for them and they were removed), and then either an authority or a children's home stepped in and the adoption was arranged by them?

Or is there another possibility of how the adoption could've come about?

Thanks for any insights into how adoptions were at that time,

Lisa

[KGarrad]

The law changed in 1926/7, when legal adoptions came in.
Private adoptions were supposed to cease then.

[Jebber]

One thing to consider is the circumstances, if the parents divorced, or one of them was widowed and then remarried. If they wanted the new spouse to have equal legal parental rights, the children would be adopted by both the  birth parent and the new spouse.

[california dreamin]

Hello,

I wonder if anyone can clarify the situation regarding adoptions in England in the mid 1940s, please?

Two siblings were adopted in the mid 1940s, I have copies of their birth certs, and both certs have 'adopted' and the signature of the superintendant registrar.  The children would have been under 5 years old at the time.

So my query is really about the 'kind' of adoptions at that time, does the possibility of a 'so-called' 'private adoption' still exist at this time, ie, where the birth mother (possibly) 'found' a family (not related) and 'gave' the children to that family?
And if that type of adoption did exist, would it result in 'adopted' being on the birth certs?
Both children did keep their first names, but had a new surname (they stayed together).

This probably happened close to the end of the war or shortly after the war, so I appreciate that things may have been done a little differently.

Or is the scenario more likely, that the children were removed from the mother's care for some reason (or she was unable to care for them and they were removed), and then either an authority or a children's home stepped in and the adoption was arranged by them?

Or is there another possibility of how the adoption could've come about?

Thanks for any insights into how adoptions were at that time,

Lisa

Lisa, if the documents have 'adopted' stamped on the b/c then the adoptions were done legally through the court system.

If you have the original b/c's you could try and trace the parents looking for a m/c for the couple and/ or trying to locate them on the 1921 census or 1939 reg. In this way you are trying to piece together what happened to the original parents.  As Jebber says if say the Mum (or Dad) remarried and wanted the step father(step mother) to have full legal rights they would both have to adopt the child, which I know sounds odd.

CD

[lisalisa]

Thank you all for the info.

I do know what became of the birth mother, and the children were adopted into an 'unrelated' family.  In fact we have only learned the name of that family from working out a dna match, prior to that we just knew the first names of the children and of course their original surname.

At the moment the circumstances surrounding the adoption are still shrouded in mystery .....

But thank you for your help,

Lisa

[KGarrad]

Please bear in mind that adoption records are supposed to be private.
See: https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records

You may have to go through an Intermediary Agency.

[california dreamin]

Hi Lisa

I  have messaged you

CD

[Kaybron]

My mother gave up one of her children in 1947.  It was in unusual circumstances.  My parents already had 3 children and the child that was given up for adoption my father believed he was not his child.  My mother had the child adopted when he was about 9 months.  I have the original birth certificate and in the margin it is noted adoption.  What is unusual is that my mother had his adoption papers with the name of the people who adopted him.  She and my father were sent a Notice of An Application for an Adoption Order.  The Education Committee of the County Council of the County of Southampton were appointed guardian and the application for adoption was heard before the Juvenile Court sitting at the Town Hall, Eastleigh.  The Notice of Application was sent by the person who adopted him.  I have never been able to work out how my parents were able to have access to this document as I always believed the details of the adopting couple were kept private.
Regards Kaybron