Genealogy Chat

On the other hand, the story your friend was told,may be just a story, with perhaps an element of truth or maybe none at all,or be connected to another family member. nell

Adoption was made a legal proceedure in 1927.

Yes, it's a pity people didn't think properly about the researchers of the future when they made decisions in their lives!! MMM

MMM From what I understand the girl was from outside the family, but you could be right, will have to have a good look at the 1891 and 1901 and see where everyone was. Shame it wasn't a year later, the birth is March and she would have been 'out of place' on the cenus!!!!!!!! Have to get the deerstalker and magnifying glass out again!!!!! Trudy

These days the registrar is told by the NHS who has had a baby, it's sex, where the birth took place and on what date. The registrar ticks off the details on a list when you go to register. I think this is a fairly new phenomenon in order to stop the type of practise I mentioned above! MMM

Ok, so not grand then! Did they already have children? Whether they were taking on a child because they couldn't have any of there own (less likely), or decided to protect a young relation who was ''in trouble'' (much more likely), it would be fairly easy for the ''mother'' (let's call her the adoptive mother) to not be seen around too much or put a cushion up her jumper for a while. The biological mother might be sent away to a distant rellie, where she would have the baby, bring it back to the adoptive parents as soon as possible, when the adoptive mother would tell the neighbours she had a newborn and register it as her own!! MMM

Hi MMM They lived in an 'army barracks' town, and his occupation on the 1891 census is 'sawyer' Trudy

I would say yes, it's entirely possible, though of course it is a criminal offence to lie to the registrar! I don't mean this to sound rude, but what social class were the family who took on the baby? MMM

I am trying to find a friends grandfather for her – from what she has been told he was born approx 1900, to a girl ‘in doubtful circumstances’ and was ‘given away’ to a couple. The story goes that no-one knows what his real name was, as he was named after the gentleman that ‘adopted’ him. The quandary is that the name she has given me as the name he was thenceforth known as, I have found a birth reference for in the right town and at the right time. The middle name is also quite unusual so I am 99.9% certain that I have the correct person. My dilemma is, if the baby had been given away, would it have been possible for the adoptive parents to register it ‘as their own’ or would the girl have had to be named? I have told her what I have found and she is now wondering about ordering the cert. Anyone any ideas?

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