Genealogy Chat

If someone was adopted as a baby in the 1840s would the natural parent(s) have to register the birth or could the adoptive parents do it? eg Fred is born to John Brown and Jane Doe who gives the child to Mr and Mrs Smith for whatever reason - perhaps Jane died during childbirth and father did a runner. Would it be possible for Mr and Mrs Smith to record the birth of Fred Smith son of William and Mary Smith or would they have to record the birth of Fred Doe mother Jane Doe? Beth :)

Don't know whether this might help? I don't think proper adoption laws came about until later. http://home.clara.net/dixons/Certificates/births.htm#COL5 Anna

Elizabeth Official adoption was made possible by the Adoption Act 1926. Before that arrangements were informal. But since you did not need proof of your identity to register a birth I imagine any woman/man could register a birth as though it was their child. How you would prove this is beyond me. But the baby's birth would generally be registered within a few days or weeks of birth, so possibly it would be registered before Mr & Mrs Smith took charge. Is this just because you can't find a birth cert, or are you following a family story? Birth registration wasn't tightened up until 1875, so there were births which went unregistered in the early days. nell

Hi Nell My family suddenly underwent a name change around 1915. The old man was buried with the new name that year yet he had married and named his sons with the old one. His sons had both subsequently married with the old name but the younger son changed his name and all of his children so far born (up to 1912) over to the new name. All subsequent children were given the new surname. The tale is that he discovered he was adopted and therefore changed his name. There is an interesting IGI baptism record that is remarkably close to the new name but I am sick of waiting for it to arrive at my local centre. I may have to drive to Manchester this summer to check it out. I just wondered which name he would be registered under. The new name would be a lot easier than his 'original' of Smith anyway. Might he have even been registered twice under both names? Beth :)

Well its possible, but I would ask - how and when did he find out he was adopted? Did he just change his name to stand out a bit from all the Smiths? Did he have a falling-out with his Smith parents (regardless of whether or not they were his blood relatives) and change his name in spite? nell

Hi Nell I don't think it was just to stand out from the rest of the Smiths because why wait so long - he was about 70 when the name change occurred. Perhaps a 'relative' told him as still happens these days. Perhaps he found some papers when his 'parents' died. The surname is really unusual. I know just about every entry on this site. Also, he took the middle name Vause that had never been used when he married or his sons were born. What do you make of it?

Bit of a mystery. Where does the Vause bit come in? nell

Hi Nell Not sure, but there is the IGI record, right area, right time, one letter missed off surname and middle name Pause Pause for thought now Beth :)