Genealogy Chat

Hi Jonesey,

Thanks very much once again. Your help has been very much appreciated, and quite informative regarding the birth registration, so thanks for that little gem, explains a lot.

I have passed on the info you have given me and he says he's going to contact Soc Services in the New Year.

Many many thanks again, and we'd like to wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas and All the Very Best for a Happy New Year.

Lou x

hi, can you advise.trying to trace mother-in-law. born out of wedlock and taken from ireland by aunt and sent to devon to live with possible uncle who became her adoptive parent. where can i start search on a tight budget.

many thanks
doreen :-S

Doreen,

I have to admit that your post has me a little confused. You state that you are trying to trace your mother in law but you already appear to have quite a lot of information about her past already. Is it her that you are trying to trace her or is it her birth ancestors that you wish to find more about?

Is she is still alive and if so are you in contact with her?

Norcap has closed, as can be seen in http://www.afteradoption.org.uk/news/aaa-norcap-ceases-trading

im looking for my brother gary spencer tracy thompson born august 21st 1962 ive got his birth certicicate his dad and mum wernt married he was addopted not long after my mum gave birth they lived in felixstowe not sure if his name changed ect once been addopted how do i find out what i can do to try trace him

Dawnee,

If you’re a birth relative of an adopted person, you can add yourself to the Adoption Contact Register to express an interest in finding your family.

Go to: https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records

Good luck

Nudge up for ?

Nudging (this used to have a sticky to keep it at the top).

Nudging up

Looking for sister born Wendy McArthur 1978 in Northampton to mother East

Several years ago, I discovered that my Mum's cousin had a daughter that was adopted (from her birth certificate) My Mum's cousin died soon after the daughter was adopted.

3 years ago I posted a message looking for the adopted child. I didn't name her, but quoted her DOB and where she was born..

Last year her daughter replied and gave me her email address.

We have now met and keep in contact. Plus she now knows who her ancestors were and that she has lots of other living relatives she never knew about.

.

Hi I was wondering if there is anyway I can find out if my biological father was adopted at birth, I've been given his mums name but not his dads and would like to no my family history thankyou

Aaron,

You do not state whether the name that you have been given for your father's mother is her maiden or married surname.

If your biological parents were married then a copy of their marriage certificate might reveal your father's father's name assuming that your father knew it. As you know your father's mothers name then it is a case of trying to find a marriage between her and your father's father.

If the surname that you have for your father's mother is different to that by which your father was known then it is a reasonable assumption that her surname is her maiden name. All births whether legitimate or illegitimate registered in the UK after 1911 show the mothers maiden name in the GRO index. That record remains in the index even if the child is subsequently adopted. Assuming that you know when and possibly where your father was born it becomes a case of looking at the index of births for that period (Include the following quarter also in your search) under your fathers forename and initials using both surnames to see if you can locate a birth registration with a mothers maiden name matching that of the lady whose name you have been given.

Having identified your fathers birth registration try to obtain a copy of his birth certificate from the GRO. If your father was adopted during his childhood then it is unlikely that the GRO will supply a copy to you as their own internal records will show that he was subsequently adopted and a new short version birth certificate was issued in his new adopted name.

If he was adopted as you suspect or believe then it is more likely that he was born illegitimate. If that was the case then discovering who his biological father was might be very difficult or even impossible unless his mother or someone she may have confided in is still alive.

http://www.freebmd.org.uk

http://www.gro.gov.uk

Good luck

As an adoptee when I was 2 years old I have foolowed this discussion with considerable interest. The postings are so varied & highlight a raft of different experiences.

One aspect I notice (probably because it was the overarching reason for my adoption), is the virtual absence of the effects of the World Wars & other intervening skirmishes on the adoption decisions. Here on the other side of the world we also had many families torn apart by the Pacific Wars & a considerable number of young women with babies soon to be born or very young just couldn't cope on their own with a baby. Many chose to marry in haste when the first group of new heroes came back on leave - a disastrous situation. My mother did not want to marry the man who proposed to her - he had been her boss prior to WW2 & she was scared of him & what he might do to her & me. His mother was a tough forceful woman & Mum buckled. The marriage was a disaster, I was terrified of him (for very good reason), he was a loner & more.
My father was K.I.A. in 1943 & we never met but I have come in contact with a number of other people with similar backgrounds over the years. We all agree that war or financial difficulties at the time played a huge part in adoptions. It certainly helped a great deal having very supportive grandparents who loved me dearly & I them.

pelo

Pelo,

Thank you for your comments and for explaining things from your perspective.

Wars and conflicts have I am sure been the cause of some adoptions ranging from biological fathers being killed in action to infidelities of some wives whilst their husbands were away at war. Some adoptions will have worked out well for the child whilst others may not. I am always heartened by a story that I became aware of.

I owned a general store which amongst many other things sold postcards depicting local scenes. One day an aged black American gentleman came into my shop and purchased every last card that I had showing a Birmingham double decker bus. A few days later one of my regular local customers, a lady of mixed race, came in and asked if I had any postcards of Birmingham buses in stock. I said that I was temporarily out of stock and explained what had happened. She exclaimed, "That was my dad."

She went on to tell me the story. Her mother who was white had had a wartime affair with a black American G.I. whilst her white husband was away fighting in Europe. My customer was the product of that affair. On his return from the war her mother's husband had accepted the situation and had formally adopted the child and raised her as his own. A brave thing to do at the time as England's population at the time was predominantly white. She enjoyed her upbringing and although being made aware of the circumstances of her birth and her biological father's name she made no attempt to contact her biological father until both her mother and adoptive father had died.

After their deaths she contacted an organisation in America who provided her with a very long list of G.I.'s who had that name and had been posted to England during WW2. She had to start somewhere so she wrote to the first name on the list, someone who lived in Detroit. Much to her amazement and great joy she received a reply from the man acknowledging that he was indeed her father. Fate had indeed smiled.

For the next few years they took it in turns to visit one another's homes. Unfortunately during one of his visits to her he died so her last daughterly duty was to escort his body back to Detroit for burial. She does however keep in touch with her half brothers and sisters living in the USA.

Hello... I've stumbled across this purely by accident but hope that with all your insight you might be able to point me in the right direction.

My dad was born in 1929 and a few years later placed in a children's home and in 1932 his sister was born and she was adopted. We have located my dad's records which amount to very little but as my aunt was adopted we think there might be more info. She is still alive but in failing health and my dad, though in good health, is in his 86th year and we are desperately trying to get access to these records. We've never known anything further than their birth certificates which had a mother's name and little else.

Would anyone have any advice on how to proceed please? thank you so much

My problem is a lady born in 1911 of a single mother was 'adopted' but not formally probably as pre 1926 there was no official adoptions. This causes a problem when claiming on her estate. As I do not know if he r birth family are entitled or her ' adopted' family. Her marriage certificate shows her father as the 'adopted' father but her death certificate has her original maiden name
Any ideas ?

Hello Kelly and Denise.


Just to let you know that this thread by Jonesey is really for general advice these days as dear Jonesey passed away last year.

If the advice given here does not help, then I suggest that you post a separate query on this board - you are more likely to receive help that way I think.

Cx

Kelly - Only your aunt can access her adoption records.

Depending on the circumstances, either a next of kin could write a letter and ask her to sign it, or if she doesn't have the capacity, who ever holds her Power of Attorney 'might' be able to apply. A 'Guardian'/Attorney does have to consider if it's in the Aunts best interest.

As you've mentioned her failing health - if she should die before access is granted, the records will remain sealed.

Thank you Detective and so sorry Cynthia to hear of your loss.

best wishes
Kelly