Adoption in 1940's

[Tony D]

My lovely half-sister was adopted by my father in 1947 (as far as I know) and our mother still won't divulge any details as to the true identity of my sister's real father.
I cannot find any trace of my sister's birth, so can anyone tell me whether birth records were removed following an adoption?
I have tried using lots of combinations of possible surnames for the real father, suggested by family members but with no success. Is there any alternative to FMP or Ancestry, I could try? FreeBMD was a no-show.
I'd love to find any half-brothers/sisters for my own sister but it seems impossible. I know identities/personal history must be protected but if the records have been removed, I am truly at a deadend.

[Pam Downes]

Just to be clear, is your half-sister your mother's daughter, born before your mum and dad married?
If so, you know your half-sister's correct date of birth. Try searching, either on a registration district or a county basis for someone with her names being registered in the relevant quarter and then look at the surnames of the baby and the mother to see if you can get any clues. More difficult to search if your mum moved out of the area to give birth. And also if she lied through her teeth when she registered the birth.
Also remember that you have six weeks in which to register a birth so if the birth was, for example, the 1st June it may not be registered until July and would therefore be in the September quarter records.

Of course, it all depends if your sister was registered with the name(s) she has now. Nothing to stop you registering a baby with one name and then calling it something completely different the minute you walk out of the Registrar's office.

Sorry I can't think of a better suggestion.

ETA: Has you sister never needed to provide a birth certificate for anything? e.g. passport. I suspect that the father's name on the birth certificate will be blank, in which case there's not a lot you can do short of lock your mum in a dark room with only bread and water until she spills the beans. :smile5: But certainly your sister's birth should have been registered. Though I seem to remember that births can be registered late, and not just 'the next quarter late', but I can't remember the hows-and-whys.

Pam

[Tony D]

Thanks Pam.
Yes, my half-sister was born before my mum met and then married my dad. I can't lock her in a dark room now until she spills the beans as I actually believe she has told lies (untruths) ever since the birth. We're not even certain of the exact date as we only have her information. MY sister did get a replacement birth certificate many years ago, without a fathers' name but both she and I have a idea that the original records were "deleted" or "removed" following the adoption process.
I will try again, though, with the plan as you've kindly suggested, so thanks again.
Tony D.

[Megan Roberts]

This link will take you to the Government site that talks about how your sister can access her adoption records - if formally adopted.

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


It also tells adopted people how they can access their original birth records.

[Peter Goodey]

as far as I know

Ah. Does that mean you don't know that there was an adoption (in other words you haven't seen any documentary evidence)? If there was a legal adoption, there should be an adoption certificate and her name should appear in the adoption index. Have you checked? Your nearest site with a copy of the adoption index is probably the City of Westminster Archives Centre. If her name isn't there, she wasn't legally adopted.

My understanding - and I'm certainly not an expert - is that the majority of step-children are never actually legally adopted.


can anyone tell me whether birth records were removed following an adoption?

They are not.

[christanel]

Just a little thought which surprised me as I hadn't considered this when a friend remarried and her new husband adopted her daughter. If your father did legally adopt your half sister then your mother had to adopt her also at the same time otherwise your mother would not have had any claim on her own daughter!

Christina

[David Benson]

If your sister got a replacement birth cert and the fathers name was blank then it suggests that was a copy of her original registration and it should have given the exact date as well. The original birth records are not destroyed upon adoption, as you have already found out by her getting a copy. The registration would have been listed under the childs surname given at the time and with no fathers name then it would normally be that of the mother and would always include the mothers name as well.
As no real checks were made at the time then as mentioned previously any name could have been given. If her name changed on adoption then that registration will not appear in the normal births registrations, as the original birth reg was sometime in the past.
Example = my adopted birth reg is not in the births register but under my original name it is registered under my original surname.

[jac65]

Hi

Have you looked for the original birth registration under the mothers maiden name? Normally in the case of an unmarried couple a fathers name would not be on the registration unless they were present at registration and agreed to the inclusion of their name. The GRO would then index the birth under both the mothers and fathers surname.

Andy

[Peter Goodey]

Tony hasn't got back to us but I'm concerned that we may have been talking at cross purposes. My thoughts are -

Adoption may be a red herring - you can easily check whether there was an adoption by perusing the GRO Adoption Index.

You seem to have had sight of a birth certificate but also talk about searching for one. Was these details registered just after the birth? One thing to check for is a re-registration which might be some years after the original. If this happened, the GRO index which points to the original birth certificate should have a manuscript amendment pointing to the re-registration.

One thing you might like to consider is the possibility of a court record if there was a maintenance order against the unknown father.

[Tony D]

Hi Peter, sorry for not getting back to these helpful replies. I've been with both Mum and sis this morning and have asked for some more details from my sis. It's really good to have so many very informative and v. helpful options to explore new tracks.
I'll revert ASAP.
TD

[Tony D]

Tony hasn't got back to us but I'm concerned that we may have been talking at cross purposes. My thoughts are -

Adoption may be a red herring - you can easily check whether there was an adoption by perusing the GRO Adoption Index.

You seem to have had sight of a birth certificate but also talk about searching for one. Was these details registered just after the birth? One thing to check for is a re-registration which might be some years after the original. If this happened, the GRO index which points to the original birth certificate should have a manuscript amendment pointing to the re-registration.

One thing you might like to consider is the possibility of a court record if there was a maintenance order against the unknown father.

Hi Peter,
I've followed up on your excellent idea of GRO adoption records and ordered one from them, with the info I've been given from family. I'm a bit worried now, though, as I've received an Email from GRO requesting that I telephone them on an 0300 number, ask for Lynn or David so they can "discuss" my cert request1 IS this normal practice? Has anyone else come up against this kind of response? Should I call or maybe email them back? I'm a tad scared of proceeding further but mightily intrigued.
Any feedback will be most gratefully received.
Kind Regards - Tony D

[Peter Goodey]

I don't know if it's normal practice because I've never had cause to order an adoption certificate. I've found GRO staff to be reasonably human on the few times I've phoned them. It sounds as if you didn't check the adoption index before ordering so they may have a query about that. I'd phone them if I were you. 03 numbers cost the same as 01 calls ie normal rate.

[Helen Burroughs]

If there is a legal adoption, the birth record would have an "S" after the record listing. As Andy has written above, if the child is illegitimate, the father needs to be present when the birth is registered for his name to be listed on the entry.
This, unfortunately means his name may never have been on the record or her birth certificate.

[Tony D]

Sorry, late replying, as usual.
Thanks so much for all of the help and guidance from everyone. Following Peter's advice, I called GRO and they were extremely helpful and I now have the new lead of a name change by deed poll. It appears that my sister was never formally adopted, contrary to long-held belief still maintained today by our Mum.
There is also the chance to finally see the copy of my sister's birth cert but I've always been told that is not a copy of an original, rather a "copy" made up for her when she needed to obtain her passport. She had a great deal of trouble getting all of that arranged and sorted out. She still maintains that she was told by Somerset House that the original was either lost in a fire at a depot in the 40's OR her birth was simply not registered. OR, as I think Pam said, maybe my Mum just registered any names and promptly changed them once away from the Registry.
Thanks again, it's all so much fun isn't it!

[Peter Goodey]

See the research guide on changes of name (http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/change-of-name.htm)
Para 6 may be particularly relevant in this case.

[jac65]

Hi

Have you looked for a birth registration under the mothers maiden name as suggested earlier? It is quite possible that the only part of the name changed was the surname.

Andy

[Tony D]

Hi

Have you looked for a birth registration under the mothers maiden name as suggested earlier? It is quite possible that the only part of the name changed was the surname.

Andy

Hi Andy,
Yes, I've tried that but there just isn't a record that I can find! I went back 15 years before the assumed birthdate but no success. I've tried other surnames, suggested by family but no joy. That's when I wondered if the birth record was removed following an adoption - which may not have happened either1 It may be a deed poll change or maybe not that at all. I'll keep going. Thanks, Tony