i dont want to mention names as people are still living i have an adopted half sister who was adopted in the early 1940s who i managed to trace only a few years ago.
the reason i found her so easy to trace was because my mother knew her adopted name and who adopted her.
how was that possible in 1940.

people frequently gave up children born out of wedlock, or if they just plain couldn't afford to keep them - don't judge the past on today's standards ;)

Apparently before 1927 you did not have to register adoptions

i dont want to mention names as people are still living i have an adopted half sister who was adopted in the early 1940s who i managed to trace only a few years ago.
the reason i found her so easy to trace was because my mother knew her adopted name and who adopted her.
how was that possible in 1940.

Because, after 1927 it was a legal requirement to have documented adoptions, prior to that there was no legal legislation so any transfer of a child into someone else's care was done purely by arrangement so it wasn't illegal before 1927, after that date it was illegal.

I think if you are concerned you should seek further legal advice! Best of luck to you x

the adoption took place in 1940,i just wondered what the rules and regulations were then as my mom always knew from day 1 what her daughters adopted name was and who were the adoptive parents ( a very prominent person at the time ) in the legal profession.

I don't think they had the red tape and background checks then that they do now.It was not unknown for childless couples to adopt children from people who couldn't afford to keep them and I'm sure that the people who administrated these matters would only have been happy to expedite things as long as the paperwork was in order.The fact that the adoptive family had some legal clout would also have been very handy.

i dont want to mention names as people are still living i have an adopted half sister who was adopted in the early 1940s who i managed to trace only a few years ago.
the reason i found her so easy to trace was because my mother knew her adopted name and who adopted her.
how was that possible in 1940.

I was born during the second world war, my mum's pregnancy being quite an unexpected surprise to my parents. I was the youngest of three kids. As I was growing up, I was told, a childless couple, family friends, that lived across the street, had begged my parents to let them adopt me, so perhaps during this time it was not unusual for unofficial adoptions to take place.

i just wonder if the adoption papers would still be available
:confused:

If you contact GRO Southport there is a special section for "Adoptions".

Apparently before 1927 you did not have to register adoptions

Damn, no chance of finding out more about my great grandmother's adoption then. She was French, but her mother came over to England (Brighton) to give birth to her (the father's name and profession on the birth certificate is blank, so we presume she was illegitimate). She was looked after by a couple in Brighton, and then my great great grandparents (not my real ones of course) brought her up to Sheffield, and she stayed here.

I would have loved to have known more about the adoption, but as this was in 1884, I guess it won't have been registered.

(Also, on the birth cetificate, under the place of birth, it says '13 Kensington Gardens U.S.D'. Does anyone know what U.S.D stands for? I've looked on google, but all it brings up is stuff about U.S dollars.)

I think it's Urban Sanitary District, I believe it to be regarding areas covered by certain Council rulings but, really nothing to do with the birth itself.

"Urban Sanitary Districts were formed as a result of the 1873 & 1875 Public Health Acts they were not new divisions of local government but existing authorities that were given a different name and responsibilities.

They lasted until 1894 and the Local Government Act 1894 merged them into corporations and urban districts.

The name is not really important what was important was the USD rated the inhabitants to provide relief for the poor and had responsibilities for the poor of the district amongst their other responsibilities."
Duffems

Ah so that's what it means. Very helpful, thank you Duffems. :thumbsup:

i just wonder if the adoption papers would still be available

From 30 December 2005 changes to the law will enable birth relatives to also apply for access to an adopted person’s adoption registration. However Access to Adoption Records for birth relatives must be done via Intermediary Agencies.

Adoption Contact Register
Adopted person(s) or birth relatives wishing to make contact with each other can register on the Adoption Contact Register.

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/adoptions/index.asp

Tuppie

I used to work with a guy who came from a family of 17 children (he is now in his early 60's so was born in the 40's). Their neighbours after many years of trying were childless and consequently 3 of the younger children were "given away" to them. The neighbour, husband and 3 kids subsequently moved to Scotland were he was head hunted for a job in the pit when nationalisation occured... apart from holidays etc the real family rarely saw the 3 kids. The guy assures me there was never anything legal in place but rather a mutual agreement between the 2 families

i think my grandmother born 1881 was adopted this way as her mother died and her sister and father went into the workhouse but i cannot find any details , or of her sister who was 9 when she went into the workhouse, but im still looking.

My daughter is doing the family tree and recently found out her mother's mum was adopted, she was born in 1927 but was adopted two years later. Can she find out any information from anywhere as she doesnt know where to turn now and feels guilty that she can't find any information on her Nan for her mum.

An old man who i used to chat to in the Old Harrow on Broad St in the seventies. Told me that when he was a child living around Duke street in the twenties it was not uncommon for people to find babies abandoned on their doorsteps.
Young unmarried mothers assumed to be from Fulwood but undoubtedly from all over the city would leave them perhaps with a few shillings.
The woman of the house or one of the neighbours, would just take them in.
If you are already feeding 10 or 12 then whats one more.

My dad's mum 'took' a child from his parents in the early 1920s. He was always begging for food, so my grandma told his mum that if she wouldn't look after him SHE would!
She was newly married but childless at the time and uncle Harold was 6 years old.
He idolised my grandma - who went on to have 4 children of her own - and called her his angel.
His mum was a 'bl**dy flibberdegibbet' according to grandma!

My daughter is doing the family tree and recently found out her mother's mum was adopted, she was born in 1927 but was adopted two years later. Can she find out any information from anywhere as she doesnt know where to turn now and feels guilty that she can't find any information on her Nan for her mum.

Use the address posted in Tuppie's post.

i think my grandmother born 1881 was adopted this way as her mother died and her sister and father went into the workhouse but i cannot find any details , or of her sister who was 9 when she went into the workhouse, but im still looking.


Do you need any help on this, if so post some details and I will have a look for you.