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Hi,
As a new member to genes reunited I'm hoping that someone can help me start my journey!
So, my father was born 1951 and I believe around age 2 he was taken into care to Bernados, as I understand from him were his siblings also. He was always very keen to trace his birth parents and siblings and obtained his original birth certificate with his birth parents names on. My dad always vowed that he wouldn't search for his parents all the while his adopted parents were alive out of respect but, unfortunately he did then pass away just 1 month after my nan at just age 48.

I am now very keen to learn more about his family history, but I am not quite sure how to start! As he is deceased I am not sure if I am able to request his adoption papers? I have looked up births of the same name the 10 years previous at paddington, his place of birth, to see if I can find other siblings births but none match to the parents names.

I believe his father was Irish, so I don't know if there are any records I can check for his birth but of course I have no date of birth for him or even an approximate age.

I have visited the address on his birth certificate but unfortunately the side of the road his house was on is now a university campus!

I would love to hear any thoughts that anyone is willing to give me!
Thanks,
kerry :-D

Kerry,

Firstly welcome to the boards. I am sorry to have to advise you that once an adoptee such as your father dies their adoption records are sealed and are not released to anyone even if a relative of them.

My advice would initially be to extend the area where your fathers siblings if he had any were born. Although he was born in Paddington they may have been born elsewhere. If you have his original birth certificate and both parents are named then look to see if you can find a marriage for them. It might be worth looking even beyond your fathers birth date as they may have had their children before actually marrying.

I would start by writing to Barnardos and give them as much information as you have. I'm not sure whether or not they will be able to help but it seems as good a place to start as any given the fact that you will not be able to access your father's adoption file.

Kath. x

Another thought:

As you know the address where your father was born it might be worth checking to see who was registered to vote at that address just before and just after your father's birth.

That information will appear on the electoral register for the period. You are most likely to be able to find a copy of the relevant ER's either at the main public library or archive office in the area the ER covered.

Good luck.

Thank you for your help, I will look to do both of those things and see where it takes me!

Is the electoral register different to the census? I didn't realise that you could access such records post 1911 until the next date of release every ten years. As I say I'm new to this so apologies for my confusion and the questions!

:-)

Yes, they certainly are different!

The ER is filled in every year by every household in the UK with the names of people entitled to vote. Or at least it SHOULD be!

The census is a record of every person in the country - regardless of age etc.

Contact the relevant library - if they do not hold the ER, they should be able to tell you where it is - usually the County Records Office

Was the address given on your father's birth cert actually a private dwelling?

Who registered his birth?

You say the his 'parents' were named on the cert..................so you know his father's name.

.............have you looked to see if the parents married?

Kerry, Census's are basicaly a survey of the entire population and done every ten years

Electoral register is a list of all those registered to and eligable to vote in a particular area and the register is updated every year

Roy

I'm sightly confused, can you confirm that you have your fathers original birth certificate,

His birth parents will not be named on his adoption certificate which replaced his original birth cert.

Roy

PP

Replaced is possibly not the best word to use.
The original 1951 BC will surely still exist in the quarterly lists? And therefore be available to order?

Inky1, Sorry, When i said "replaced" i didn't make my self clear,

Once a court has granted an adoption the court then issue an order which is the authority for an entry to be made at the GRO,

The Adoption certificate is then produced from this register under the child's new details. The adoption certificate "replaces" the original birth certificate for legal and administrativ purposes.

The original birth entry will stay on the index and the birth register is annotated with the word "adopted" in the margin and all subsequent copies of the entry will show the annotation.

Roy

The information contained on an adoption certificate is as follows -

The name of the adopted person,

The date and location of their birth and the sex of the child

The name, address and occupation of the adopter(s)

The date of the adoption order plus description of the court who
made the order

Signature of the officer at GRO deputed by the Registrar General to
attest the entry

Roy

Thank you all for your replies.
Yes, the birth was registered by his mother of the same surname of his father with her former name also confirmed. I have been unable to locate a marriage prior to this DOB for the parents.
I have been trying to research the address, but cannot find any information on what date his house was destroyed and replaced by the university. I even went into the university and asked but the receptionist was very unhelpful. This was a few years ago and I was younger and so didn't really question her further at the time. I will continue my research here directly with the college next time I'm in London, as I can't seem to find anything on line.
I do have an original medical certificate of a doctors examination for him at age 2 which states his general condition as "poor" , he was adopted at age 10 so as I understand it he was taken into care rather than given up for adoption.
I will look to research the electoral register and see where that takes me :-)

Kerry,

Would you like to post some specific details such as your deceased father's original birth name, his parents names (Including his mother's maiden name) and the address shown as his birthplace on the birth certificate.

Obviously it is entirely up to you but amongst Genes Reunited members there is a wealth of experience and knowledge. The members who are volunteers, not paid employees, either subscribe to or have access to many different genealogy sites which might have information that may assist you in your search. For example copies of London Electoral registers for the 1950's are available at Ancestry.

That would be a fantastic help to me thank you.
My fathers birth name was John Joseph Faulkner born 3rd August 1951, his parents Joseph Cossian Faulkner his Mother Kathleen Frances Faulkner previously Schofield. The address given was 1 luxborough Street, London. Through searching the internet tonight I have now learnt that 1 luxborough street was the site of the old workhouse/infirmary so actually not a home address at all which takes me even further from making progress! They could have lived anywhere in London I guess!
I would love to hear anything that any volunteers can put forward for me.

Thanks again.

Have you checked out the Faulkner/Schofield birth in Lambeth in 1952 - it could be a sister? Lambeth/Paddington are only about 6 miles apart.

Grasping at straws a bit but in the light of the 1952 birth that Flip found you never know your luck.

Name: Kathleen Faulkner
Year: 1953
County or Borough: Lambeth
Ward or Division/Constituency: Lambeth
Street address: 30 Landor Road

Also

Name: Kathleen Faulkner
Year: 1951
County or Borough: Westminster
Ward or Division/Constituency: Paddington

There was a Joseph Faulkner living in the same area in 1951 but at a different address.

Name: Joseph Faulkner
Year: 1951
County or Borough: Westminster
Ward or Division/Constituency: Paddington
Street address: 8) O'Sullivan, Daniel

The 1953 has been mistranscribed, the address is 30 Hubert Grove, and the same Faulkners were there in 1951. So they must be 2 different people Jonesey.

Jonsey, what do you make of the possible marriage for the 1952 birth, in 1970? I don't want to post the details as it is an unusual name and a bit too recent. But it's dual registered??

Flip,

I am not seeing the possible marriage you mention. Would you kindly send me details by PM.

Cheers

Ok, have sent you a PM Jonesey - I think it's a Cypriot name