Genealogy Chat

Hi as anybody got any advise on how to trace my late fathers birth name as all I have is his adoption certificate(1940 england) all searches of english records came back blank and I now have found out that he was born in scotland. greatfull of any advise John.

I only have one adoption cert.but the birth name is there and the mother's name is there.
At the top "Whereas the parent"(not named)
And lower down "signed by the above named" and a full signature.

John

Children are listed in the birth register in their original birth names. After an adoption has been granted in the court the child is then placed on the Adopted Children Register in their adoptive names and an adoption certificate is issued in their adoptive names. The short a/cert (which looks like a regular short birth certificate) makes no mention of adoption, however the full a/cert gives the names and address of the adoptive parents.

It's my understanding that only the adoptee can gain access to birth details. As the law stands at the moment children of an adopted person have no legal right to the information in their parents adoption file. There is a group trying to change this law at the moment.

I'd just like to add that where I live in Australia children of adopted people have the legal right to access their parents adoption files... so it can be done :-)

Jim/Thelma

I'm puzzled. It's most unusual that you have the birth parents names written formally on an adoption certificate, it normally has only the names of the adopters. Adoption is steeped in secrecy, adoption certificates don't link the birth and adoptive names.

Is your certificate for England and Wales ?Do you have the original?

Is there any chance that the names on the a/certificate has been added by the adoptive parents (so they don't forget)?

In years gone by the a/parents were given the original birth name (and sometimes the b/mother's name) they needed this information to make an application to the court and to register the baby at a Dr's.

Cheers Gerry

Carol

If you was adopted you will be placed on the Adopted Children Register after your adoption was granted in the court.

Go to www. gro.gov.uk and click into adoptions and it will give you lots of information.

Also, another good website is www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk it will show you who to apply to for access for your adoption file.

However, given that yours is a step parent adoption I suspect that the information in your adoption file might be limited as your mother kept you at birth.

Hope this helps.

Cheers Gerry

This is not my area but I have the impression that members are confusing a birth cert.issued at adoption with an adoption cert.
I am guessing that there should be three certs.
1/ the original(with "adopted" on the right if issued after adoption)
2/ the adoption(from the orphanage etc)
3/ the reissued(in the name of the adoptive parents)

Hi Jim,

There are 2 birth cert issued, the first one the original is in the Birth name, then later when the court has actually agreed to the adoption, in most case about 6 months later, the childs details are entered into the Adoption Register under the new adopted name, then the adoption cert is issued.
There are 2 forms of this as in a normal cert, the short version will only tell you the details are taken from an entry by the Registrar General.
The long list parents names etc.

The only way to know the orig birth name is either if you are told it by your adoptive family, or you can contact SS in the area the adoption took place and they will find out for you.

Think Scottish adoptions have a few different rules, try looking at this site it will give you contact numbers.

www.lookupuk(.)com

Just to reiterate there is in my possession a photostat copy of a declaration where the mother gives up all claim to a child and the adoptive parents assume responsibility.
This form/certificate can only be obtained by the child(I think) when tracing their natural parent(s).
What is intriguing is that the mothers signature(verified)and the adoptive parents signatures(verified) are on the same form when there is a two year gap between the child being placed in an orphanage and being adopted.
I can only imagine that the mother's signature was covered over at adoption.

Hi Jim/Thelma

I believe what you have described is part of the formal paperwork and not a certificate issued by GRO.

Cheers Gerry

John,

what was your fathers birth date? I'll see if I can find anything for you. Were there no adoption papers in amongst his belongings? Silly question maybe!!