Genealogy Chat

I would have thought one could adopt any minor child.
This seems to be borne out by:
The GROS holds the Register of Adopted Children concerning persons adopted under orders made by Scottish courts from 1930, when adoption was first recognised in Scots Law. Please note that there are no entries relating to persons born before October 1909.
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/Content/FAQs/Questions/index.aspx?1318
[Note 1930-1909=21 for the arithmetically challenged]

At any rate, it seems Kay????'s statement:
"It can be finalised at any age of the child up to 16.in UK."
while technically true (since it doesn't say what can happen after age 16) is misleadingly restrictive.

a relative of mine was born to a mother who was not married. The father column was left blank. When the mother subsequently married the man adopted the child and in the register the word adopted was added. This child has her original birth certificate and I have a copy of the amended one with adopted in the column.

This relative spent most of her life ignorant of the fact her father was not in fact her birth father.....................

Hi Barrie,

By law it has to be done,because that person has been adopted and given a new identity and the original birth certificate can no longer be used for legal purposes.

a new full birth replacement certificate is issued which does have Entry from the ACR on it,,,,,,which shows,names of adoptive parents details and names of the child..a short version was also issued,,dob,new name.but this was found to be useless when applying for professional job,or armed services where checks would needed to be made into backgrounds of parents.the full adoption entry certificate also has the word Adoption on it.


in effect that name under those registration details no longer exsists..

Thank you Kay. However, why is it thought necessary to add to a birth certificate that the person has been adopted? Surely a birth certificate is just official notice that a person has been born. Why add that he/she has been adopted?

The birth registration entry has that added only *after* adoption when its been finalised by the court.then the local registering office is notified for it to be added in writing back then only the Superintendant can make that entry,.

It can be finalised at any age of the child up to 16.in UK.

42 days is the rule for birth registrations

I have just obtained a birth certificate for a man born in Wales in 1949. The certificate is the normal layout and information but to the right of the last column (headed "Name entered after registration") are the words"Adopted Tom Parry Supt. Registrar".
Presumably this means the man was adopted but does it mean he was adopted immediately after birth and before first registration (which was 21 days after the birth)? If not, what is the explanation? Is this usual practice?