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When did official adoption records start?

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Margaret

Margaret Report 1 Sep 2006 15:25

I have an ancestor who may have been adopted in the mid 1890s - it has 'adopted daughter' on the 1901 census under relationship - just wondering if there might be any paperwork available if it actually was an official adoption. The area is Wigan, Yorkshire.

Kim

Kim Report 1 Sep 2006 15:28

Don't think there was any legal paperwork until the 1920s. , I believe, before that you were just 'taken in' by neighbours, aunts, godparents etc. I'm sure there is others on here know more though. Cheers Kim

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 1 Sep 2006 15:29

Official adoption didn't begin until the mid-1920's. Anything prior to that was unofficial. Reg

Janet in Yorkshire

Janet in Yorkshire Report 1 Sep 2006 15:30

Official adoption was 1927, I believe. Jay

Margaret

Margaret Report 1 Sep 2006 15:33

Thanks a lot for the replies - just wanted to explore every avenue that was available.

Geraldine

Geraldine Report 2 Sep 2006 07:42

Hi Margaret Official (recorded) adoptions started in 1927. Just one thing... Wigan is in Lancashire and not Yorkshire. Thinking there may be another Wigan I googled Wigan Yorkshire and there is a roots dot com thread debating this. They finally agreed that Wigan is in Lancashire. Cheers Gerry

Margaret

Margaret Report 2 Sep 2006 14:40

Thanks Gerry - that'll teach me to enter details from memory -- most of them are from Yorkshire, therefore Wigan must be in Yorkshire!!!! (She was left on the doorstep of her adopted family and they lived in Yorks, so maybe that's what I remembered)

An Olde Crone

An Olde Crone Report 2 Sep 2006 15:31

Wigan is one of those places that didnt know where it was for a long time. Strictly speaking, it is geographically Lancashire. But much of the (Church) administration was historically done as part of Yorkshire. short answer - look in both Counties! OC

Margaret

Margaret Report 2 Sep 2006 15:39

Thanks OC. The mother-in-law is quite happy with her grandmother being a ''foundling'', but I thought it would be nice to have a record of the family who took her in.