Genealogy Chat

Looking for advice about the adoption register please. I was adopted in 1951 and my adoptive mum's brother, my uncle and his wife also had an adopted girl, my cousin, who I frequently played with as a child. The twist in the tale is this. I discovered only yesterday through a local BMD site that my births mother appears to have had another child adopted a couple of years after me. I have sent for the birth cerificate, but ancestry has the birth mother's maiden name the same as mine and also I know full well this person is not in my bm's current family. I expect you can guess the rest, if I am making any sense at all. I'm beginning to wonder if my childhood cousin was actually my sister or half sister. I haven't seen her for 30 years but of course I know her adopted name. If I looked her up on the adoption register would I get her full date of birth, so that I could compare it with the birth certificate when I get it. Alternatively how else could I find out my cousins date of birth. I also have her married name but don't know if she is still married. Also is it likely that two girls of the same birth mother would be given to the same adoptive family circle. Sorry this is so long.

Hi The only information on the index to the Adopted Children register shows Adoptive Surname First names Year of Birth (not date of birth) Date of entry on the register. No of entry and and volume no. With this information you can apply for her Full adoption certificate and this will give you her date of birth and country of birth not where she was born. Adoptive parents name address and occupation. Court name and date of adoption order. It won't give you any other clue. You might like to go to the BAAF website www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk it gives information how birth family relatives can start making a search for adopted family members now that the law has change. Hope this has helped and good luck with your search for your sister. Cheers Gerry

very good luck Christine - hope it turns out well - I have been looking for my full sister for nearly 40 years now. At least if you have the adoptive name and adoptive parents name you can get the cert. I can't do that as I only have her birth name. And, yes - they do separate siblings. My sister and I were separated despite the fact that we are only sixteen months apart. I have always assumed that she went first as babies are easier to place, and I was nearly two. I don't know if they still separate siblings, probably, as taking on several at once would be hard for a couple who had no experience, and also of course, there are far fewer available now due to less stigma for having an illegitimate child - so not so many to go round. Best wishes Eileen (birth name)