Genealogy Chat

Can anyone offer me any advice on trying to trace an adopted half brother or sister? I don't know if male or female or where born or anything, just the mother's identity. Would the mother have had to give her real surname at the time? This relates back to the early1940s so they would be in their 60s now.

Thanks for any advice that you can offer.

Hi Enigma

All you can do im afraid is search through the BMD's (births) on ancestry or simular site.

Do you know any details at all ie: year child was born area etc?

Also its very difficult to trace adopted people unless you know which area the person was adopted and the surname of the adoptees (ive been serching for my Aunt who was adopted as my father was for over 4 years and its a very long slow process as all I have is her birth certificate i dont know her adopted name)

Good luck if you need any help just give me a shout xxxxx

Hi Hooch, Thanks for your reply. All I know is that it was 1942 or 43. I don't know which area or anything else at all. Unfortunately It would seem that it's going to be impossible for me to find out who this half brother or sister is. Sad isn't it?. Maybe they'll be doing some searching of their own, although I imagine if they were going to do so they would have done it long ago. Thanks very much for your help though x

I went through a similar process. There are a few options open to you.

Assuming the birth was in England or Wales... first you need to trawl the birth index in your mothers name and gain the birth certificate. Hopefully it's not a common name.

The adoption contact laws changed in Dec 2005 and you can make an application for contact through either SS or an Adoption Support Agency. There is a fee for this and not cheap.

You might like to read up about adoption search on this website. www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk

Once you have the birth cert you can do a birth area search on the above website and it will advice you who to contact.

I'm unsure of the process with Northern Ireland and Scotland. For Scottish adoptions you need to contact Birthlink.

In answer to your question Yes a mother can change her name and register the baby in her new name... I know this because my mother did it. It's not illegal to change your name unless it's done for unlawful purposes e.g. fraud.

Good luck with your search.

Cheers Gerry

Hello Enigma

If you were sucessful in tracing and obtaining a birth cert for your sibling it might be worth registering your and their details with Norcap or GRO to see whether your adopted sibling was already registered as someone seeking to find birth family.
There would be a charge for this but it may be an avenue worth exploring.

No way half as important as this, but how might I find if Ronald Smith, born Wales 1909, was adopted by Margaret Ann Archer in Macclesfield within 2 years of his birth? He is on the 1911 census living with her, and I know he grew up in a happy environment and married. I have this idea that his birth mum might like to know that.

Margaret

Dear Joan

I believe I have his birth certificate, 14 Feb 1909 Welshpool, Montgomery. Mother Frances Mary Smith, no father obviously. So I am in the opposite position. The woman who "adopted" him was a widow, then in her 50s, her own child was grown up and soon to be married. Quite why she wanted to take on this unwanted child at her age is beyond me, but she did, and brought him to adulthood after him fighting with diabetes and her with severe arthiritis. He married, but had no children, and lost a leg through the diatbetes, but apparently led a happy life. He was a master confectioner.

I have my theory, that the adoptive mother was also "adopted", i.e.she was not the child of the man she named as her her father on her marriage certficate, and perhaps she was grateful that he brought her up as his own child, and indeed she was in close contact with her supposed siblings in a business venture. So she adopted Ronnie cos she understood his plight. It having been her own, some 30 years earlier.

If I am right, that is one great lady.

Well, I will never know, but I do in my heart.

Margaret

Thank you so much Geraldine (Gerry), lotsof marmite & Amokavid (Joan) I really appreciate your suggestions. I have bookmarked the sites you have mentioned.

I think I would have to apply for copies of all the birth certificates with a particular first & surname within a 2 year period? That could work out very expensive as it is a common enough surname! However, thanks to you all I now have more info than I did before, and maybe it's not such an impossible goal to have after all, so thank you all very much.