Genealogy Chat

I've been trying to find out if my father was adopted or fostered. I share his surname which is also his birth parents name too. So I thought maybe he was just fostered. Someone had a look at Edinburgh Records Office for an entry for his birth and found nothing. I know the exact year, we have a not very common surname. However marriage details for him and his first wife were found, giving the same surname. I'm confused, how can I find out? Leanne x

I was adopted and contacted the London Metropolitan Archives 40 Northampton Rd EC1 R0HB and they said they held my records , so I sugest you write or e-mail them if your father was from London or Middlesex or any similar body near to your fathers birth place giving as much detail as you know.

Thanks Margaret I'm in Scotland and doubt very much whether they'd tell me if he was adopted anyway. Been trying to figure this out for a while now, really doing my head in!! Thanks again Leanne x

Have you looked for him too under his mother's maiden name? OR Could it be that he was not born in Scotland due to some reason and his birth registration might be at GRO?

Margaret, Do you know if they would have info on adoption records for YORKSHIRE? Many years ago I contacted Soc.Serv. + got my original Bcert BUT they said too much time had gone by + there would be no other records! I wish I knew then what I know now. I am trying to get all the info I can on my own this time. Thanks Ann

Hi Ann I am not sure what records they hold. The reason i contacted them is because I was adopted in the Middlesex area . Maybe worth a phone call or letter . Good Luck. margaret

Thanks Margaret Sorry to butt in on your thread Lea. Did you Look for your fathers birth on 1837? That way you could find out if he was Adopted or not. Regards Ann x

just seen your replies folks. thanks for the advice, didnt think to try 1837 as he was born in scotland, wish there was a site like that for scotland. thanks lea x

how do you know the birth parents' names? If he was adopted, the marriage cert would presumably show the adoptive parents

Thats my problem Robin, I'm not sure he was adopted and Im trying to find out how I can find out!

Why do you think he was adopted? Pippa

There is a web site Lea called scotlandspeople.gov.(uk) you may find something here. I have seen it mentioned on the boardsbut haven't had need to use it myself. Ann

Pippa My dad was brought up by a family who werent relations of ours. I always assumed he had been adopted but dont remember being told that he had. Maybe they were a foster family. Lea x

Leanne, I think your first port of call should be http://www.scottishadoption.org/ I would e-mail them with the info you have and see if they can help. Is it possible that the family who raised your Father could have been related to his real parent/s i.e. Mother's sister and her husband? It does seem strange that he kept his birth name if he was adopted but I am no expert. The only adoptions within my family were my Mother's and my Uncle's. My Mother was born when my Gran was still married to her first husband. As my Gran was married her husbands name was automatically put on my Mother's certificate. Once my Grandparents married they had to formally adopt my Mother. If my Gran's first husband had not agreed to this then my Mother would have still had his name as although not biologically his child he was legally still her 'Father'. My Uncle was adopted by his elder sister and her husband as my Gran was deemed to be a woman of loose morals by her own daughter also with the complete compliance of gran's first husband. (despite the fact that he had in the past contracted an STD which Gran nursed him through!) Perhaps there are clues that you are missing. What did your Father call his guardians? Roughly when was he born?

Okay thinking logically (which doesn't happen to me very often) can you trace the family of these people that bought him up to see if there is a link to your family? Pippa

As I don't know what year we are talking about, the following may not be relevant. My Grandmother (Scottish) was orphaned at an early age. She and her many siblings were 'taken in' individually by local families to prevent them going to the Workhouse. This was in a tiny fishing village near Aberdeen, which had a strong religious group known as the Fisherfolk. My Grandmother used her own birth name but also the surname of her foster parents on different occasions and her death notice gives her maiden name as that of her foster parents. This would have been in the early 1900s, so as I said, maybe too early for you. But there was a strong tradition of informal fostering in Scotland, moved by religious duty, up until WW2. Old Crone

Thanks again everyone. Unsure what he called the mum and dad of the family that brought him up! He was born in 1961, shall keep racking my brains on this one I think! Lea x

Lea, having re-read this thread I think it is highly unlikely that your Father was adopted. As your Father was born 1961 there will still be people around who remember the circumstances. I suggest you try to find others who share the surname in and around the area you believe your Father came from. (There is usually someone offering to do electoral roll lookups on this board.) Then I suggest you write to them just saying that you are researching your family tree and as they share your unusual surname you wondered if they may be related to your Father's family. Don't forget to enclose a stamped addressed envolope and then sit back and wait for any replies. Good luck Janet

Hi Lea, OK, just a few things, you would not be able to find your fathers birth entry if he was born in Scotland on 1837 as this only covers England and Wales. If you need any elecotral roll look ups for his family name in the area of his birth let me know. There is a link on www.lookup(.)com for Scottish adoption records, but this may be the same as the one already given. I presume you have looked for his birth under the surname he was given and his mothers maiden name, but there is someone who may be able to help you with info on Scottish records also. Try Margaret Drummond on www. scotsconnected(.)com. a lovely lady she is pretty clued up on all Scottih birth records etc. Good Luck with your search Sheila

Thanks again for all the advice everyone. Sheila you've helped me loads already and that site looks really good. Will send a message. ;o) Leanne x