Genealogy Chat

Hi all!

I was just wandering if any body could give me any tips on what fostering was like in the 1930's i.e what official body would have been likely to have any records?

My Grandfather was fostered (we presume) in the early 1930's and we know nothing of his foster parents and would like to find out.

Many Thanks! Nadine.

I can't give you a proper answer, but my grandmother died just after my youngest aunt was born in 1931.

My grandfather couldn't look after the baby himself and my mother who was the eldest girl at 14 years old had her other five siblings to look after, so my aunt was handed to a neighbour to look after.

All my aunt has in her possession is a letter signed by my grandfather and the neighbour stating that grandfather was handing over responsibility for looking after my aunt to the neighbour with certain conditions (unfortunately the page with the conditions on it is missing).

It just illustrates that "fostering" might not have been done officially.

Kath. x

Thanks for that Kath. I was wandering if that had happened to my Grandfather, as you say it illustrates that not all fostering was done officially esp. in those days.

Thanks again!

Nadine.

Even if done officially - usually through the local council, records may well not have been kept, as I know from a friends experience from the same sort of period.

Nadine
Although some fostering was done privately much was done via local authorities in which case there may be a surviving record. It is worth contacting the local authority concerned and asking if they have an index card in your relative's name. By law they had to keep one then. It wont give you a great deal of info though, only the name of foster parents and date(s) fostered. As you are going back to the 1930s the record may well have been archived - in which case you need to contact your local archives office (the London Metropolitan Archives in my case). If the fostering was private I can only guess there may be no record although may be some court papers of some kind. You might have to resort to asking any surviving relatives of the circumstances.

My Father was fostered from birth until he was about 3. I would love to know where he was fostered as it was the only pleasant memories he had of his childhood.
Reading between the lines I think his mother suffered from post natal depression (although according to a cousin it was because my grandmother had "milk fever" i.e. Mastitis!)

I may have to get in touch with the local authority and/or archives to see if the hold any information.

My mother died when I was 3 years old. and my father's family took me to live with them, my father with us as well. When he had to go away during WW2. my grandfather was classed as my guardian.

No mention of fostering, but what a happy loving home I had with my father's family.

Thankyou all for your tips and memories.
I don't know if my Grandfathers time with his foster family was a particularly happy one.
Anyway i think a trip to the archives in Nottingham (where he was bought up) is on the cards,planning for a couple of weeks time.
Lets hope something was done officially so then at least i can get a lead!
Thanks again!
Nadine