Find Living Relatives

Hi and thanks in advance if anyone can help.
Through finding a 1st cousin on GR I have become aware that I also have a half brother. I have got his birth certs (2 because there was an amendment added later) and I also have his "adoptive" parents names & dob's. However we can find no other information for him or his parents. Have looked on Free BMD also. No marriage or death found that relate to the general area he lived in as a child. Obviously he could have moved but I only have his first address. It would appear to have been an unofficial handing over of this baby, which apparently was not uncommon during WWII. My cousin and I have written to various organisations including Barnardo's who have searched their own records and the records of 3 other organisations that they now hold to no avail. I have also looked at emigration lists on GR but can find nothing in his or his parents names. The Adoption Contact Register have no record of anyone of his name, which was to be expected as we think it was "informal". We've tried Adoption Search Reunion and also The Children's Society but have had no luck. I had thought by having a premium membership I'd be able to look on the 1939 census but that's a further large charge as is some other list I thought to check but found that was also not within the premium membership either. We have done the obvious things like directory enquiries/ facebook etc with no joy. We don't know what else we can do so any help/suggestions would be most welcome? More info can be provided but I don't wish to put anything more on this public board. Many thanks.

If the adopted parents took him in the 1940 they should be on the 1939 register then it's unlikely they would still be alive so posting their name won't infringe any personal info

Looking for them and any other children that may have had plus any death records may find an informant that can help with further info

Their records though on the 1939 will only be open if the deaths have been picked up

Send me a PM with the details of the adoptive parents and I'll check 1939 for you

Hi Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it

Thank you very much for your message.

At the time of the handover of this baby his adoptive mother was single and registered him in her single name. They didn't marry until a few years had passed. So in 1939 there wouldn't have been a married couple to trace or any siblings. However they could be looked up as individuals so I will give the info to ErikaH as per her message below yours. Many thanks again.

If his adopted mum was single but her death has been picked up she should still show on the 1939 register

There are ways of going around the records to get info

How do you know know the baby wasn't hers
It's illegal to register a birth as yours that isn't your own child

It would seem from what you say that the lady had the baby but then later married the father so legitimising the birth and an amended birth cert was issued showing both parents names it doenst sound like an adoption

I tend to agree with Shirley - it doesn't sound like an adoption to me (at least not an adoption out of the family).

You say he is your half-brother. Which of your parents do you share with him?

Kath. x

I'm waiting to try to help - no info sent yet

Hi ErikaH

Have just sent you some info now.

Thank you

Hi KathleenBell and Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it

It wasn't an official adoption. Put simply it appears to have been a case of a single parent handing over their baby to someone else to bring up, apparently this was not uncommon during the war years. This child, now a pensioner, would be my half-brother. I am keeping some details quite private, i.e. not putting everything on this board, as the person could still be alive, I can't find a death record for them. I just want to tread carefully and be considerate bearing in mind I don't know the background or whys and wherefores. I, and my cousin, are however very grateful for any suggestions/help offered. More info would be shared off the board as appropriate.

Although you cant find a migration record for any of these people bear in mind those that are online searchable are -Sailing migration records only.........those that flew are not included.

Hi Kay????

Thank you for that info. Is there a way to check on people who may have emigrated by air then? I had assumed as it was the only option on here it was mostly done by sea back in the 40s/50s. Thank you.

Why would a single parent hand over their baby to another single lady

Were the two ladies related ?

Hi Shirley~ I,m getting the hang of it

No they definitely weren't related. I simply don't know the whys and wherefores so I can't speculate.

Hi ErikaH

I would like to thank you for the time and effort you have put in on providing me with a lot of information today. I really do appreciate what you've found out. Sadly it seems my half brother may have passed on many years ago as a young man. There is a year but no day or month of birth for this death. If I get the death cert and the day and month of birth do not match with info on his birth cert then I will be back! I will share all the info you have provided with my cousin and I know he would want me to thank you on his behalf too. Thank you very much.

It depends on the year of death as to whether it will give you a date of birth. If the death was before 1969 then it will only give an age at death - NOT the actual date of birth.

Kath. x

Enigma,

Re-the death certificate England/Wales ,,,,,,,,if it only gives an age in the indexes then that is what it will have on the death certificate.date of births was only added to death certificates after 1969.

Australian records gives mode of travel when a person entered after about 1960.

Re- uk passport,,,,,,,a birth certificate would still be needed to apply for one.even if a person was using another surname.--(excluding legal adoption)so unless a legal adoption had been granted any passport would be issued in their legal name,,,,plus until 2000 when the law changed under 16s had a combined passport with a parent.

Hi KathleenBell

Thank you for that info. It has been pointed out to me by ErikaH that if I get the death cert then the informant of the death may help to confirm whether we have the right person, so I will be doing this.

Hi Kay????

Thank you for your information, I will get the death cert as per ErikaH's suggestion as the informant on the cert may help us to know whether we have the right person.