Genealogy Chat

I have a birth certificate with the words adopted written at the side along with a signature of the registrar. My question if anyone can help was my ancestor adopted out or was this child adopted into the family. It is a full birth certificate and is dated 1931. Any help very much appreciated

Regards

Cheryl

As far as I understand it from Googling (and assuming you're talking about England or Wales) , that will be the child's BIRTH certificate, with details of the birth parent(s).


When an adoption has been granted by a court in England and Wales, the court issues an order which is the authority for an entry to be made in the Adopted Children Register held at the General Register Office.
Adoption certificates are then produced from this register under the child's new details. The adoption certificate (which will be called a "birth" certificate) replaces the original birth certificate for legal and administrative purposes.

The original birth record is not removed following an adoption.
However, the entry in the birth register is annotated with the word "adopted" in the margin and all subsequent copies of the entry will show the annotation.

Info here:
https://tinyurl.com/y3dzrlzx


Re the Adopted Childrens Register:

The Adopted Children's Register was established in England and Wales on 1 January 1927, in Scotland in 1930, in Northern Ireland in 1931 and in the Republic of Ireland in 1953.
The register [ in England/Wales ] contains details of all adoptions legally authorised by a court in England and Wales and is held by the General Register Office rather than by Local Register Offices.
https://tinyurl.com/y22kwoz2

Thank you very much for your help, do you know if it is possible to get a copy of the adopted certificate and if so how?

Regards

Cheryl

It is difficult but not necessarily impossible to obtain a copy of the adopted version.
Somebody I know did it around 20 years ago, which is much more recent than 1931.

The initial action she took was to go into London to "Somerset House" and look through the Adoption index for any record that might have been a match. (Same District and year/quarter). But she might have actually gone to the Family Records Office (now closed).

Then she sent off for the lot. Don't know how many that was, but she was looking to get the exact dob. Don't know if such a search is possible to do online?

I would certanly hope that adoption certificates can only be obtained through a confidential source.

Cheryl

Have you researched the info on the cert - parents' names etc?

Is the child still living?

"There is no searchable index of adoption records online, but you can request a copy of an adoption record via the GRO’s website.

You will need to know the adopted child’s current age or their age at death if they are deceased; the year in which the adoption was registered; their adoptive surname and forename; and their date of birth."

https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tutorials/adoption/

The certificate I have is of my partners uncle, Walter Oliver Birch born 23 feb 1931 to Walter Charles Birch and Violet Parker. It says mother Violet Birch formely Parker of the church army home Belverdere Cresent North Lambeth. Fathers occupation house painter of the church army home 33 Great Peter Street London. In the next box signature description and residence of informant it says V Birch 13 Vicroy Road wandsworth Road. So did Violet have 2 addresses i wonder. What we do know with the help of some very clever people is that Violet never married until 1950 she married George Russell and can be seen on the electoral reg 1954 along with Peter Henry Birch my partners father and George and again in 1957 along with Peter Henry Birch George Russell and Patricia Dorothy Birch. I have Patricias birth certif and it names her father as Oliver Walter Birch house decorator and he registered the birth so very confusing my brain exploding. Violet I think went to her grave with many secrets.

If it helps, the Church Army historically provided mother and baby homes for unmarried mothers,which is probably where she went to have the child - with her home address being as stated

Births Jun 1932 (>99%)
Birch Peter H Parker Lambeth 1d 358

Births Jun 1933 (>99%)
BIRCH Patricia D Parker Greenwich 1d 1091


Obviously the document you are referring to is the birth cert......................

1911 Census For England & Wales
46 Gordon Road Hornsey, Hornsey, Middlesex, England

Walter Oliver Birch Head Single Male 47 1864 House Painter Islington Middlesex
Emma Elizabeth Meakin Mother Widow Female 44 1867 House Keeper Islington Middlesex
Ethel Emma Meakin Dughter - Female 14 1897 School Putney Middlesex
Leslie Thomas Meakin Son - Male 12 1899 School Putney Middlesex

Note the man's occupation............................

BTW, the Meakin's are not relatives................it's a badly-worded record

1939

46 Wickham Road, Brockley, Lewisham, Deptford, London, England
Violet Russell (Birch) 05 Apr 1906 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Widowed 319 1
Peter H A Birch 17 Apr 1932 Male At School Single 319 2
1 closed records

Sometimes a child stayed with their birth mother . but was adopted by her husband.

The couple would adopt the child and although the original certificate issued at birth would not show the adoption, later copies would.
The child would usually then be known by the surname of the subsequent husband.

Violet and Walter together in 1931:

Violet Birch
in the London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965
Name: Violet Birch
Electoral Date: 1931
Street Address: 13 U1s [Viceroy Road ]
Lambeth, England


You must have asked about them before, as I see the correction to the address on Ancestry was made by me in September.

ADDED:
Yes, here's the earlier thread:
https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/ancestors/thread/1387388

Thank you ErikaH for the explaination of the Church Army its looking like Violet had 4 children out of wedlock the first two the fathers named as Walter Charles Birch both house painters and the second 2 children to Oliver Walter Birch both saying house decorator, such a messy life she led hopefully one day we will work it out.

Gwyn in Kent thank you for your info my searching into where Walter Oliver went will continue, much appreciated for you help.

ArgyllGran yes my research is on going and so are my struggles to work out this puzzle. Your help is very much appreciated I am grateful for all the help you have given me

Thank you all so very much

1939
106 Star Chambers Wandsworth Road, Clapham North, Lambeth, Lambeth, London, England
Oliver W Birch 30 Jan 1887 Male House Painter Single 5 17

First name(s) Oliver W
Last name Birch
Gender Male
Birth year 1888
Age 66
Death quarter 4
Death year 1954
District Edmonton
County Middlesex

First name(s) Oliver Walter
Last name Birch
Year 1914-20
Service number 9274, 319342
Second service number 319342
Rank Sergeant,Private
Second rank Private
Regiment 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, Labour Corps
Second corps Labour Corps
Service record Soldier Number: 9274, Rank: Sergeant, Corps: 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
Second service record Soldier Number: 319342, Rank: Private, Corps: Labour Corps
Image link http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D1334108
Country Great Britain
Medal type British Army Medal Index Cards, 1914-1920