General Chat

My best friend was adopted when she was a baby and she feels ready to find out where she came from. She is 57 and both her adopted parents have passed away. She does have some information but we were wondering how does she go about applying for her adoption records. We have found what we think is her birth registered in the quarter she was born but we also found it registered again 6 months later. This could be when she was adopted. Any help would be gratefully received. Thank you

I think it is probably best to go the official route via
Www.gov.uk/adoption-records

Good luck

The birth wont be registered again after adoption and a new name doesn't appear in the public registered indexes.

All official channels regards accessing adoption information records are closed due to the virus crisis.until further notice.

Ok. Thank you both for your reply x

My dad was registered twice.
Once at his birth in 1926, under my gran's surname (dad was illegitimate), and again, in 1942, when he was adopted, under his adoptive father's name.

My friends birth was not registered twice when her step dad adopted her but we live in Scotland and her birth dad died on Piper Alpha. I was born in 1984 to give an approximate time frame.

Ooo-err, I wonder whether it was a time thing, area thing, or just my gran insisting dad was registered again! :-S
There's a handwritten note under his original birth registration, referencing his adoption volume, page, etc.
Interestingly, when dad was adopted, dad and gran (and dad's sister - who wasn't adopted) were living in Cornwall, 'adoptive dad' was in Devon, and gran signed the adoption papers on 'adoptive dad's' behalf!

Maggie, your gran sounds a real character...not to be messed with!

In response to a request on these boards, I looked up the birth of someone mentioned to establish a time frame, then realised there was a sibling born too.
The sibling's birth was re registered quite a few years later presumably after being adopted by their mum's later marriage.
These finds checked out when the 1939 list was viewed.,

This was southern England 1920s / 1930s.

Gwyn, her pigs would stand to attention if she told them to!
If they didn't do as she said - they didn't get a belly rub :-D <3

As for no second registration, I suppose, if the child was adopted before 6 weeks, no 'first' registration was necessary.

I've just found this:
"Adoption records after 1927. The Adoption of Children Act, 1926, made adoption in England and Wales a legal process from 1 January 1927. ... Adoptions were subsequently entered into an official register known as the Adopted Children Register"

Which could explain how gran managed to sign dad's adoption.

Following on from namelessone's link - This could be useful:
http://www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk/default.htm

Births are not registered twice,,,,,,,,a birth registration can appear later under a ***change of surname*** and that usually is when a stepparents name is given,because a birth parent//s still remains the parent.//s,,the child is not becoming part of a completely family,.


,,,,,,,but in the case of adoptions ,because there has been a complete change of often christain name and of course surname,the child has become separated from the birth parent/s and moving into a whole new named parentage.but they aren't re-registered under their new name but do appear in the post adoption yearly register indexes entered in the year of the completed adoption in new name only..

Thank you for your help everyone.I know the person above said records aren't available at the moment but when they are how does my firend go about applying for her adoption records. She was born in Derbyshire but the short birth certificate she has with her adopted name on was registered in Somerset.

Jayne I have you some details on procedures.

Top right of your screen should appear notification envelope under --Messages,,

Ahhhh - I understand now, Kay! (where's the D'oh emoji when you need it) :-D :-S

;-) :-D