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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: bullet on Saturday 31 May 14 09:35 BST (UK)
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Hello.
Would anyone know if when a baby is born, and it is given up for adoption at birth, does the birth certificate say who the adoption agency is and, the names of the intended adoption parents. The year was 1954 and it was in London.
Thank you, I know that there is a possibility that the person is still alive and understand if this isn't the correct place to ask regarding this, but, I thought just on the off chance, someone would know who's been down that road before and would like to know before ordering the birth certificate.
Thanks in advance.
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At the time of registering a birth, no information would be known about the adopting people? ;D
To find information regarding an adopted person, you have to to sign up to the Adoption Contact Register. More info here: https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records
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Thank you for your prompt reply....I thought as much, but thanks for your time.
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Adoptions are intended to be fairly secret! ;D
Unless, that is, that both the adopted person, and the original parents want to make contact!
The person you are looking for may not know that they were adopted?
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There is no way of linking a birth certificate with a subsequent adoption certificate unless you know the name before and after adoption.
The birth cert of a person who is later adopted is anotated to show that there has been an adoption.
If you know the name of the person after adoption, you can check the GRO adopted childrens index, find the relevant entry and then order an adoption cert which will show who the adopted parents were.
Dawn
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Thanks for all this information....I'm doing this for a friend who is looking for her brother and doesn't know where to start. The adoption is registered on the Adoption Database so we know the names of the birth parents and their occupations, the hospital where the child was born and the city of adoption. I've even found the birth cert on Ancestry and that was the reason for my initial inquiry as whether or not there would be any more info on the birth cert. and if it was worth my friend ordering it through GRO. The only information missing is the name of the adopted parents. Unless this person is actively seeking their natural parents, I don't know how they are going to link up.
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If the adopted person doesn't want contact, then there is nothing you can do!
Maybe they aren't aware that they have been adopted?
Maybe they have issues as to the reasons why they were adopted?
Whatever - it is their decision whether to instigate contact or not.
And you simply have to respect that decision.
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Hi Bullet
Just noticed your location, the information I posted refers to births & adoptions in England & Wales, not overseas.
You mention an adoption database, the GRO adopted childrens index is not online so could I ask which website you found the database on?
Also, as far as I know actual birth certificates are not online at Ancestry just the indexes. What have you seen?
Dawn
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Dawn,
The original post does say that the adoption was in London?! ;D
Which is why I assumed the this thread referred to UK adoptions?
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If the adoption was made within a short time of the birth, it is likely that the original Birth Certificate may have the word 'adopted' written in the margin.
I have a Birth Certificate where the baby was given up for adoption at birth and that is stated on it.
acceber
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Thanks everyone for your input. Just to clarify things.
The baby was born and adopted in London to an English couple in 1954.
The birth was registered with the mother's name as the surname, - and as the child had an unusual middle name, finding the birth cert on ancestry was simple. And yes, it just had the page number and folio number which is why the original question about information on it if she was to order it. We don't of course know if the adoptive parents kept the same christian names or not after adoption.
The site where I found the adoption was on Adoption Database Quickbase which covers all countries.
I got a 'hit' immediately putting in information given to me by this child's sister who knew the name, (which was as unusual middle name) date of birth, name of the birth parents and location. Both birth parents have immigrated to two different countries but still keep in touch.
Thanks once again for reading this.
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Hi bullet
Where the child is adopted out of the family, the adopted parents usually change the name completely and call their new child whatever they want to, as they would if they had given birth themselves.
Looking at the database you mention, the details have been online for several years and contact hasn't happened yet.
From this you can infer:
The child does not know they were adopted
They know they were adopted and do not want to make contact with their birth family at this time
They know they were adopted but do not know their birth name so haven't taken things further
The child may have died in the intervening years.
The only thing I can add is that the General Register Office who maintain all the records have a contact register. Details here.
https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records/the-adoption-contact-register
Dawn
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Thank you Dawn, - I'll pass this information on the person concerned
Bullet