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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: bellababy on Friday 27 November 15 18:37 GMT (UK)
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Hi there im trying to find where someone would have gone to put a child up for adoption in 1946 . She lived in the above address but i cant find it presuming it has been pulled down ... if anyone can help let me know its whereabouts in Washington and the nearest local council that may have been involved ? Thanks in advance :)
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You can see Hodgson Terrace on this map https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/431664/557764/12/100954 you will have to zoom out. It is on Usworth Station Road. I think the council would be Washington Urban District.
Stan
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The terrace is still there. This is the Google Street View https://goo.gl/maps/UDP6ZZorF252
This shows the name https://goo.gl/maps/RTPVxApVBqN2
Stan
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Thanks for your help Stan
Ive just found out she gave birth at Bensham hospital so that could change things somewhat if the baby was handed over immediately ?
Time for a bit more digging 😊
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If you are hoping to find adoption records, then you will have to go through the Adoption Contact Register?
https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records/the-adoption-contact-register
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Thank you for that I did look at that link previously but she was a single mum at the time and dont know if anyone knew about the child .. Father not listed on birth certificate ?? would anyone be looking for him ? My uncle who is 70 now was hoping that she had gone on to have more children and that he may have siblings out there or family members who might know who his father was .... Quite a common surname too Atkinson ?
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hi bellababy,
as you may know, the adopted person can search for a birth mother. You have a name, has the adopted person got an adoption cert. If so then the court involved will be shown.
I suggest that an enquiry is made in writing to the family court for that area, including when and where the adoption took place, and names of all involved.
if the adoption was in the Gateshead area then the records are likely to be held by Tyne Wear archives in Newcastle, but I think that only the court officers can request them.
If the court can locate the papers then they may send them to the adopted person. I have heard that the amount of info varies.
there is only a very slim chance that the birth mother is still alive but there is the possibility that using her name you can find a marriage and any subsequent births from that marriage.
hope this is helpful, good luck with the search :)
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Tyne & Wear Archives do not hold Adoption Records.
Locating adoption records http://www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk/search/adoptionrecords/
Gateshead Council (formerly Metropolitan Borough)
Adoption Team, Gateshead Council, Civic Centre, Regent Street, Gateshead, Durham, NE8 1HH
Stan
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Thanks to Stan you now have an address to send your enquiries to.
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Hi everyone sorry not picked up your messages till now so many thanks for all your help - sadly all he has is a birth certificate with his mothers name and his real name on and the address in Hodgson Terrace so I was hoping to look up on an electoral roll and find parents names to hopefully eliminate other Atkinsons from my search and then move forward from there and see if there were any siblings born so a trip to Washington Library on the cards I think 😊😊
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Just remembered, there was a home for 'unfortunate' girls in Gateshead called St.Faith's. I think it was in the Bensham area. Single mothers often went to a different area to have their babies, which would account for place of residence being different. (To keep the birth a secret )
I would still suggest obtaining an adoption certificate from GRO as it will identify the date and court where the adoption took place if he wants to find out what info the records hold.
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Thanks Taffie
I will chase that up he has his birth certificate which gives his place of birth as bensham hospital and St Faiths looks to be part of that .
Thanks for your help :)