Adoption records .. where are they ?

[charley101]

I have recently received a copy of my Great Grandfather's (JB) death certificate (June 1927)
The certificate is witnessed by my Grandfather (AJB), who has shown his relationship to my GGF (JB) as being his "Stepson".
Which was news, to say the least.
Which now leaves me with the problem of trying to trace who my Grandfather (AJB) actually was !!!
In summary, my Grandfather AJB was born in 1891, probably in the West Ham / Poplar (possibly Shoreditch) area of E London.
When AJB got married in 1919 he showed JB as being his father.
I have never managed to trace AJB's birth certificate, either under his surname nor that of the maiden name of his adoptive mother.
My best guess is that my Grandfather was adopted at about the turn of the century - something like 1891 to 1910.
Does anybody have any knowledge of -
> How probable is it that this was an "official" adoption (ie what sort of procedues were in place in the late 1800's, early 1900's) and that some sort of record therefore exists.
> Where the best place to start enquiries about the existence of an official record would be.
To make it more complicated, there are no surviving relatives to ask !!!
Thanks
 

[LizzieW]

A stepson is usually the child of one or other of the married couple's previous relationship, so not necessarily adopted.  Your AJB might just have taken his mother's husband's surname for convenience.  It could be that his mother had been married before she married your JB, so that he is registered under her previous married name, rather than her maiden name.  Hope that makes sense.

Liz

[avm228]

Does anybody have any knowledge of -
> How probable is it that this was an "official" adoption (ie what sort of procedues were in place in the late 1800's, early 1900's) and that some sort of record therefore exists.
> Where the best place to start enquiries about the existence of an official record would be.

Unfortunately there was no official adoption in England and Wales before 1927, so the civil records of adoption which would exist for a modern adoption will not exist for the time you are talking about.

There is a chance that if he was informally adopted from e.g. a workhouse or charitable/religious institution, some record of his birth and discharge into the new family may exist.

If you feel able to reveal names, I have no doubt that Rootschatters will do their best to help find your grandfather's origins. Hope you get to the bottom of the mystery one way or another

Anna