St. Margarets Unmarried Mothers Hostel - 262 Victoria Park Road Hackney

[Atlanta1]

Hi, does anyone have any information on the above place?  I recently found out I have a brother who was adopted in the 60's.  Dont know if this site can help - have his birth certificate - but think it was a private adoption - surely though - some sort of legal documentation would have to have been done?

[dawnsh]

Do you just want more information on the hostel or are you hoping to ultimately make contact with your brother?

Dawn
(Co-moderator for London & Middlesex)

[Atlanta1]

both really - am I not allowed to do this?

[dawnsh]

We can give you info on St Margaret's but not help with finding living people.

Please see our guidelines here

http://www.rootschat.com/help/posting_guide.php

If you brother was legally adopted, his name was most probably changed. There is an adopted childrens index if you know what his new name is, but it is almost impossible to get a copy of the adoption certificate which shows who his adopted parents were.

Dawn

[Atlanta1]

Sorry, thank you.

[LizzieW]

Hi Atlanta

I think it's much easier to find birth parents when you are the adopted person, than to find someone who was adopted.

I had a baby girl in 1960 who was adopted privately - I worried for years about that - but finally she found me and the adoption had been a success.  She got her original birth certificate, then having got my name, searched for a marriage and any children I might have had, and then checked addresses etc.  She did come to a halt as we had moved so many times, but as we have a son with an unusual Christian name, her father looked on the electoral roll and there were only 4 in England with that Christian name and the correct surname.  They were going to contact them all, but struck lucky with the first one who was my son.  He gave them my address (he was just told that it was a genealogist researching family history) and the rest, as they say is history.

Obviously, it's not possible for you to do that, as you haven't got your brother's adopted name and you are not entitled to see his adoption papers.

Good luck anyway in your search.

Lizzie

[dawnsh]

For others who may be reading this....

For an adopted child to obtain access to their birth cert, is not easy as they have to undergo an interview with official agencies before information is revealed.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Registeringlifeevents/Birthandadoptionrecords/Adoptionrecords/DG_175567

As an adopted person, you can place our name on a contact register in the hopes that your natural family will want to get in touch.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Registeringlifeevents/Birthandadoptionrecords/Adoptionrecords/DG_175603

Hope this helps

Dawn

[LizzieW]

For an adopted child to obtain access to their birth cert, is not easy as they have to undergo an interview with official agencies before information is revealed.

That might be true in theory, but my "daughter" didn't go for any interviews with any agency and nor did I.  She and her adoptive father did all the work themselves and then just contacted me by letter.  Oc course, it could be that because it was a private adoption (the nursing home arranged it as they did with lots of other unmarried mothers they took), they already knew my  maiden name.  The adoptive father did send me details of all the searches he'd done, I know he used his local Family History Centre to access electoral rolls etc.

Lizzie

[Atlanta1]

Thank you for your kind help and stories.  I suppose I will never find him -..