Alice Laws (b.1870) - Adopted?

[JonnyL]

Greetings,

I am looking for any advice on how I might trace Alice Laws b. 19 Aug 1870, who was born to John Laws and Mary Ann Younger in Bishopwearmouth.

Mary Ann died of TB less than a month later on 12 Sep.

Father and Daughter appear in the 1871 Census in a boarding house - but this is the last I can establish about Alice.

Three years later (1873), John Laws is re-married and has four more children with his new wife, Jane Williamson but Alice doesn't appear in the 1881 Census.

How likely is it Alice would have been adopted outside the family? I have seareched for Alice Laws in various Census' after 1871 but can't find anything definite. Would the Church have been involved?

Grateful for any advice

Jonny

[Racing Girl]

Hello Jonny
Any adoption taking place at that time would have been very informal with nothing written down for you to go on.  The Church would only have been involved if directly asked to be I would imagine.  Most likely, a child would be looked after by grandparents or other relatives, if they were available.  Are you sure Alice didn't die between the 1871 and 1881 census?

Brenda

[avm228]

Was Alice LAWS her full name at birth?  I don't see a matching birth registration in Sunderland (which would be the correct registration district for Bishopwearmouth) though I do see one in Auckland.

Do you know that Alice survived childhood? (Sorry - I see Brenda asked this).

[JonnyL]

Brenda,

Thanks. No, I can't be sure if Alice died between those dates - maybe one day I'll be able to look in a bit more detail.

Jonny

[JonnyL]

AVM,

I don't have any more info on the birth - I can see the one in Auckland. John Laws (father) was born in "Iveston" - but my knowledge of Co Durham is a bit limited. Does 'Auckland' Registration District refer to Bishop Auckland?

I may have to dig a bit further into the Grandparents.

Thanks,

Jonny

[avm228]

Here are details of Auckland registration district:

http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/REG/districts/auckland.html

The reason I asked about her birth registration was to establish her full, formal name - which in turn you will need to identify possible deaths or later events.  Given that you know her exact birthdate I wondered whether you had the birth certificate, but perhaps you had the date from another source.

Anna

[Racing Girl]

Jonny
The Alice born in the Aukland district is on the 1881 census with her family, father is not named John.

Iveston is about 10 miles NW of Durham city, very close to Consett.  Also in the vicinity is Medomsley, where a John Laws was chr on 4 FEB 1844 to a Robert and Isabella Laws.   Robert Laws and Isabella Browell were married there on 15 Oct 1842.  Doesn't help you much with Alice though I'm afraid!


Brenda

[JonnyL]

I am less certain about Alice's birth date now!

Her father (the widower) said she was 'about 5 months' at the beginning of April 1871 - which means she was born before Christmas...

So she's probably this one:

Births Sep 1869
Laws  Alice    Gateshead  10a 722

And nowt to do with Auckland at all.

Hmmn...

[avm228]

I am less certain about Alice's birth date now!

Her father (the widower) said she was 'about 5 months' at the beginning of April 1871 - which means she was born before Christmas...

So she's probably this one:

Births Sep 1869
Laws  Alice    Gateshead  10a 722

And nowt to do with Auckland at all.

But if she was 5 mths in spring 1871 then she was born in late 1870, not 1869