Struggling to start

[abbey2]

Hi Toni,

Yes the GRO do hold an index, but in order to apply to the GRO for an Adoption Certificate we need a reference.  That's why we posted.  The Index is only available in a few limited places for the public to check.  So we were hoping someone who was going to The London Met, British libary or the City of westminster Archives could have a look and see if there was a David E Montgomery or David E / Pierre De Monti listed.

Thanks again,

Lynn

[toni*]

can they not look if you ring them and ask them?

[abbey2]

I don't know if they would do that but we can give it a try,

Thanks

[lizdb]

What's baffling me is why, if she 'adopted' (either formerly or otherwise) this child and gave him the name Pierre De Monti, did she then call him David Montgomery?

[toni*]

Liz i am confused as you but wondered if one was the 'real' name and the other the adopted name

[lizdb]

That is why I am confused!  If Glorie/Cecilia's real name was Montgomery, and this child wasnt hers, then his birth name is unlikely to be Montgomery - too much of a coincidence. And if she gave him the name Pierre de Monti then that wont be his birth name either. Very unlikely, as she gave the name De Monti to another child too.  So if neither are his birth name, why did she use a different name for him in the 1930's than for all the rest of his life?  Maybe we can understand her dropping the De Monti and using her real name of Montgomery, and using it for the child too. De Monti sounds Italian and Italians were not popular during the war. But why David? Why not Peter, or stick with Pierre which sounds French and shouldnt have caused any problems.

In the 1939 register what surname is the other child using (the one born 1930 that you mention, who was also brought up as a De Monti)

[abbey2]

We don't know the names of the other children as they will only release the names of those who are known to be dead.  We do know and are in touch with an older boy who was fostered, and his real name is not connected, as we have extensively researched that line of enquiry.  It was only when we got the results of our FOI enquiry to the NHS that we discovered the name David.  But who knows why she changed the names, and which one is real.  Until we can discover a birth registration we won't know for sure.  Our best guess is that David is the real name, as the E in David E we know from the NI registration stood for Eric.  Not exactly french.  But MONTGOMERY or DE MONTI are very UNLIKELY to be his birth name.  But there are over 120 David E's in the Sep 1935 GRO Birth Index.  Until we win the lottery getting all the birth certificates is out of our reach.  All that we have left is to check and hope there is an adoption registered.  Hopefully someone who is going to one of the archives will have a look for us.

But thanks for all your help.

[alpinecottage]

I don't live anywhere near the offices where the adoption register index is held, so I can't help there but here are a few thoughts;

Pierre and David Eric are such different names that I'm wondering if one of the children in Cecelia's care died and the registration number somehow got transferred to another child eg from David E who died to Pierre.  It may be worth checking 1935-1939 deaths in Pitsea for any clues.

Regarding the 120+ births of David E's - you will surely find some died young or married under their birth names or died as older adults , which will cut down the number of possibles who could be your father - a tedious job to go through them though.

Have you looked on Ancestry's list of old phone books to see if you can follow Cecilia's movements, or looked in old street directories,working back from Pitsea.

and finally, I wonder how Cecilia "came by" her children.  Did she advertise in the paper or have some contact through the church (the names suggest a Catholic connection possibly).  I wonder whether the local record office in Essex could throw any light on this?

[lizdb]

Electorlal Roll for 1929 is online on the SEAX site - but I cant see any Montgomery or de Monti there