Adoption Index Records

[tesscawley]

Can some one please tell me why the Birth, Marriage and Death Index Records and be viewed through certain web sites but The Adoption Index Records can only be viewed at one of the Family Records Offices. I live overseas and as such can't get to one of these centers.

[silvery]

Adoption records are indexed as any other birth.  If you know the adoptive name, you can get the adoption certificate.
If you know the birth name you can find the record indexed as usual and can get that certificate.

Neither will link to the other.

The adoption register which links the birth record and the adoption record are kept by the General Register Office, and aren't available for searching.

[stanmapstone]

tesscawley  is probably referring to this entry at
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Registeringlifeevents/Familyhistoryandresearch/DG_175464

Viewing full copies of the indexes
Copies of the indexes can no longer be purchased but a complete set, including ‘Births, Deaths and Marriages from 1837 – 2008’, ‘Overseas from 1761 – 2008’, ‘Civil Partnerships from 2005 – 2009’, ‘Adoptions from 1927 – 2009’, and the provisional indexes for ‘Births and Deaths from 2009 to June 2010', are available at:

    * Manchester City Library
    * Birmingham Central Library
    * Bridgend Reference and Information Library
    * Plymouth Central Library
    * City of Westminster Archives Centre
    * London Metropolitan Archives (closed for stock-taking 30 October - 14 November 2010)
    * The British Library*

Stan

[silvery]

Yes.   The adoptions mentioned are just the normal record when an adoption is recorded.   If you know the adoptive name you can look up the index registration.   It will be on ancestry.

[tesscawley]

I am referring to the Adoption INDEX records (not the adoption record). I know they are available for viewing at the Family Records Centers. I am not in the UK but overseas.

I want to know a good reason why these Adoption Index Records are not available online. I have been a member of Ancestry for a long time and they are not there.

The Genealogist had then on line for about 10 days and I managed to copy a few pages before they were made to remove them, so I know what information is in the Index Records.

I am trying to trace someone. I have their original birth certificate and went the correct way of finding out which adoption agency was involved and it cost a lot of money to use an intermediary, who has now given up and is filing everything away in case the person ever contacts them.

As far as I can see this is a money machine for the intermediary's and that is why it is not available on line.

I also know by elimination it is possible to work out the adopted name,  having looked at the copies I have and this is the only way that I can move forward. A tedious time consuming task I know but already I have been 4 years going in circles trying the "official" route.

[silvery]

What do you mean by the 'adoption index records'?    I understood that the adoption was re-registered in the normal BMDs.   

[silvery]

Well .......  looks like they DID come online for a very short period.   The separate record of the new name that the child was registered with. 

[tesscawley]

I am going to try and describe from a page in front of me headed Public Index to Adopted Children Register 1947-1951". They were grouped in clusters of a few years at a time.

First column in the new adopted surname followed by the new adopted first names.
Second column is the year of birth
Third column is the date of entry (that would be the date of the finalization of adoption) (therefore if a child is adopted at birth one can expect this date to be roughly 6 months after the birth)
Fourth column is the entry number.
Fifth column is the volume number.

The page that I have has 2 sets of columns per page.

I tried your link but as I am not registered with them I couldn't see what you were referring to but was probably the same as The Genealogist ... the page that I have just described to you. I am actually looking for the year 1956.

[silvery]

I see what you're trying to do.   

Someone in that thread has said the same as you, that if they are available at certain centres, then perhaps they should be online. 

They don't link to the original birth record and the new names should be in the ordinary BMDs, but you're trying to piece one to the other by this method.   

I suppose it's possible.  But if it was that easy then there wouldn't be people still looking after many years.