Oh Dear, a dark secret discovered in a friend's tree

[LizzieW]

I don't understand that reference to not being able to get original birth certificate because she is under 50.  I had a child in 1960 who was adopted and she and her adoptive father got her original birth certificate from which they managed to trace me in about 2003, well before she was 50.  They had no idea of my name and her father's name is not on the birth certificate, so there must be a way of doing it.

Somewhere, I have a letter from her adoptive father setting out exactly how he managed to trace me, which presumably tells me how he found out his adopted daughters original birth name, it's a long time since I read it and I can't remember all the details.

Lizzie

[suzyvan]

I agree with the other members re the obtaining of the original birth certificate!
I purchased the original birth certificate, of an adopted child, she already had the adoption papers, with very little details on it, we found 4 close registrations so ordered them all at once online. They all arrived together with no problems at all.
As long as you have registration detail's and year of birth you do not need all the other info on line,
From memory they ask is this an adoption, do not tick yes, it is not an adoption but the original birth.
This was a wonderful result for this family as mother and daughter were reunited just this year.
Order on line.
Good luck
Suzy

[Suzy W]

A good friend of mine thought she was a only child for 38 years, until she got a phone call from her long lost brother.

Her mother had a son 2 years before her.  I guess being a unmarried mother back in 1964, she was made to give him up for adoption.

My friends mother married the man in question. 
Both her parents died young and my friend was brought up by her grandparents,  Never once did her grandmother tell her about her full blood brother.

She has questioned why she was never told by her grandparents, both took the secret to their graves.

Suzy W

[Ringrose]

Reveal the truth.What is the point of researching a tree and holding back information?This is all part of the interest and fun.I have a few skeletons in my tree which make things more interesting.My mother was born out of wedlock,I have a gggrandmother who cut her throat in the 1860s,a grandfather who had a son just prior to his marriage and who did not marry the mother until after his first wife died.Just a few of my stories which have added to the general story of my family.
Reveal all
Ringrose

[Pebbles Kernow]

Thanks LizzieW and Pross101. I must have read about needing all the details under 50 which is why cousin tried to do in by telephone.

It says nothing about an adoption on the GRO indexes so will try ordering online - what we should have done last year - hindsight is a great thing 

Also would you believe that at 5 o'clock this morning I woke uo and suddenly realised that if cousin could have got her original birth certificate if she had undergone counselling as well. We had decided against that route as she didn't feel the need to get counselled about being adopted by her own mother and stepfather! And also it's only a few years until she's 50 so decided to do it then.

But I'm going to go online this evening and order a copy as a surprise for her, she coming here for a holiday in about 3 weeks so timing should work out
Thanks again those who said we could do it online (I blame my blonde senior moments  )
Pebs

[Pebbles Kernow]

  Bad news

From GRO site - FAQ section :

For births, marriages and deaths, you may apply online for any certificate if you have the full GRO index reference. In the case of events in the last 50 years you will be prompted to supply further details as you complete the online application form.

Having just tried to order online, the extra information required includes parents names both first and surnames. Guess we'll just have to be patient but it was exciting while it lasted

Pebs

[groom]

Surely if she knows her mother's name this should be sufficient? There must be thousands of people who don't know their father's names. I can understand if you are applying for someone else's certificate, but not if it is your own. If so, that would mean if you are under 50, hadn't got your birth certificate and didn't know your father's name you could never get a passport wouldn't it?

[Redroger]

Correct Groom, I wonder if a petition on the No.10 website would attract a suitable response?

[7igerby7he7ail]

Further along in the saga....

Discovered two brothers in the same family, killed within a fortnight of each other on the Somme WW1.
Both married.