How to find birth certificate of adopted person

[Mabeltown]

A recent DNA test showed my husband as half italian.  We linked to a family member so have the surname of the family in question.  His mother was adopted but doesn't appear to have a birth certificate in her adopted name.  The added issue is that her birth year was 1924 so before any adoption registrations were documented.  Even worse is that anyone who would know anything has now passed.  We assume that there must be a birth certificate with her biological name on it logged somewhere, but we don't know what that name would be - we only know the date of birth and area of birth. She doesn't appear to be registered under the name of the italian person.   Rumour also has it that she was left on the doorstep of a church but we don't know whether that is true or not.  We have an idea of the potential father but suspect this was an illicit encounter as his wife had a baby in the same year but the birth dates do not match so wasn't a potential twin.   Does anyone know whether we are able to identify a birth certificate at all or is this an impossible task. 

[aghadowey]

You said several times here that she was left on the church steps, etc.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=885460.msg7585906#msg7585906 (3 pages of replies from two merged threads)

[KGarrad]

From an old thread (2013) (https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=644589.0):

Just to add that in January 1926 the Registrar General's Instructions to Registration Officers was that; "Any case of a child found abandoned should be reported to the Registrar General for instructions before any steps are taken for the Registration of the Birth."

and

See section 3 of the 1874 Registration Act, which gives the requirements "In case any living new-born child is found exposed"

[LizzieL]

We assume that there must be a birth certificate with her biological name on it logged somewhere

Why? If a woman is so desperate to rid herself of her baby and ensure there is no connection to herself, that she dumps it on a doorstep anonymously, she is hardly going to register the birth first. Or have I missed something here?

[LizzieL]

Recent case here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg00m1mv3eo

It would seem that the birth of the youngest child has not yet been registered although found a year ago

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

Adoption was only formalised after the Adoption of Children Act 1926 and the index of adopted children is distinct and separate index  to the normal index of births.

The birth should have been registered in the the birth name in usual way as per the legislation of the time but what should happen and what actually happens are not always the same thing. Adoption was only formalised after the Adoption of Children Act 1926 so is irrelevant in this case but even post 1926 research is difficult as the Index of Adopted Children (a distinct and separate index  to the normal birth index), is not open the the public.

[AntonyMMM]

Adoption was only formalised after the Adoption of Children Act 1926 so is irrelevant in this case

Not necessarily - many adoptions that had happened years before the 1926 Act were taken through the courts afterwards, to make sure they were properly recorded (especially for inheritance rights for example) and that could be done up until the "child" was 21, so it isn't uncommon to find pre 1926 birth entries marked as "adopted"

Index of Adopted Children (a distinct and separate index  to the normal birth index), is not open the the public.

The index for the Adopted Children Register (ACR) is available for anyone to search, and certificates can be ordered using it, but it isn't on-line. It can be viewed on microfiche at the designated libraries who hold copies of the GRO indexes ( along with things like the most recent BMD entries, indexes of civil partnerships etc.).

However the ACR doesn't give any link back to the original birth name/entry - that information is restricted.

[LizzieL]

The birth should have been registered in the the birth name in usual way as per the legislation of the time

WHO is going to register it? Not the birth mother who dumps the kid and disappears.
Any subsequent registration will be done by whatever authorities who have no knowledge of birth parents

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

The birth should have been registered in the the birth name in usual way as per the legislation of the time

WHO is going to register it? Not the birth mother who dumps the kid and disappears.
Any subsequent registration will be done by whatever authorities who have no knowledge of birth parents

I'm sorry I don't have an answer as to who would register the child. Let me have a think and post a reply worthy of quoting out of context.