Family Historian User Group

Hi,
Not sure I'm on the correct forum but Mike will direct me if I'm wrong.
Just lately I have been trying to help my cousin find her father's family. A couple of years ago she discovered that her father had been given away on Christmas day 1917. His name was changed to that of the 'adoptive' parents. All we have is a birth certificate with the mother's name, the date and place he was born, (Beverley, Yorkshire) and the place the birth was registered 5 weeks later in Failsworth, Manchester. Accompanying this was a poignant letter asking that her baby would be well looked after and signed by a health worker. My cousin had an idea that the adoptive parents might have a link to the health worker and she found that the people living at the address where the mother lived on registration were the same in 1911.
The birth mother had a reasonably distinctive name but of the few I found none seemed to be a reasonable candidate. I looked at the adoptive parents, the father was easy to trace as his mother was with them in 1911 in Huddersfield, but they got married in Norton, Staffordshire. I am waiting for the marriage cert for the wife's father, so that I can trace her family. I have researched the family of those living in the Failsworth address and the family of the health worker. I have used the first 2 original Christian names of the baby as a Christian name and surname for a possible father. He could have been a soldier killed in the war and I don't think the birth mother could be much older than 20 going by the tone of the letter, perhaps she was made to give up her baby. (I did look for an older lady too). My cousin's Dad grew up in Huddersfield but later the family returned to Norton. There are many research questions such as why the great distance between birth and registration.
My Family Historian question is:- Is it possible to open a new project which would include all these, at present, unrelated families in the hope that further research would reveal a connection? I have made a spread sheet but a person who has not researched these families would be confused as to who they are.
Also should I open such a project will the sources and media be completely separate from my main project as I don't want all these people who have nothing to do with me confusing my project (I can quite easily do that myself!). Any downloads I have done are kept in a separate folder in My Documents.
Thank you Ann

Yes you can simply create a new Project to keep all the information in (File > Project Window then New Project). If you don't have someone linked up, but want to include them simply use Add "Unrelated Individual" from the menu to add them.

The Project will be completely separate. I would recommend allowing FH to move all the media into the Project as it will make it easier for you to let you friend have the Project and all the related information in the future

Dear Jane,
Thank you for your help. I can move forward now.
Regards Ann

Ann, there are several aspects to this thread, but mostly angled at research, so I have moved it to Research Forum.

Jane's advice about a separate Project being distinct from your main Project is absolutely correct.
Just remember that customisations for such as Diagrams, Reports, Queries, Custom Facts, and any Tools > Preferences settings will affect all Projects.

Regarding the research aspects, here are some thoughts.
Presumably the Birth Certificate also gives the mother's address and occupation as the informant.
Follow up the birth address as it may be a disguised address of a maternity poorhouse to avoid any stigma.
I made a similar discovery with one of my relatives, and the local library were very helpful.
Eventually I discovered full maternity records for the birth in the archives of NHS hospital that took over the poorhouse.
The records gave details of next of kin and a clue to the father but unfortunately only a forename.
It usually also gives details of discharge and who the baby went with.

Hi Mike, thank you for that. The birth certificate gave the address of the birth. I have Googled that and it is an end of terrace in Beverley Yorkshire, it was on Zoopla as it had been sold last year, it had 3 bedrooms, would this have been big enough to be somewhere for unmarried mothers? Your suggestion had crossed my mind. What I found odd was that the birth took place in Beverley yet it was not registered until 5 weeks later in Failsworth, Manchester. The address is given and similarly is a terrace. No occupation is given for the mother, this is one reason I thought she might be very young and the tone of the letter. The 'adoptive' father comes from Halifax, as I said I am waiting for the marriage cert for the wife's father. Another odd thing is that they were married in Norton, Stoke in 1904 but on 1911 census they state that they have been married for 2 years. I know that it is the right family as they are in Huddersfield and the job is exactly as my cousin told me, a water works inspector.

Regarding using FH I think I might hold off for a while until I can find some kind of link. I am pinning my hopes on the family of the adoptive mother.
Thank you once again for taking the time to help with my query.
Ann

Could the 2 be a poorly written 7?
Have you checked the 1911 Census image, as it may just be a transcription error.
I often find more useful details on the image that do not make it into the transcription.

I am not sure of the rules, but presumably the adoptive parents registered the birth in Manchester but gave the Yorkshire birth place. I suspect that as long as the birth is registered within the allotted time it can be registered at any GRO. Just shows that in this case a GRO Index entry for Manchester does not indicate the place of birth.

Dear Mike,
Just re-checked the image and it is definitely married 2 years. Also it was the birth mother who registered the birth. He was born 26 Sept 1917 in Beverley Yorkshire, the birth was registered by the mother end Oct 1917 in Failsworth and the letter giving the baby away dated 25 Dec 1917. I checked the 1911 census on FMP (Birmingham and Midland fam hist society give members a 25% discount so I took advantage) searching with address and the whole street was there except no 65. Which made me think you were right about it being a house for unmarried mothers. My next port of call I think will be the Beverley library or record office, hope they are as helpful as Stafford!
That is true what you say about the registration place not being where the baby is born.
Thank you again
Ann

In my case it was not that the address was a house but an extensive institutional poorhouse.
It was simply given as 32 Union Road with no hint it was a large institution.
That is the point, to avoid the stigma, it appears to be a house address.

Thanks Mike I will keep on searching.
Ann

Dear Mike,
I took up your suggestion of contacting the local library. I emailed at 9am by 11.30 I had had a reply from Beverley Archive with several line of enquiry. Once again really good service from an archive. Thank you for the suggestion.
Ann