* Adoption

[martynguy]

I have a problem with the presentation of an adoptee in FH. My grandmother was born in 1881 in London and from her birth certificate I know her birth mother (although the father's name is entered but is untraceable!).  She was adopted by a couple in Hastings by the time of the 1891 census (although registration of adoption did not come in until 1927).  To cut a long story short I can prove that her birth mother was in the vicinity and took
her daughter back with her to London by 1901 - stepmother died in 1900.  

Daughter (my grandmother)is now on the 1901 census under her adopted name, but interestingly the two women are recorded as aunt and niece.  Again I am confident that these are in fact mother and daughter.  (I wish I had spoken to my grandnother about all this before she died!)

My problem therefore is that I would prefer FH to give priority to her birth mother - adopted parents were not on the scene for long. The focus window will insist on the adopted parents coming up for Gran's parents when I want her birth mother there. Also whereas in Gran's property box facts, I have got attributes for 'adopted' and added 'adopted name', the facts in the adopted parental property box gives 'birth of daughter Annie' and 'adoption of daughter Annie' which is not strictly true (the daughter bit).  Maybe I am nitpicking and the database is being accurate, but in this case although Gran was adopted, she stayed close to birth mother and I want to be able to show that.

As an interesting extra, my mother always insisted that she was aware that an 'aunt' was present at Gran's wedding (this Gran by the way is my father's mother).  I was delighted to tell my mother that this 'aunt' was in fact Gran's birth mother.

Anyone any thoughts?

ID:4969

[tatewise]

I assume you have your Gran linked in FH to two Family records, one for her birth Mother & Father, the other for her Adoptive parents.

The preference in the Focus window depends on the order of these two Family records in your Gran's Individual record.

Open the Property Box for Gran and select the All tab.
Towards the bottom there should be two Parents family entries.
I am guessing that the Adoptive parents are listed first.
Select one of these two Parents family tags, and use the up/down arrows near top right corner of Property Box to reverse their order.

The wording in the Adoptive parent's Facts would be better if it said 'Birth/Adoption of step-daughter Annie' but we have to accept this nuance of FH as it is.