* Adoption?

[Pollowick]

My Grandfather is presenting a "dead-end" and even his three surviving children, two aunts and an uncle cannot throw any more light on it.

He was born in 1902 - and the registers show that. However, at that time the mother's name was not recorded. His children never met his parents and he married one of the daughters of the family he was brought up by. He always kept his "original" surname.

In the 1911 census, there is the head of the family, wife, six children (three more to follow) and one "Nephew" who is actually my Grandfather.

At various times he has been referred to as "adopted" and "foundling" however there is nothing concrete we have. My uncle has said that he though his father would occasionally go to meet a "sister" but nothing more as Grandfather would never say anything.

Any thoughts or comments on how I might be able to proceed or is it really one that I will not be able to get much further with?

[tatewise]

When you say the registers show that he was born in 1902, do you mean you have a GRO quarterly entry for him?

If so, have you obtained his Birth Certificate and if so, what is recorded on it?

The address recorded can sometimes give some clues, because if it is an Institution there may be hospital records available.
The address may not name the Institution but be a pseudo-address to try and avoid any possible stigma.

[Pollowick]

The Birth Certificate only gives the date 17th June 1902 and the Registration District and Sub District - nothing further.

I have located a copy of his marriage certificate - that gives his fathers name, however, we are uncertain of the validity of that entry.

[LornaCraig]

It is unusual for no mother's name to be recorded when the birth was registered. This suggests there may be some truth in the story that he was a 'foundling', and he was registered (perhaps with an estimated birth date) after being found abandoned.

It's a long shot but it might just be worth trawling local newspapers for the area concerned, in the hope there might be a reference to a baby having been found. Sadly this may have been a more common occurrence than it is today, so it may not have made the newspaper. Findmypast have a growing database of UK local newspapers, which is searchable by place/county and date range. See http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search/b ... newspapers
Good luck!

[tatewise]

The mystery deepens!

You say he kept his "original" surname, presumably different from the family that raised him.

So I guess that is the surname recorded on the Birth Certificate, but if he was a foundling, how would anyone know his surname?

If it is an unusual surname, have you searched for that name in Census returns for the birth Registration District in 1901?

[AdrianBruce]

So who registered the birth and where did they live? There might be a clue there. And when? (especially "when" relative to the alleged birth).

[brianlummis]

Is the birth certificate a full extraction or one in shortened form? Did you obtain the certificate or was it one in your grandfather's possession? It was common for people at that time to carry a short form of birth certificate to save any questions!

[DavidNewton]

I have short form certificates for both my mother and my wife, for different reasons. My mother's certificate was the original short form certificate issued to the informant (presumably her father or mother) free of charge. I have never requested a full certificate since I doubt that I will learn anything new. My wife's certificate arose as the result of a request on her part when she was 18 years old and that is all that she could get. She was legally adopted and she did eventually obtain her original certificate. Tracing an adoption prior to 1926 is likely to be impossible and I agree with Mike Tate that you should apply for a full certificate unless of course what you have is the result of such an application.

The problems that you may come across are outlined in this book review

http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/806

David

[tatewise]

Yes, my wife has a short form Birth Certificate that only gives Name, DoB, and Reg District, as Pollowick describes, but I also obtained her full Birth Certificate that includes all the usual full details.

[Pollowick]

Thanks for te comments.

The Birth Cert is a short version and I was told that a full one could not be found/provided. However, I will try to apply for a full cert and see what comes back. I have spoken with my elderly uncle and aunts - 80+ yo, in some detail. All they know are rumours/speculation - the "fathers name" on the marriage certificate, may be false and was inserted to avoid awkward questions from the vicar or other; maybe the surname is the mother's surname and the last forename BOOT was the father's surname and he may have been the employer of a servant who became pregnant ... and she was a "friend" of te family tha took my grandfather in. All supposition - I will need to see what a full cert gives.