I'm researching a friend's family tree and have the problem of his mother being adopted. She was born in 1924 but I was fortunate to obtain her adoption certificate from the GRO as her adoption order was registered in Sheffield Crown Court in 1944. She was actually 19 when adopted which I thought a little strange
A matter of a few months later in 1944 she married her first husband and as she was under age at the time would have needed her parents' consent for the marriage. I presume this is the reason for the adoption but would appreciate anyone else's thoughts on this matter
Julie, an official, legal adoption system was introduced in UK in 1924.
When was your friend's mother separated from her birth parents and taken over by adoptive parents? In principle that must have been at the time of the adoption in 1944.
Do you have her marriage cert?. Did she say she was under age?
Dave
Jule, just checked the legal situation and the system did not commence until 1927. So in theory she could have been unofficially adopted between 1924 and 1927(There would be no record). Then perhaps they chose to make it official for legal reasons in 1944.
Dave
I've looked at more info on adoption before and after 1927 and read an article someone had written regarding their marriage in 1944 where they required parental consent as they were both aged 19 and therefore under 21 which was the age of consent for marriage (this was subsequently changed to 16 in 1929)
With this in mind and other bits of information I have been given by my friend I am coming to the conclusion that Margaret (the person in question) was born illegitimately in 1924 prior to the Adoption of Children Act of 1926, and handed over to George and Amy as the couple had no children of their own (checked on Freebmd). As it was during WW2 when Margaret & her partner were married there was a feeling of urgency to tie the knot more so than during peace time. I doubt very much Margaret would have been able to obtain or even find her biological parents so George and Amy legally adopted her to enable them to give their consent. This is purely supposition and could well be incorrect but I'm going with it at the moment and still hoping that I can find her birth but it will take some doing
Julie, you can be sure that the adoption was not because of giving permission for the marriage. As her guardians, which they undoubtedly were, they could give permission anyway..
Do you have Margaret's marriage cert? Did she say George was her father?
Maybe that was the reason (so she could avoid the embarrassment of not naming a father).
Do you have the family on the 1939 Register and if so is Margaret redacted?.
Perhaps the adoptive parents wanted her to use their surname at her wedding
Perhaps they wanted to give Margaret legal right to inherit from them.
Did they live in Sheffield?
Do you mind giving me the surname (adopted of course). The case is so unusual that there may be a chance to identify the birth mother.
Dave