Adoption

[Ann Bentley]

I have recently made contact with a 'new cousin', and she informed me that her father was adopted. He was a very private person, and did not talk with his family about his adoption, and she has no idea who is birth family might be. I had been in touch with her father, but he never gave me any family news, merely sent a Christmas card, asking after my health and sending his good wishes. I knew nothing of his close family, only that he was my father's cousin. Are there some means by which we (She) could find out more about his adoption, and birth family?

[Olde Crone Holden]

I take it we are talking about adoption in the uk? If so, there is a fairly new law which allows relatives of adopted people some information about their birth relatives. The information is not free. To find out more about this, contact the After Adoption service of any county council and they will tell you how to proceed.

Good luck!

OC

[Ann Bentley]

Thank You O.C., the adoption was in Scotland. I will pass the information to my cousin.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Ah, the process may be different in Scotland, although I have a friend who was adopted in Scotland and she managed to get her original birth cert without having to jump through any hoops! I think it involved appearing in person at GROS. I am not entirely sure - but again, first approach the county council responsible for the adoption.

OC

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

It is different in Scotland, I'm not sure what the process is but I started looking into my English adoption after moving over the border. There was surprise at how little they could reveal at the meeting, basically the name of my birth mother and nothing more beyond that. Local Council are the first point of contact as OC has advised though I can't say if there are restrictions/closed record issues for blood relatives gaining information.

[Ann Bentley]

My cousin seemed to think that the only person who could get any information, would be the adoptee. Her father has passed on now, and she seems to think it is all too late!

[Olde Crone Holden]

The law has definitely changed in England. Not so sure about Scotland. But it is worth an ask! Adoptees in Scotland have always been able to access their birth certificates once they turn 16, which gives them the name of their birth parent(s) at least. Adoption paperwork is a different matter of course, it is private and has to be accessed through the After Adoption service.

What year are we talking about? Does your contact have an adoption certificate?

OC

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

There isn't an obvious answer out there for the adoptees family but I did find this which may well be a starting point;

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/registration/adoption

Is there any simple way of contacting my birth parents or contacting a child I have given up for adoption?


No. The independent agency Birthlink operates the Adoption Contact Register for Scotland. This was set up in 1984 at the request of birth parents who, unlike the adopted person, have no statutory rights to tracing events or gaining access to documents such as Court Papers. By registering on the Adoption Contact Register, you make yourself available to be contacted by any other birth relative who may be looking for you. The register is a database containing tens of thousands of people's details, and every time a new person joins, their details are checked against everyone else's to see if there is a match.

The following people can register:

• any person born or adopted in Scotland (or where there is a close Scottish connection), who wishes to make contact with their birth family;
• any birth parent who wishes to make contact with the child they placed for adoption;
• any birth relative who wishes to make contact with the adopted person.

To register or find out more, please visit Birthlink website

Birthlink also offer several other services to adults affected by adoption, including search services, counselling, mediation, access to records and the after adoption information line.

[Ann Bentley]

I thank everyone who has tried to help, but I don't know how much luck we are going to have. The adoptee was born in 1928, I believe in Glasgow. He was adopted by my great aunt and her husband in (I think) 1942. The story inside the family goes that the adoptive parents had cared for him for years, waited until he was old enough, and gave him the choice, and he chose to make it 'Official'. While I think it is possible for the adoptee to get any amount of information, I don't know how much information his daughter can access, after his death. I think that any of the family with personal knowledge, would have passed on by now.

[PhotoFamily]

Genetic genealogy has been used to solve mysteries like this. No guarantees.
If the adoptee has a direct male descendant, they may be able to identify a surname.
Autosomal testing (AncestryDNA, 23andme, ftDNA's FamilyFinder, MyHeritage) can help with mixed gender lines.

And the usual disclaimer - no guarantees.