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unofficial adoption
Not sure of what people know but adoption was not official until about 1913 so any before then I am not sure what the process would have been.
I have just found that one of mine may have been adopted in some form. She has on her death certificate her natural mother's name and she has a birth certificate logged by her mother but clearly written in the area of marriage and father "illigitimate". Only last night I decided to look for her first marriage and found she was using another surname, further search an aunt was quoted in the paper as saying I know this man he married my neice, only to find this lady's maiden name was the names quoted on the marriage certificate.
through the address on the marriage certificate and that of the Electoral Roll I found the family she was with but on her "adopted" father's death she is not mentioned. Her adopted parents had lost a baby just before her birth and another the year after her birth so I am fairly sure she was with them.
Just looking for examples of what may have occured as she knew who her biological mother was on later documents.
I have just found that one of mine may have been adopted in some form. She has on her death certificate her natural mother's name and she has a birth certificate logged by her mother but clearly written in the area of marriage and father "illigitimate". Only last night I decided to look for her first marriage and found she was using another surname, further search an aunt was quoted in the paper as saying I know this man he married my neice, only to find this lady's maiden name was the names quoted on the marriage certificate.
through the address on the marriage certificate and that of the Electoral Roll I found the family she was with but on her "adopted" father's death she is not mentioned. Her adopted parents had lost a baby just before her birth and another the year after her birth so I am fairly sure she was with them.
Just looking for examples of what may have occured as she knew who her biological mother was on later documents.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Liz Pidgeon on
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Dear Carmel,
I have not had any personal experience with this in my research but I do know that PROV have a guide to records on their website - Education, Health and Welfare – Adoption, Wardship and Related Records
This may be of interest to others. How do you know the adoption was "unofficial"?
Best wishes, Liz -
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Permalink Reply by Carmel M Reynen on
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Thanks Liz
Adoptions were not really official until about 1928/9
as quoted on the site you suggested
The Adoption of Children Act 1928 became law in July 1929 and the first legal adoption in Victoria was registered in October of that year. Before that time unofficial, de facto adoptions, which were not recognised in law, were sometimes arranged by both Government and non-government organisations, as well as by individuals. The 1928 Act for the first time provided for the transfer of parental rights, duties, obligations and liabilities to adoptive parents and offered secrecy, safety and stability to the child and the adoptive parents.
People seeking information about adoptions should therefore bear the year 1929 in mind. Because of the unofficial nature of adoption before that time, there are generally no records that can be called "adoption records". Researchers may, however, locate information or clues in other records, such as records of state wardship, fostering, boarding-out, court records, and maintenance records and in printed material such as the Police Gazettes. Information may also be available from non-government organisations which are or have been involved in child welfare and adoption.
the lat paragraph is an interesting one as they mention police gazettes, will try that one as I know her date of birth. after her marriage however she seemed to use her biological mothers name which even appears on her death certificate. I will keep the group in the loop but more suggestions will be welcome. I know others who have tried this research and it is not an easy subject. -
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