Nurse child/adoption in Liverpool 1860s/1870s

[steve263]

I'm researching my family history and trying to find out more about my gt grandfather, who is listed as a nurse child in Liverpool in the 1871 census and then as an adopted son in 1881. I've been trying, so far without success, to learn more about nurse child/adoption practices in Liverpool at the time and wondered if anyone can help.

I'd be grateful for any information or leads.

[CaroleW]

Hi Steve and welcome to this forum

However - you have already asked the same question on Rootschat and had the following replies prior to posting here. Have you followed up the advice given as you said you were going to?

I think you will find that "adoptions" in those days were mainly informal arrangement and not bound by the legal practices of todays adoptions

Google A2Aarchives enter adoption in the search box,Liverpool Records Office in the repository box and North West for the region. I think it brings up 26 items these may just steer you in the right direction.

a nurse child would be our equivalant to fostering I would think and many times relatives did take in children when their parents had died

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.ph ... 548.0.html

[MaryA]

Hi Steve and welcome to the forum.

You have been given good advice on the Rootschat forum and I can advise that the Adoption system didn't begin until 1927 so there will be no official records of William Charles Howe's fostering.

It may be that the child was taken in by relatives and hopefully you will be able to confirm this by research into the family, but equally it might have been a kindly neighbour who didn't like the thought of a youngster going into the workhouse and took him in.

[MaryA]

Another thought is that the local Board of Guardians asked this family to raise the boy, in exchange for payment, rather than have him in the workhouse.

Perhaps you could look at the Guardian's Minute Books for the local workhouse to see if there are any mentions of the name.