FOUNDLINGS

[Nannatee]

Hello,
If a baby is classed as a foundling (1873) What would be stated on the birth certificate when he was later "adopted".Would there be a mention of "foundling"at any time ?
Thankyou for any help.

[MaryA]

Unfortunately the adoption system didn't begin until 1927 so there is not likely to be any official record for your foundling I'm afraid.

Even after this date there would be no means of knowing the result of an adoption from the original birth certificate.

[Nannatee]

Hello Mary,
Thankyou so much for your reply Perhaps we will never know whether.GT grandfather was a blood relative.We do know though that he was brought up in a good family (even though he was also orphaned at 7 years of age.and brought up by family relatives with brothers an sisters.He was a good man in a good job and highly respected .......and of course ...he left a good family behind.
Thanks again mary. Jean.

[Nannatee]

Didnt mean the smiley face to appear when " orphaned " was written!!!!!

[MaryA]

I think the main thing to think about here is that he was brought up by people who cared for him, better than being dumped in the workhouse as might easily have happened or any of the other horror stories that we hear about happening to orphaned children.

[Nannatee]

Thankyou Mary.......my thoughts exactly By the way .... it was my grandfather not my GT grandfather as I first stated.... oh the perils of getting old and trying to trace the family tree !!! Jean.

[Tina]

Jean...you gave me a chuckle
Lovely words from Mary, he was accepted into the family as one of them.
After my Uncle Riley died, I found out he was my Dad's cuz not his brother...Nin took him in as a baby.
Riley's mother died at birth, her hubby remarried to her sister who didn't want the baby
When I went to UK in 1988 I asked around the Italian family, did he know who his birth mother was etc etc.
It didn't go down well I might add.
Riley's grandson told me, he only had one mother, your Nin.
End of story...
Tina

[MaryA]

Tugs at the heartstrings, don't it?

[Nannatee]

helllo Tina,
Isnt this a frustrating hobby we have ? Nice to read your story . My grandfather Samuel was a Smith and my father always told us that his father was a foundling.being a youngster at the time it was a case of "in one ear and out of the other"!. Remembering this ,in later years i didnt think i had any chance of tracing this paternal line ...more so as we were Smiths I started on the maternal tree in 1986 !! (good results with just a few missing links)
A couple of months ago I received an E.mail from your part of the world western australia from a lady whose grandfather was my grandfathers brother !! She sent me last week census forms ,and much more and it all ties in the the info that i had of my qwn except she didnt know of any reference to the foundling story.Whether a foundling or not he was brought up in manchester uk with a fantastic family which is good enough for me it was so good to learn more of this family from this "new "relative !! She has worked really hard on it and in her words it was a long time and a lot of hard work as she has found 4 generations with a Thomas and a Samuel in each family !! Thought i was doing pretty well at 75 my new relative is 81 All the best Jean ( mary is so helpful isnt she ? )

[MaryA]

How lovely to find new relatives! glad you got in touch with her.

[Tina]

Dear Nannatee, wonderful news.
You are only a baby in this "genie" lark compared to your 81yr old rellie!!
Yes, Mary is more than helpful, she's a gem:)
So very happy for you and great about a W.A connection.

Tina

[Katie]

I have a relative and on her marriage certificate she was recorded as Mary Railton Foundling

[Pegasus]

Jean...you gave me a chuckle
Lovely words from Mary, he was accepted into the family as one of them.
After my Uncle Riley died, I found out he was my Dad's cuz not his brother...Nin took him in as a baby.
Riley's mother died at birth, her hubby remarried to her sister who didn't want the baby
When I went to UK in 1988 I asked around the Italian family, did he know who his birth mother was etc etc.
It didn't go down well I might add.
Riley's grandson told me, he only had one mother, your Nin.
End of story...
Tina

I knew a Lad (when I was @4-5yrs old & He @15-16yrs old) that was brought up by His Grandmother as Her Own (He Mother did a runner & just dumped Him (@2yrs old) at Her Mothers).

His sentiments were exactly the same, when asked by anyone!

[Nannatee]

Hi katie,
Thanks for your post.........very interesting.
I have g/fathers marriage cert. and it gives fathers name...no mention of a foundling so i accept now that he was my granfather....blood relative or not ....his son was still my dad so we are all happy. Thanks for getting in touch , Jean.

[Nannatee]

Thanks for your kind words Tina....take care....Jean

[Tina]

Thank you Jean
Here's another one from my tree, I had twin cousins girls. Bn 1945.
When my Auntie & Uncle died, my Mum told me their natural mother was the Auntie's sister. Her hubby died WW2 just before they were born.
They were 3 months old when she came for a visit, went to the corner shop for some cigs & vanished.
Their births were not rego'd so Auntie did that & put themselves down as the parents.
A letter came from USA 1947 saying she just had to follow her G.I & he didn't want the kids.
Never heard of again.
Do you know Jean, my Ma told me, the girls never knew they were adopted!
I would dearly love to know how they faired in life.
My pal here in the West only found out when she was in her 60s, her mother was her grannie & her big sister was her mother.
How many times did that happen?
Sorry to rattle on
Tina

[Nannatee]

Hello Tina,
I`m so glad to know that someone else also "rattles on" like me
Thats a good story you have there Tina..I think we all know by now where catherine cookson got all her tales from.They were all such big families in those days....so many sisters and aunties and brothers and uncles etc. Enjoy your weekend Jean