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Would anyone know how to access information about people who have been adopted. My Great Grandmother Dorothy Ann Waterworth nee Crossley was adopted and although I know her adoptive parents details the only other information I have is that she was born in Haslingdon.

ChrissyB

What decade would this be Chrissy? Someone might have an idea where to look.

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Mel

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Chrissie
I suspect the answer is you won't be able to find this information from any official source as the time-scale suggests it would have been a private adoption. There is a bit on the government family records site:

http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/topics/adoption.htm

"Adoption
Legal adoption was introduced in the United Kingdom in the first half of the twentieth century. Earlier records of private arrangements can be very difficult to trace.

What information is available?

Please note that only the adoptee is allowed to apply to see their original birth records and to go on the Adoption Contact Register. Unfortunately for family historians, this might mean that you will not be able to trace your genetic line, if you discover that a parent or grandparent was adopted."

I completely missed the 'Great Grandmother' bit! Doh!
I helped a friend of mine out earlier this year, he was looking for adoption records for his mum who is in her 80's, she is still living. I left him to it after hopefully pointing him in a direction that might help. I didn't want to get too involved as it's not my family and can be upsetting for the 'new' family about to be contacted. A whole can of worms! Obviously different for a living person.

These are some of the links we came across during our queries/searches.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/03/2007_01_tue.shtml
http://www.norcap.org.uk/home.asp
The BBC link is a program that had been broadcast just before we started to look at his mums case. I personally didn't listen to it but it could contain useful info, there are also a couple of links on the page. (Including one to Norcap)
Norcap is 'supporting adults affected by adoption'. It may also contain helpful advice but again, I didn't delve deeper. I wanted to distance myself from the actual research.

Sue, on the OGFB forum and on here, posted a reply to my query on the OGFB forum which said
"The adoption records are at the Family Record Centre in Inslington , on microfilm. I seem to remember seeing reference to them in November when I was trying to find divorce records for Wilfred. Some of the divorce records are at the National Archives at Kew, so maybe some of the adoption records are too."

Hope something here helps Chrissy.

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Mel

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Thank you all - you have certainly given me places to start. My Great Grandmother Dorothy Ann Waterworth nee Crossly b 1866, according to the 1881 Censs lived with James and Betty Taylor at 8 Rushworth Buildings, Newchurch, Lancs. It is there that it states she was adopted.
ChrissyB

I know this topic has been dormant for a long time now, but it appears that we have a common ancestor in Dorothy Ann Crossley. In the interim have you discovered anything further about Dorothy's adoption? It appears she was adopted between the age of 5 and 15, but for what reason? Isn't trying to create your family tree fun... at times.

Regards

Stephen Brooks