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Adoption Legal adoption began in England & Wales on 1 January 1927 - before this date there was no central registration and informal fostering within the family was commonplace. There was normally no record of these private arrangements although you may find information in an adopter's will. If the adoption was made through the Poor Law or a charity such as Dr Barnado's, then there may be evidence amongst the records of the organisation concerned. Indexes to the registers of adopted children from 1927 are held at the Family Records Centre. The indexes give the adopted name of the child and the date of adoption but give no details of the birth parents.
If you have been adopted and wish to obtain a copy of your original
birth certificate you must apply to apply to the Adoptions Section
at the You should receive details of the name of the court that made the order and the number of the adoption application if there is one, the name of the birth mother and possibly the father's name as well. You will also receive a copy of an authorisation form that will enable you to ask the court that made the adoption order for the name of the local authority or adoption society, if any, that took part in the arrangements. You can then contact the appropriate organisation, although you should be aware that not all have kept a complete set of records. The Children's Acts (1975 and 1989) allow access to birth records only by the adopted person. It may be possible for children or other relatives of the adopted person to apply for access to the records. Applications should be made to the Chief Clerk of either the High Court, Westminster Court or the Court where the adoption was made.
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