Tracing birth parents WITHOUT original name or birth certificate?

BrandNewDay

OK... there are message boards for this. At least in the US, there are. I've seen them. People post what they know and hope somebody else is looking from the other end. I don't know if they have much success, but it's a possibility.

There was a program on channel 4 last night about two women looking for their birth sons. I cried watching it.

If either parent is looking for your husband, do you think he could be found? I'm not sure from your OP if I understand the situation. Did you say he was put up for adoption, then adopted, then orphaned and adopted again?

Mrs_Bear

He was put up for adoption, adopted and then the father died. The mother married again and his name was changed again and he was adopted by the new husband.

In the meantime, apparently, the young American girl went back to the States. Of course, this is only what we have been told by his step sister (the daughter of the second husband - this is one very complicated family!)

It's programmes like that that have made us start to search - we know it would be nigh on impossible for her to find him so we must do it.

ASG_2

Would his mother's marriage certificate show her previous married name? (and therefore his first adoptive surname?) That might help to trace the original adoption papers.
I hope he finds her.

Sammz

http://www.lookupuk.com should help.

I'm in Scotland so the laws are different and not sure how it works now in England.

Never pay someone to search as it can always be done for free.

Ms_Chocaholic

ASG wrote:

Would his mother's marriage certificate show her previous married name? (and therefore his first adoptive surname?) That might help to trace the original adoption papers.
I hope he finds her.

I thought of this too, also surely his second adoptive father must know the surname by which his mother was known before they married and she changed her surname to his.

Mrs_Bear

Just a quick update - we have had a reply from the GRO at Stockport saying that "information relating to (his) birth" has been forwarded to the local Headquarters!

We are now waiting for a social worker to contact us (we phoned immediately) so the interview can take place.

Thank you so much to everyone who replied - especially Gabriel-Ernest who found that link to the GRO website that I had missed time and again.

I'll post updates as things progress - just keep your collective fingers crossed that the social worker rings quickly!

inkie

I have just read through this thread, and wish you luck with this quest - I hope that everything turns out favourably - keep us posted.

Mrs_Bear

I will, of course, let you know how we get on.

It's thanks to the wonderful posters that we have got as far as we have today - and to think that he had paid a search agency to help!

Thanks everyone!

Js_Other_Half

Fingers very firmly crossed for you!

Mrs_Bear

An Update!

We finally had the appointment with the social worker and have discovered the Bear's real name. He had to have a counselling interview so that he knew and understood all the possible outcomes (after all, his mother was told he'd never be able to find her and may still wish that to be the case)

We have applied for his full birth certificate which should give us her full name, age and the address where she was living at the time. The initial information from the social worker just gave us her name. The father's name wasn't listed.

The social worker is applying to the court where the adoption went through for the details of the case as she thinks there will be a lot more information there.

We have sent off to the adoption contact register to say he would like contact if anyone has asked and now it's just a matter of waiting for the information to come back to us.

Thank you, to everyone who has helped us so far. I'll let you know when we get any further.