Many genealogists are searching for adoption records not only for their own family tree but for others as well. As genealogists we are sometimes asked to look for a living persons adoption records. It is up to each person to decide if this is ethical or not. It is advisable to follow legal methods when searching modern adoption searches and to make sure you are not offending someone as well. This article is more concerned with historical adoption.
Adoption records from the past are hard to follow. Usually when one finds such records it is a surprise, as much of the paperwork is hidden by other document’s language and usually not many or any family legends of adoptions exist. Many families kept it quiet for various reasons. You’ll need to know where to look for adoption records and perhaps some of the terms used in such a process. Even then you will not have a huge chance of finding what you are looking for. Be prepared for a long Journey.
The very first step in locating adoption records is to calculate the time range for its occurrence. If you can also find out at least the birth mothers name it will be of great help as well. Many adoptions in the past were informal and little records remain. Guardianships could have been adoptions or just routine guardianships (where the kids still lived with their mom). Apprenticeships could have been used in place of a formal adoption. Sometimes kids were placed in poor houses when both parents died, so if the poor houses records don’t exist then the kid would be lost in history during that time period. It was not unusual for a kid to be handed over to a neighbor or relative as a worker, to the benefit of all involved (except for the kid maybe). These types of adoptions may or may not have been formal.
Look in the Wills of your ancestors for the mention of an adopted child, as sometimes that is the only place it is mentioned. Up until the mid 1800’s there were no formal procedure required for many types of adoptions or child labor arrangements.
After the mid 1800’s some charitable groups established places to house children who had lost both or one parents. As well states began to pass legislation related to the adoption process. The charitable groups who had orphanages may still have records from that orphanage or the orphanage itself might still exist, with records intact. Search online as well since many of these types of records are beginning to show up there. As a bonus adoption agency records may also have the names of your ancestor’s brothers and sisters.
An understanding of the term Orphan in the 1800’s is necessary. The term could mean having lost both parents or having lost one’s dad. Many moms simply had no financial means for survival if their husband died so they gave their kids up for adoption, to orphanages or up to guardianship. Even today we have children’s homes that are not technically orphanages as they accept kids with one parent living or even both parents, if destitute. From 1853 to 1929 there was a train referred to as the Orphan Train, which transported adoptable kids from major northeastern cities to the Midwest.
You can get clues to potentially adopted ancestors in census records. Pay attention to kids who had different last names from the parents. Go to the court house and search probate court dockets and guardianship records for mention of your ancestor having been taken care of by someone else (probably another ancestor of yours). Other records to examine are case files, poor farm records, old orphanage records, and juvenile court records.
Your adopted ancestor may have been put into a state agency home and the records may still be available. Try your State Archives for records, or online try Ancestry.com. Call the agency itself and find out if they have such records ands where. After 1930, adoption records were sealed to keep the matter secret to anyone whom it may harm.
One of the best places to look for an adoption type record is an amended birth certificate. It usually contains the names of the adoptive parents. Hospital records are also good, although you may need the name of the hospital where your ancestor was born. Hospital records should give the real mother’s name if nothing else.
Some usual places to look are petitions for name changes and the legal sections of newspapers which may contain a legal ad announcing an adoption hearing. Old state legislative records sometimes have adoption petitions from prospective parents.
Searching for historic adoption records will usually involve finding out first who the adoptive parents might be and what time frame the adoption may have taken place. Once you have that you might be able to find the records that prove the adoption, such as guardianship records. Look for any clue as to who the natural parents were. If the adoption was too far back there will be less of a chance of finding it. Getting the original birth certificate and any amended certificates should be a primary goal of your research, for adoptions that took place when such records existed. But it won’t be easy and it will take a lot of time.
Looking for Adoption Record of Mabel Alexander born
in Olean, New York Oct 26, 1889. Mabel Alexander was the
name given to her by her parents who adopted her.
Her Birth Mothers name might be on her Birth Certificate.
I am looking for adoption records for my grandfather and uncle.
Alvin Arthur Clifton born November 25, 1888 in Arkansas. Eddie Clifton born Feb 16, 1880.
Their mothers name would have been Elizabeth Sharp Clifton Shipman.
Unsure if my grandfather died or they divorced. Elizabeth remarried a man named Isaac William Shipman.
Not sure if they were adopted or if they just took on the Shipman name.
I am looking for the adoption of my great grandmother Tennessee Worley. She was adopted and raised by her uncle after being abandoned. The uncles name is John W Worley. Would love to have her birth certificate too.