LANCSGEN-L Archives

Archiver > LANCSGEN > 2007-03 > 1174407937


From: "Bernard Huntingdon" <>
Subject: Re: [LAN] Adoptions in the 1880's - WIGNALL/TAYLOR
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:25:37 -0000
In-Reply-To: <6.2.5.6.2.20070321003435.020be200@iprimus.com.au>


Hi Gwenda

Adoption formally became a process in 1927 in the UK before that a mix of
informal agreements between members of a family, and a system of appointing
Guardians and making the child a "ward" of a particular person or of a court.
The later was usually to protect a child who had inherited wealth - (the basis
of many novels, films and cartoons).

A picture of Victorian society attitudes to children is at
http://www.open2.net/healthliving/health_socialcare/historycprot.html

There is an article which you should read concerning the creation of the
"Foundling
Hospital" by Thomas Coram c1735 at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/foundling_01.shtml - When you
have read these articles you might well realise the potential fate of children
in that period if they were abandoned to the parish or workhouse or left to fend
for themselves. Against that background families would try to raise children
born to their family however distantly related rather than allow fate to decide
their future.

The Laws governing use of a particular name are fairly lax - you can be known by
any name you choose, subject to it being the name you are known by, and it is
the only name you use, also that the change is not to enable you to commit a
criminal act such as fraud or escape the consequences of such an act.

In modern times we need to be able to prove our name so if a change is needed we
use deed poll (there is no legal requirement to do so, but it is easier to prove
who you are!) My brother-in-law changed his surname, by deed poll, when his
mother divorced his father and remarried - his brother stayed with his father
and kept the surname.
See http://www.deedpoll.org.uk/?OVRAW=depol&OVKEY=depol&OVMTC=standard and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deed_poll

In less formal times, pre WW1, and in Scotland, you could just change your name,
especially a child, and at marriage he would use the name he was known by at the
time. So to answer your question, he could have changed his name by depol, but
is more likely to have just changed his name and when with his grandparents used
his birth name, their surname, to keep them happy!

Bernard.


-----Original Message-----
From:
[mailto:]On Behalf Of Gwenda
Sent: 20 March 2007 13:49
To:
Subject: [LAN] Adoptions in the 1880's - WIGNALL/TAYLOR


Hi

Was there a formal adoption process in the late 1800's? If so, are
there records?

I have a feeling my maternal Grandfather may have taken up the name
TAYLOR when his mother married my Great Grandfather. Her name was
Alice WIGNALL and on the 1881 Census she is married to James TAYLOR,
living in Southport and has a 4 year old son named John TAYLOR.
Checks on the BMD showed that they were only married in 1879 but the
son is 4 years old meaning young John was born before they were married.

I found a John WIGNALL born at the right time and his Birth
Certificate states his mother is the said Alice WIGNALL but there is
no father listed. Interestingly he is TAYLOR in 1881, WIGNALL in 1891
(living with his Grandparents Richard & Jane WIGNALL) and as yet I
haven't had a chance to look for him on the 1901 Census. He married
my Grandmother in 1903 under the name of TAYLOR and his father is James TAYLOR.

If John WIGNALL is my Grandfather (and I have no consolidating proof
that he is other than that he was born in the right area, is the
right age and his father's occupation matches up) could he have been
formally adopted or just have taken the name of his step-father?

Would appreciate any opinions.

Regards
Gwenda

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwenda Golding
NSW, Australia
Visit my Family Tree at
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~geeaygee/
----------------------------------------------------------------------

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Make sure your subject line contains the Who, What, Where, and Why of your
message.

Please keep all messages on topic: Lancashire genealogy and history.


-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in
the subject and the body of the message


This thread: