Adoptions in LONDON c1867?

Question

Does anyone know where I could find records of adoptions that took place in London (specifically Greenwich) in or around 1867?

I'm trying to find the adoption of my ancestor, who I am told was from the Greenwich area.

Answer 1

There were no formal adoption procedures in England until  1927 so you will not be able to find an adoption record as we known them now.

At that time it is most likely that the adoptee was brought up by relatives, friends, or possibly benefactors who took pity on them, but such informal arrangements were unlikely to be recorded. Remarriage was common, and it could be that if the mother remarried, her new husband could be regarded as having 'adopted' the step child, particularly if they recognised the child in their will.

Illegitimate children were very often given up for fostering, and if this were the case you may be lucky enough to find some reference within the Quarter Session records (including Poor Law Union records), which for Greenwich at that time are held at the London Metropolitan Archives .

Some children were sold to notorious 'baby farmers', or to gangs of theives or prostitutes, but for obvious reasons, records of these transactions are very unlikely to be found.

The best you can do is to try to work out the circumstances. Have you found the birth record for your ancestor (as there was no formal procedure for adoption they may have kept their birth name)? Assuming they were born after 1837 you may be able to find it. Try http://www.findmypast.com for a complete set of birth records. Then try to locate your ancestor in the 1871 census to find who they were living with after the adoption. You could also try searching in the 1861 census - was the ancestor still with the birth parents then, or perhaps living in an orphanage or other institution, or with a relative? It should state the relationship to the head of household.

Good luck!