*Archive?* Were adoptions recorded in the 19th century?

[usignuolo]

We are struggling to find a birth certificate for our grandfather. He "pops" up in the family as "grandson" in the 1881 census aged 9, with a distinctive christian name, found nowhere else in the family at that time, and their surname. It was a very large family and in 1881 only the younger siblings were still living at home. There is no indication that any of these was his actual father or mother. He appears on all subsequent censuses up to 1901 (prior to his marriage) as "grandson".

The obvious thing would be that maybe his aunt was actually his mother, or that his actual parents had died and the grandparents took him in. We have his marriage certificate and the details about his father are confusing - and cannot be directly matched to the immediate aunts and uncles or grandparents.

So now we think he may be illegitimate or adopted. Is there any way of tracing that? He was called Wilfrid Henry Jackson and was born around 1883.

[Jimmy]

What area was he born roughly.

[Margarett]

I think often adoptions at that time were quite informal between the family members. My late Grandma had a phrase, she would say" Of course, he(she's) not theirs, they took to him(her)". I don't think they were formally recorded till the 1920's.

[grangers14]

Theres this??

Henry Wilfrid Jackson
Year of Registration: 1882
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
District: Islington
County: Greater London, London, Middlesex
Volume: 1b
Page: 283

[usignuolo]

That looks really interesting, I have been right through Rootsweb listing for 1881-3 without finding anything resembling his name. Is that in a local register?

[grangers14]

That was from ancestry, so it would be to order from the GRO.
Jo

[grangers14]

Who was his wife?

A possible marriage for the person
2nd August. 1909. St Martins, Kentish Town
Wilfrid Henry Jackson, 26, B, Shop assistant, 28, Mansfield? Road, Henry Jackson (deceased) Tailor
Ellen Eliza Goss, 25, S, 28, Mansfield Road, Charles Goss, French polisher
Banns
both signed
Witnesses:- N? g Sandall Lydia May Goss

[Jimmy]

1891. Hampden Rd, Islington.
Alexander Jackson 63. Tailor. Holland, British Subject.
Louisa Jackson 55.
Henry T Jackson 26.
James Jackson 22.
Ada Jackson 17.
Frederick Jackson 12.
Wilfred Jackson 9. Grand son.

1901. 25 Marlborough Rd, Islington.
Louisa Jackson 64. Widow.
Ada Jackson 26.
Frederick Jackson 21.
Wilfred Jackson 18. Grand son. Boot Salesman.
Elizabeth Penny 75.

[Jimmy]

1881.
Henry J. JACKSON. Head. M. Male. 39. Worcester, England Practical Tailor & B Maker .
Jessie JACKSON. Wife. M. Female. 62. London, City Of, London, Middlesex.

16 Edwards Rd.
London, Middlesex.

[grangers14]

??

1881. 7 - 9 Mechanics Home? Islington, Liverpool, Lancashire
A lodging House that has many male people staying
Henry Taylor, lodger, 17, Tailor, Middlesex London

[grangers14]

Peter has just posted a new link for the links section. From that I have seen
Islington The Register Office, Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, London, N1 2UD.
Tel: 020 7527 6347 or 6350 or 6351. Fax: 020 7527 6308.

It may help you to ring them to check out his birth? The GRO number is no good though so you cant use that.
Thats to say if we are following the right family!
Jo

[usignuolo]

Thanks for all this - yes the Wilfrid Jackson on the 1891 census is my grandfather and that is indeed his marriage record. (He ended up as manager of a branch of Lilley and Skinners but died a young man, in 1919, probably as a result of injuries in WW1. )

And I am really greatful to grangers14 for spotting that the original birth registration was as Henry Wilfrid in Q3 1882 and not Wilfrid Henry as in later censuses and when he married. I don't know if this was an error in the registration or a change because there was already a son called Henry.

But I am still none the wiser over who his parents were. More research needed.

[grangers14]

If you ring Islington register office and check if that birth certificate has a father Henry it will name his father, occupation and mother so you can go from there when you buy the certificate.
Wilifrid names his father as Henry and he also has that name himself, there is a Henry with the family in the census could that be his father?

Jo

[usignuolo]

There is an uncle Henry Jackson, in the family home in 1891 Census. He is listed as single, aged 26 and as a cook. (He did not marry until 32 and then to an older woman, a widow). Wilfrid Henry first appears living with the family in 1891 as a nine year old grandson. He also appears in the 1901 census after Uncle Henry has married and left home. On Wilfrid's marriage certificate in 1909 his father is described as a tailor, deceased, which really describes his grandfather or a father we have not yet traced.

So we have Alexander Matthew Jackson, a tailor, father of 10 children including a son Henry born in 1865 and a grandson Wilfrid Henry (or Henry Wilfrid) born in 1882. My own father was called Wilfrid Alexander, supposedly after his father Wilfrid Henry and his grandfather Alexander Matthew. The name Wilfrid is not found anywhere else in the family which suggests it came from the mother's side, whoever she was. Henry was quite a common name in London at the time but Wilfrid seems to have been almost exclusively a northern name. (My father's sister was also most particular that it was spelt with an i.)

[grangers14]

Hmmm
All I can suggest is to try that certificate. See what it says.
Jo