Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Have just checked 1911 census to find that an aunt had been recorded as "Foster daughter". Very surprised so I checked BMD and there is no record of her birth. How do I find out who she was ? Moya

Fostering and adoption were usually "informal" arrangements. Sometimes a family member may have had a child out of wedlock---or the childs parent/s had died--or the parents were just not able to take care of a child for many reasons.

Adoption was not formalised until 1927.

What year was your Aunt born???

The other possibility is to find her marriage and see if a father is named on the certificate.

Dorothy

fostering has been going on for centuries...rich folks would send their children to other families to get training as squires or ladies....eventually it became a general term for any child left with another adult to raise...a widowed father might foster his daughter to a female family member to raise and be taught a womens role.....a widowed mother might send a young son to be trained or apprenticed out, even very young children were sent to live with others if the parents both worked or mother was sickly....sadly some never ever knew their parents and eventually began using their foster parents name.

Hi Moya,
As Dorothy says, adoptions did not become formalised with legal backing until the late 1920s. Unless you have a major stroke of luck it will be almost impossible to find out who that child was. In 2003 I was landed with a similar situation where an 8 year old girl appears in the 1901 with the family surname and is shown as a daughter to my g.g.mother who had been a widow for over 20 years. There was no birth to correspond with the child's name.

Eventually the 1911 provided a clue in that a 2nd surname was given (later crossed out by the enumerator but still legible). I was able to find out what happened to her later, her marriage and children etc, but I still don't know who she was and where she came from. Several 'ifs', 'maybes', and 'hypertheticals', but no solid evidence. I even managed to track down a g.son, now in his 50s, and he didn't know either.

Fostering and 'taking-in' were quite common practices. Sometimes voluntary by friends within close communities, sometimes an allowance was paid by the authorities such as an industrial school or church body.

Tell us your child's name and age and perhaps we can help find a marriage for you. That might give you her 'real' name and father.
Good luck,
Dickiesam

Off Topic
Moya, lovely to hear from you!
So pleased you are still with our wonderful forum

Warmies
Tina