Information on adopted children 1950s

[Erm79]

Adoptions now (as I understand it) are a closed book. If a child is adopted unless they want to get information on their birth parents when they are an adult, no contact is made. A birth parent is given no information about the child and I presume that this may stand even if the child subsequently dies.

I am researching a child who was adopted (born in the 1950s) where the birth mother claimed to know that the child died as an infant, post adoption. The adoption is noted on the child's birth certificate.

Am I right I thinking that (if telling the truth) the only way the mother would know this would be if she knew the family who adopted the child? If the process is as it is now I can see no other possibility.

Secondly, if a child is adopted and given another name, is it only recorded in the Adoption Register ( think I have the name right) , there is no re-registering of the birth in the standard birth index?

As ever many thanks for any help you can offer

[AntonyM]

Am I right I thinking that (if telling the truth) the only way the mother would know this would be if she knew the family who adopted the child? If the process is as it is now I can see no other possibility.

I've heard of/seen a number of cases of information/letters about the child and their progress being sent between birth mothers and adopted parents, passed on via the adoption agency/social services, so I don't think you can make that assumption. Copies of such letters can sometimes be found in the adoption papers.

Secondly, if a child is adopted and given another name, is it only recorded in the Adoption Register ( think I have the name right) , there is no re-registering of the birth in the standard birth index?

(In E/W) the new entry is in the Adopted Children Register (ACR), and there is no link between that and the birth entry that can be accessed, other than by an authorised intermediary. There is never a re-registration in the birth index for an adoption - the only change is the annotation of the original birth entry with the word "adopted"

[Erm79]

Many thanks Antony, once the adoption process was made more formal I was not aware that there could be any contact at all between birth parents and the new family. If this was the case in this situation, a message saying that your child had died must have been very hard to both send and for the mother to receive.

Thank you also for the clarification on birth registration. I didn't think they would be re-registered, but wanted to check.

[Erm79]

Another question related to this please which I think you may know the answer to Antony. Would a birth certificate from the 1950s for a child born as one of twins show a time on the certificate?
Many thanks as always

[AntonyM]

it should do, yes.

[Erm79]

Thank you Antony, that is very helpful.