Off to find the South African spiny cucumber

Between the years 2003 – 2010 the Together Trust ran a successful adoption service alongside its fostering work. 

Together Trust Adoption Leaflet

Adoption as we know it today of course has changed exponentially since the charity began in 1870. Child adoption had no legal status in Britain until 1926, when the first Adoption Act was passed. Until then, child adoption was an informal and generally secretive procedure where the adoptive parents had no rights to the child. The consequential lack of paperwork can make it extremely difficult for genealogists to track down family members that have been adopted.

Care Agreement, 1893, part one

The Together Trust’s transmission books, which record where children went to after they left the charity, suggest around 10 ‘adoptions’ a year were carried out in the early days. Occasionally names and addresses were given but often only the adoption box was ticked. Some blank paper work has remained however, showing agreements were made when children were adopted. Other agreements were also made for temporary care as shown above and below. This one was for an individual to take a child to South Africa with her and ensure he was taken care of for a period of 8 years.

Care Agreement, 1893, part two

Only one adoption paper from the nineteenth century remains within the Together Trust archive. In those days these kinds of agreements were perhaps not deemed worthy of retaining, much to the detriment of family historians again. We keep a look out just in case!