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Family coinsidence.

Alberta

Super Moderator
Staff member
My Dad was born in a Staffordshire town in 1924, his mother had married, against her families advice, to a man 10 years younger.

Shortly after my Dads birth it was evident that she was dying so knowing her husband would not be there for his son she asked her brother and his wife to adopt him.
Adoption wasn't legal until 1926 but they had a deed drawn up by their solicitor ( a lovely parchment that I have)
Dad had a great life doted on by his two older 'sisters'.

Skip to 1960 when my dad was an officer in Birmingham city police.
There had been a stalker/prowler at Heartlands hospital and my dad was interviewing nurses, one of them commented on his accent and he told her where he was born and she said her mother had a brother move to there in the 20s never to be in contact again.

It turned out that her uncle was my dads birth father and it opened up many family members for Dad and all of us to meet, most living in Tenbury Wells.
 
Even during, what must have been, a period of such terrible sadness, his mum made sure he was lovingly raised by the family, the most valuable thing she could do for your dad.

And that chance connection to his father's family members after nearly 40 years - well it must have seemed unreal to him and hard to believe.
 
I was reminded of this when I was looking through some papers and saw my fathers adoption deed.
His adoptive parents (his uncle and aunt) were my wonderful grandparents who I loved so much, they had teenage girls when Dad was born so you can imagine how spoilt he was :)
 
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