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Unknown Half Sister, Daughter Of Alfred Frank Acton

Mayfield

Mayfield

Burbury Brummie
Please help me trace my half sister

On 29th March 1941 my father Alfred Frank Acton had seven days leave of absence from the Royal Artillery to marry an unknown woman by the name of May Fitzsimmons at St Patricks Church Ladywood.

I have it on sound authority that the marriage (for what ever reason) did not last too long, and that a child (girl) resulted from this war time union. If this information given is correct then my sister would have been born in late 1941. His war records indicate that he was granted further leave of absence (could possibly be for child birth?) on 19th June (seven days), 15th August (two days), 17th September (seven days) and 2nd November (two days).

I have been trying for several years to trace my sister but to no success?

Can anyone help me - even if it was only her christian name that would be great?

Keith
 
Margaret M Acton mothers maiden name Fitzsimmons birth registered
Birmingham Oct/Nov/Dec qtr 1942 ref. 6d 257.
 
Hello Keith m8 :) your Alfred Frank Acton married May Fitzsimons (only 1 m) in
Jan/Feb/March Quarter of 1941 registered B,ham 6d page 1287
This marriage certificate available at B,ham Reg office ( £7 ) could be usefult to aid your search,
This gives her Fathers name, occupation, Witnesses, Bride/Groom addresses Ok.

Checked through "Acton" births 1941 1st, 2nd & 4th Quarters there is no
Acton birth with Mother Fitzsimons registered on Ancestry site, 1941,however
the 3rd Quarter July/Aug/Sept is not showing, (Ancestry prob ?) so this still
needs checking out,, Anybody out there,,lend a hand please :)

Ok,,your starter in gear now,, Folks will assist on this great site,, JohnY :cool:

Oh,,nice 1 Alberta,,,mmh! i was only looking at 1941,, Typical Bloke eh! lol
 
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Thankyou Wendy - all this help really means a lot to me. I have known for many years that I have another sister but have never been able to trace her?

Thanks to the people of this wonderful site I now (possibly) have her name.

Keith
 
Hiya Keith,

I was reunited with my half birth siblings several years ago and found my two half sisters and a brother. With the details from above it should be an easier search for you than many others. I followed the route of obtaining my mother's death certificate which had my sister's details as the official informant. I suggest that you obtain the death certificate for May Fitzsimon's it may possibly have her daughters name as the informant with contact details.

Good luck
 
Langstraat said:
Hiya Keith,

I was reunited with my half birth siblings several years ago and found my two half sisters and a brother. With the details from above it should be an easier search for you than many others. I followed the route of obtaining my mother's death certificate which had my sister's details as the official informant. I suggest that you obtain the death certificate for May Fitzsimon's it may possibly have her daughters name as the informant with contact details.

Good luck
Click to expand...

Thank you..............
 
Hi Keith m8 :) Had a quick browse for possible marriages for a Margaret M Acton (b 1942)
Found 2 possibilities,, there may be more if/when thorough search is required, so these just "maybe,s"

Margaret Acton married Joseph Turner in Cannock 1st Quarter 1961 9b page 301
I selected the above as closest to B,ham (1960 to 1969) no other Margaret Acton,s around time.area.
Another possible? Margaret M Acton married Colin D Lancaster in Ince 4th Quarter 1965 10c page 977

Ince ( in Makerfield) now part of Wigan, Lancashire,,
She & Mom may have moved after 1942 birth etc,, discount nothing, check everthing,
Cheers & good luck JohnY:cool:
 
If you go to www.192.com and put Colin Lancaster into the search you will find an entry in the 2008 electoral roll for a Colin Lancaster registered along with Margaret M Lancaster,you have to subscribe to access the address.
 
I am overwhelmed by the kind thoughts and advice given. Thank you all very much. I will keep you all informed of any developments.

keith
 
Hi everyone - I have recieved the birth certificate (thanks for the info everyone) for my sister. However on the extreme left hand side of the certificate it has written on it Adopted and signed by the Deputy Supt' Registrar.

Am I being dumb in asking this but does this mean that she was adopted?

keith
 
Yes Keith but she was adopted and may have been adopted by family like grandparents. I don't know a lot about the subject but I believe sometimes there were two birth certificates.
 
Thanks Wendy - I have wrote a letter to one of the Margaret M Acton's listed and am awaiting a return letter. I will keep everyone informed.

Keith
 
Hi Keith

Wendy is correct, in the margin on the left hand side of the certificate it will be marked adopted.

Once adoption has taken place then the child is issued with an adoption certificate, there are two types of adoption certificates.. a short version which gives basic details and a full adoption certificate which will give the child's original birthplace etc etc. however it will not name the birth mother / parents only the adoptive parents.

You can if you wish contact the GRO or look on their website, there is a link to take you to the Aoption Register and as the law changed few years ago it now means birth family can register their contact details , then if the adopted child has also registered then they will contact the adopted child and pass on relatives details, however not vice versa.

Some people assume that the birth certificate and adoption certificate will "link" the child however this is not the case, once adoption has been finalised then the childs identity is always protected
 
Dianne said:
Hi Keith

Wendy is correct, in the margin on the left hand side of the certificate it will be marked adopted.

Once adoption has taken place then the child is issued with an adoption certificate, there are two types of adoption certificates.. a short version which gives basic details and a full adoption certificate which will give the child's original birthplace etc etc. however it will not name the birth mother / parents only the adoptive parents.

You can if you wish contact the GRO or look on their website, there is a link to take you to the Aoption Register and as the law changed few years ago it now means birth family can register their contact details , then if the adopted child has also registered then they will contact the adopted child and pass on relatives details, however not vice versa.

Some people assume that the birth certificate and adoption certificate will "link" the child however this is not the case, once adoption has been finalised then the childs identity is always protected
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the information Diane - as Wales states, this site is really supportive. I have learnt and completed more in tracing my sister in the last few days, than I ever had managed in the last three years prior to joining this site.

It is all thanks to the good people of this forum.

keith
 
Hi Keith and Dianne
I have just received my full adoption certificate it does not have any birth detail only the date I was born and then who I was adopted by and the date it went through the court. I wish you well with your search Keith.
 
dottieau said:
Hi Keith and Dianne
I have just received my full adoption certificate it does not have any birth detail only the date I was born and then who I was adopted by and the date it went through the court. I wish you well with your search Keith.
Click to expand...


Thank you for your kind wishes
 
Keith,I hope that in the near future you are able to find your sister.

Dottieau,what a shame that there was not more information on your adoption certificate.

My brother in law obtained his adoption certificate before he sadly died and I followed it up for his family but his certificate had the court details including not only the people who adopted him but the person who consented to his adoption ,his birth mother.

A friends mother in law had the same situation and she had the same details on hers, including the name of her birth mother.

Both of these adoptions were in the 1940s in Birmingham,perhaps different areas have different rules.

Perhaps you could apply to the courts for the original papers.
 
Hi everyone

I think rules change thru the years regarding adoption, nowadays the birthplace (town/city) is usually named, way back in the 1930's sometimes the place of birth was inserted in the adoption certificate, thru the war years only the most basic was entered, I can say that courts only keep the records for a few years, depending which local authority the court is in will depend on where the court records are kept, for instance, I believe that B'ham City Council archive court records but all adoption files are "closed for 75 years" from the childs d.o.b. (sometimes even from date of adoption in some circumstances).. the only person having access to these files is the adopted child or an intermediary/adoption agency

To all people who are adopted or are looking for adopted relatives, then an "intermediary " service should be used, this is a requirement under the Adoption Act so I believe. Intermediary Agerncies can be inexpensive but there are several charities who will also act as "intermediary" for a donation



I have a cousin who was born in 1938 he was later given for adoption, on his Adoption Certificate his address of birth is recorded which matches exactly the details on his original birth certificate, but there is no reference whatsoever on his adoption cert to his birth mother only the names of his adoptive parents
 
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