Dear Lister, He was born on 1 Sep 1918 in Coundon Grange, Bishop Auckland and "adopted" is mentioned on the bottom of his birth certificate. His mother died 3 months after his birth. Answering my request for a second birth certificate or a certificate of adoption, GRO replies: <The only records of adoption held here are those made in the Adopted Children Register on the authority of adoption orders granted by the courts under the provisions of the Adoption Acts of England and Wales from 1927. Any adoption made by private arrangement prior to 1927 would not be recorded here. The 1926 Adoption Act which came into effect in 1927 was the first Act legalizing adoptions. Prior to that children were just handed over with mainly a verbal agreement and, at best, a declaration setting out the child's change of identity was drawn up by a solicitor? but it was by no means a legally binding document.> I am in a cul-de-sac and would be grateful to any one who would suggest in which direction I should orientate my research. Thank you and regards, André & Margaret STUECKELBERGER - ROBINSON in Sydney