There was no official adoption until 1929, therefore anything prior was ad hoc. There may have been something similar to fostering from the various homes for orphans but any records would be very elusive. Peter Adams > Hi, I am Diane, new to the list. > > What I am looking for is does anyone know of where to write to for adoption records for 1879. The area that I am looking for is Hartlepool, Durham. The surname is GRAHAM. > > I hope that someone can help me. > > From > > Diane Sowden >