Listers, I would appreciate some guidance here. For background, my great grandmother was an orphan left on the church steps of St. Catherine's Church in Bebington on 20 June 1850. She was Christened on 21 June 1850 as Mary BEBINGTON (named after the town). She is listed in the 1851 census for BEBINGTON as a nurse child in the family of Thomas and Hannah GREEN. In the 1861 census, she is listed as Mary BEBINGTON in the GREEN family. In 1871, she is working for another family and is listed as Mary BEBINGTON. She married my great grandfather - John FARRALL - in 1873, and the marriage certificate has a blank space for the father. Her name is listed as Mary BEBINGTON. The death certificates for two of her sons - John and Samuel- (California) listed the mother's maiden name as GREEN. No official document show that she legally used the name GREEN. My question concerns the adoption/non-adoption procedures in Cheshire/UK in the later half of the century. Were families expected to pay extra monies to the county? Mary did receive a congratulatory letter and cablegram from King George VI on her 100 birthday in 1850. Palace regulations state that proof must be provided. The only proof provided was the christening record of 20 June 1850. She had no birth certificate. What were the adoption procedures like in the 1850 timeframe? Why would the GREEN family not give her the GREEN name? Puzzled. John Farrall Burke, Virginia USA

Formal adoption did not take place in England and Wales until 1927/1930. I am quite sure however that there was a system of "fostering" as we know it today. I wonder about a foundling being christened. Who might have arranged it of an orphan. I realise that these thoughts of mine don't help much, but maybe others will come forward to add to what I have said. Janet ----- Original Message ----- From: "john farrall" <jfarrall@cox.net> > Listers, > I would appreciate some guidance here. For background, my great > grandmother was an orphan left on the church steps of St. Catherine's Church > in Bebington on 20 June 1850. She was Christened on 21 June 1850 as Mary > BEBINGTON (named after the town). She is listed in the 1851 census for > BEBINGTON as a nurse child in the family of Thomas and Hannah GREEN. In the > 1861 census, she is listed as Mary BEBINGTON in the GREEN family. In 1871, > she is working for another family and is listed as Mary BEBINGTON. She > married my great grandfather - John FARRALL - in 1873, and the marriage > certificate has a blank space for the father. Her name is listed as Mary > BEBINGTON. The death certificates for two of her sons - John and Samuel- > (California) listed the mother's maiden name as GREEN. No official document > show that she legally used the name GREEN. My question concerns the > adoption/non-adoption procedures in Cheshire/UK in the later half of the > century. Were families expected to pay extra monies to the county? > Mary did receive a congratulatory letter and cablegram from King George > VI on her 100 birthday in 1850. Palace regulations state that proof must > be provided. The only proof provided was the christening record of 20 June > 1850. She had no birth certificate. What were the adoption procedures like > in the 1850 timeframe? Why would the GREEN family not give her the GREEN > name? Puzzled.