Hi Paul I can't recall the time frame of your events but official adoption started in 1930 in Scotland, before that it was an unofficial arrangement with rarely any paperwork After 1930 adoptions are closed for 100 years In theory you can't register someone elses child as your own The fact there are differing surnames suggests there was no subterfuge, they would be the children of whoever is named on the registration Are you sure you have the registrations for the right people ? Even unusual names can be found more than once in records Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 16/12/2013 13:43, PAUL HARDIE wrote: > Hi Irene > > Thank you very much for that information that was very kind of you. > Well I have to say you have just possible answered a major head ache > I have had trying to understand why this John Kemp had his father > down as being a John McDonald while his mother is down as Jessie > Kemp. I noticed on the information you sent me that Jessie Kemp was > down as unmarried even tho there were 3 persons down as her sons and > daughter. Notice that the daughter is down as surname Wright the son > John is down as a McDonald. Could these 2 possibly be foster or