Many events in our ancestors’ lives were governed by the laws of the time. A few quick things to remember: There is state law and there is federal law (in addition to local ordinances) that usually impact the “big things” (marriage, estate settlements, inheritance, adoptions, etc.). Things governed by state law can vary from one state to another. That’s true today (eg. “legal marijuana”) and was true in 1850 as well. Laws change over time. What was true in 1800 was not necessarily true in 1920. Many old state statute books are online (start at books.google.com to search). The takeaway? Don’t forget that laws vary based on location and time–even if you don’t cross an international border in the process.
Many “adoptions” in the United States, especially in the 19th century and before, were informal. There was no legal paperwork or documentation created. Family members (close or extended) or neighbors may have taken a child in to raise–perhaps because the parents were deceased or because they had too many children. Children may simply have lived with other family members long-term for one reason or another. My great-great-grandmother, born in the 1860s, lived with her maternal grandparents for most of her childhood–evidenced by census records. She also received a bequest in the will of her maternal grandfather where her other siblings did not. The reason? I’m not certain, but I do know that her own parents had quite a few children and, for a time, her grandparents had her […]
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