Four years on, I found the information I was looking for. Not by
parting with monies to rip off merchants such as Norcap, but through
sheer bloody mindedness which led me to a distant relative who was
researching his family tree, and he in turn provided me with details
of closer relatives and I was able to zero in on the information I
wanted. It took years however.

The person I was searching for was deliberately keeping their details
out of the public domain. They were not on the electoral role or other
records since about 1967, not to avoid me but due to a dislike of
governments. Obviously tracing someone who is hiding is quite
difficult, there's no point searching official records if the person
is deliberately masking their identity so they don't appear on them!

My case was probably unusual, and I would always advise others to try
the electoral role, marriage register and the like. You don't need to
pay anyone to search these, and many are available online for nominal
fees, but shop around. Some sites charge a lot for very little.

Finally, despite what any one tells you, every one is different, and
what worked for one person may not be right for you. Don't let the
patronising gits get you down!

Matt


--
The Probert Encyclopaedia
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com

On 2/7/08 10:57, in article 486b4f09.12624000@news.freenetname.co.uk, "Matt
Probert" <> wrote:

> Four years on, I found the information I was looking for. Not by
> parting with monies to rip off merchants such as Norcap, but through
> sheer bloody mindedness which led me to a distant relative who was
> researching his family tree, and he in turn provided me with details
> of closer relatives and I was able to zero in on the information I
> wanted. It took years however.
> 
> The person I was searching for was deliberately keeping their details
> out of the public domain. They were not on the electoral role or other
> records since about 1967, not to avoid me but due to a dislike of
> governments. Obviously tracing someone who is hiding is quite
> difficult, there's no point searching official records if the person
> is deliberately masking their identity so they don't appear on them!
> 
> My case was probably unusual, and I would always advise others to try
> the electoral role, marriage register and the like. You don't need to
> pay anyone to search these, and many are available online for nominal
> fees, but shop around. Some sites charge a lot for very little.
> 
> Finally, despite what any one tells you, every one is different, and
> what worked for one person may not be right for you. Don't let the
> patronising gits get you down!
> 
> Matt
> 
> 
> --
> The Probert Encyclopaedia
> http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com


Given how much you can get charged by some non charities that do adoption
searching and how useless some of them are at it I wouldn't call norcap's
charges a rip-off. But it is empowering and self affirming to do it
yourself. It can be as easy as looking someone up in a telephone directory
or it can be nigh on impossible or anything in-between. Whatever the search
goes like it's a good idea to use an intermediary to make contact unless
you've a fair amount of experience of that kind of thing already. The people
legally allowed to offer an intermediary service are registered Adoption
Support Agencies (such as norcap)

Of course if you are a member of the natural family trying to find someone
who has been adopted then things difficult in all respects and usually
impossible without the help of an Adoption Support Agency. Unfortunately
charges tend to be high because government departments involved make high
charges to the ASA's for passing on information to them

Robin

*

Matt Probert wrote:

> Four years on, I found the information I was looking for.

Congratulations. :)

> Finally, despite what any one tells you, every one is different, and
> what worked for one person may not be right for you. Don't let the
> patronising gits get you down!

Seconded most heartily. :D

--
trin
back after several years away
blame Trisha Goddard ;)

Hi Trinity (tequilatrinity from memory),
Good to her from you again.  The site has become a bit dead of late I 
notice.
Ray

"trin"  wrote in message 
news:05a971ab-9e97-44dc-98d5-2541daf93dac@z72g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> Matt Probert wrote:
>
>> Four years on, I found the information I was looking for.
>
> Congratulations. :)
>
>> Finally, despite what any one tells you, every one is different, and
>> what worked for one person may not be right for you. Don't let the
>> patronising gits get you down!
>
> Seconded most heartily. :D
>
> --
> trin
> back after several years away
> blame Trisha Goddard ;)

Ray Ingham wrote:

> Hi Trinity (tequilatrinity from memory),

Hi Ray, and yeah, it once was, but it was a PITA to keep typing it all
out when I could just run with the four letter version. <g>

> Good to her from you again.  The site has become a bit dead of late I
> notice.

Yeah, it does look like it's died a bit of a death really. Shame.

I reckon half the trouble's that the vast majority of new people on-
line now probably don't even know Usenet exists to be able to make use
of it, since pretty much everything seems to be web based now. <sigh>

Good to see you're still around though. Seeing the old names is making
me smile - but I'm not gonna mention any other names I remember, in
fear of invoking certain presences. ;)

--
trin

On 13/8/08 04:48, in article
8Qsok.27826$IK1.4038@news-server.bigpond.net.au, "Ray Ingham"
 wrote:

> Hi Trinity (tequilatrinity from memory),

Hello Trin and Ray and all

Having been inspired by a message from Trin it's taken me a while to find it
again (had a spot of computer bother, lost all my usenet settings)

Perhaps we could breath some new life in to it

Yep, you don't need the patronising gits telling you what to do, but SS is
often the only place to get the info you need to make a start. Even when no
agency was involved. The Court that heard the adoption case should have a
report on file, compiled by a social worker known as a Guardian ad Litem,
before social services departments came in to existence G ad L's were
usually people who worked for the Childrens' Officer or the Probation
Service. The G ad L reports held by the Probation Service generally seem to
have been destroyed but the court probably still have a copy. Most local
authority Childrens' Officer's records from the early 70s are still extant
and should be able to be accessed via SS in the area the adoptive parents
lived at the time of the adoption

Good luck

Robin

*

Robin Harritt wrote:
> Ray Ingham wrote:

> Hello Trin and Ray and all

*waves*

> Having been inspired by a message from Trin it's taken me a while to find it
> again (had a spot of computer bother, lost all my usenet settings)

Whoops. Always fun when then happens - downloading ten million spam
messages all over again. <wry g>

> Perhaps we could breath some new life in to it

It'd be nice. Then again, so would winning the lottery - I suspect we
may have a little less trouble breathing life back into here, but not
much. :(

> Yep, you don't need the patronising gits telling you what to do, but SS is
> often the only place to get the info you need to make a start. Even when no
> agency was involved. The Court that heard the adoption case should have a
> report on file, compiled by a social worker known as a Guardian ad Litem,
> before social services departments came in to existence G ad L's were
> usually people who worked for the Childrens' Officer or the Probation
> Service. The G ad L reports held by the Probation Service generally seem to
> have been destroyed but the court probably still have a copy. Most local
> authority Childrens' Officer's records from the early 70s are still extant
> and should be able to be accessed via SS in the area the adoptive parents
> lived at the time of the adoption

*takes note* Ta for that. I'll try to get around to having a word with
my Amom about it, and possibly get in touch with the local SS. I say
possibly, I more than likely will if I find out it's needed, it's just
I have an inherent distrust of the SS after dealings with them about
my daughter.

> Good luck

Cheers hon. :)

--
trin

trin wrote:
> Robin Harritt wrote:

> > Yep, you don't need the patronising gits telling you what to do, but SS is
> > often the only place to get the info you need to make a start. Even when no
> > agency was involved. The Court that heard the adoption case should have a
> > report on file, compiled by a social worker known as a Guardian ad Litem,
> > before social services departments came in to existence G ad L's were
> > usually people who worked for the Childrens' Officer or the Probation
> > Service. The G ad L reports held by the Probation Service generally seem to
> > have been destroyed but the court probably still have a copy. Most local
> > authority Childrens' Officer's records from the early 70s are still extant
> > and should be able to be accessed via SS in the area the adoptive parents
> > lived at the time of the adoption
>
> *takes note* Ta for that. I'll try to get around to having a word with
> my Amom about it, and possibly get in touch with the local SS.

Yeah yeah, replying to myself, bad form, I know. :p

Anywho, I've called the local (and relevant) SS, and I've got the
address for the lady I need to contact with my details in the hopes of
getting something in return. I've got the letter itself sat on my
desktop already typed up, and now all I need is the state-of-mind to
be able to give me the balls to send it off. *crosses $body parts*

--
trin

On 26/8/08 06:36, in article
7aeab8c7-41e9-4496-b673-0f19f9c1e250@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com, "trin"
 wrote:

> trin wrote:
>> Robin Harritt wrote:
> 
>>> Yep, you don't need the patronising gits telling you what to do, but SS is
>>> often the only place to get the info you need to make a start. Even when no
>>> agency was involved. The Court that heard the adoption case should have a
>>> report on file, compiled by a social worker known as a Guardian ad Litem,
>>> before social services departments came in to existence G ad L's were
>>> usually people who worked for the Childrens' Officer or the Probation
>>> Service. The G ad L reports held by the Probation Service generally seem to
>>> have been destroyed but the court probably still have a copy. Most local
>>> authority Childrens' Officer's records from the early 70s are still extant
>>> and should be able to be accessed via SS in the area the adoptive parents
>>> lived at the time of the adoption
>> 
>> *takes note* Ta for that. I'll try to get around to having a word with
>> my Amom about it, and possibly get in touch with the local SS.
> 
> Yeah yeah, replying to myself, bad form, I know. :p
> 
> Anywho, I've called the local (and relevant) SS, and I've got the
> address for the lady I need to contact with my details in the hopes of
> getting something in return. I've got the letter itself sat on my
> desktop already typed up, and now all I need is the state-of-mind to
> be able to give me the balls to send it off. *crosses $body parts*
> 
> --
> trin



Hi Trin

How's it going there, any luck yet?

Robin

*