Adoption Records
** Can someone point me in the right direction for my research?? Any ideas where to search for more info on my GGrandfather?**
I am searching for my great-grandfathers biological family, for my GG, Henry Hibbert Stone, He was supposedly Born 5/10/1882, maybe Haverhill MA, Henry was born with the last name of Hibbert.
I have also seen Hibbert spelled different ways.
Henry was put into the Home for Little Wanderer's in Boston, Massachusetts at the age of approximately? thirteen years. I estimate that anywhere between 1890 and 1899 He was adopted by the Home to Elmer D. Stone of Framingham, Massachusetts.
Hence his name "Henry Hibbert Stone" .
I have hit a brick wall, trying to obtain records for an original biological birth certificate or records from the orphanage. I’ve read that the adoption could have possibly been handled by Catholic Charities, with the Home for Little Wanderers. Any help you can provide, I would be grateful. Or if someone could steer me in the right direction, would also be helpful to me.
Thank you.
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We will take a look into it this upcoming week. I advise against an instantaneous solution as you might have guessed, but we’ll be meeting this week and we can get a consensus of where to start at least.
Thanks for your message.
Robert Helmig
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Thank you!
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I'll still bring your situation up in our meeting tomorrow but in the meantime, I've been doing a little searching on my own. You might have already read this but the information below is from [ https://thehome.org/index.php ]
3. How do I access a family member’s record?
Unless you are the legal representative or guardian for another family member, and you can demonstrate proof of guardianship, you may not access another family member’s records. Each family member of legal age wishing a copy of his/her record needs to request that individually. For additional information, please feel free to call 617-469-8673.
8. How long are the records kept?
Generally, The Home will maintain records for an extensive period of time before the record being destroyed. Each state agency requires a definitive time frame. For example, adoption records are kept for 99 years while the Department of Early Education and Care requires us to keep records for 7 years.
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Looking for a birth parent, adopted person, or relative? Contact us for help. (Home For Little Wanderers)
The Catholic Charities website says it's closing its adoption program "after 50 years". [ catholic charities adoptions ]
Have faith, family history is a process. All the best.
Robert Helmig
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@DawnDuff2 Unfortunately, brick walls are usually broken down one brick at a time rather than in one fell swoop. Your case seems to be one that will need to be chipped away at!
There are birth records available for Haverhill, but there is no Hibbert born in May, 1882. (See FamilySearch Film # 007011620.) If Henry was placed in the orphanage at the age of 13, try looking for deaths with the surname Hibbert about 1895. For any that you find, try to prove that they could NOT have been one of Henry's parents. If you can't prove it wrong, you may have a starting point for research. I could not find many court records online for either Haverhill or Boston, but it seems there would have been guardianship papers filed somewhere after the death of Henry's parents. Of course, there is always the possibility of a reason other than death that Henry's parents couldn't care for him. Newspapers would be another place to look for clues.
Have you or someone else in your bloodline taken a DNA test? That could also provide possible leads to Henry's biological family. It would certainly be worth a try.
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Thanks for the good input!
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You might consider contacting the New England Historic Genealogical Society for guidance on locating records from or information about the Home for Little Wanderers? They may also be able to advise you on other records that might be available in New England.
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