Where can I go in Scotland to find out if I have an adopted half sibling?

Question

My Heritage says I have a half sibling but I know nothing about them. They would have been born, presumably, before 1956. Mother’s maiden name Davidson. Birthplace presumably Glasgow.

Answer 1

So I am not an expert but my understanding is:

You would need to know whether your half sibling is your mums or your dads child - if you are certain the mothers maiden name is Davidson as this is your mothers name you would need to know whether the child was born prior to her marriage or after.  If before the child will have been born a Davidson if after the child will be registered initially under your fathers name

In the UK adoption records are sealed and can only be accessed by specialist intermediaries.  I would presume once you know where the birth took place you could contact the local Children and Families Department and they would be able to point you in the right direction.  

I believe the initial registration will still appear in the Index however the "new certificate" will be sealed with the adoption papers.

You will be able to search the indexes on ScotlandsPeople for free certificates in this time period are not available to view online.  Presumably if MyHeritage is saying you have a half-sibling you would be able to contact the person who is said to be your half-sibling you could ask them about themselves see what they know - they will see the same dna results re a half-sibling as you have although it definitely not going to be an easy conversation.

Hope you find out more

Comments

Thanks. The problem really is that My Heritage are saying that I have a 76% likely half nephew but I don’t have any siblings as far as I know. This apparent half nephew is named but neither of his parents are so I don’t have much of a clue what to do next. Thanks for your suggestions. I suspect that the half nephew might be equally perturbed by the information so am reluctant to contact them but open to contact should their parent be aware of it.

Answer 2

You would be wise to ensure that MyHeritage is correct first. Someone could have attached one of your parents as a parent to this child. It has happened to me on Ancestry. I wouldn't trust anything these genealogy sites tell you unless you have a DNA match.