A 3-Month-Old Baby Boy was Abandoned with a Nanny. 63 Years Later He Finds Out the Truth About His Family
A 63-year-old man in England has discovered the truth about his birth parents after his story was told on the U.K. television show, Long Lost Family
Chris was abandoned as a 3-month-old baby after being left with a nanny at a location in London, but was never collected
He learned that he has full siblings on the show, before traveling to Ireland to meet some of themA 63-year-old man in England has learned the truth about his birth parents after he was dropped off with a nanny as a 3-month-old baby and never picked up.
During a recent episode of the U.K. television show Long Lost Family: Born Without a Trace, a man named Chris discussed being left with a nanny on the morning of July 20, 1962 at a location near Kings Cross in London. The nanny ended up calling the police that evening after nobody showed up to take the infant home.
Chris wondered on the show, 'Was the man who dropped me off my father? Was it an uncle or my mother's father? My mother… was I taken against her wishes or did she decide it was best?"
"Why at that age and not a day old? Why wait three months, you know? You got one of the biggest stations in the country on the doorstep, so I could actually come from anywhere,' he added.
Chris, who grew up in Camden, north London, after he was adopted as a baby by a couple named Jean and Arthur Thorne, said he learned he was adopted when he was 10 years old. However, he didn't discover exactly how he'd been left until years later, after he became a dad himself.
'The child was placed with a [nanny] who advertised her services in a newspaper. As the child was not collected the police were informed. It is likely that there is no birth certificate and there is no birth certificate on file," the adoption file stated.
Chris ended up taking a DNA test in 2021, and the results showed that he was "100% Irish," despite his wife Paula and two young sons, whom he lives with in Northumberland, describing him as a "proud Englishman."
The show's research team discovered who Chris' birth parents were after months of investigating, learning that his birth mother had sadly died, while his birth father was still alive. However, researchers noted that it had been difficult to ask the elderly man questions, stating that it's not known if he's aware of what happened all those years ago.
The team discovered that Chris' birth parents weren't married at the time and were both very young when he was born, noting that having children before marriage in the '60s in Ireland could have resulted in rejection from a person's family and community.
The couple did eventually end up getting married, and Chris learned on the show that he has full siblings, with some being ready to meet him despite being shocked at the news at first. He also questioned whether the man who dropped him off at the nanny's home was his father, stating it could have been an uncle or a family friend.
Chris was shown a photo of his birth parents, and saw the resemblance between him and them. Despite being left, Chris remained positive on the show and said he'd "go as far to say it's worked out the best for everyone."
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Chris, who ended up heading to Ireland for the first time to meet some of his siblings, insisted of his birth parents, "Because, you know, they stayed together. They've had children. I've lived in a fantastic family, so everyone's a winner, do you know what I mean?'
'Really pleased. They seem lovely. Really are. Full of fun. Laughter. I think we'll get there," he added after getting together with some of his siblings.
Read the original article on People
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Man shot dead in north London
A 45-year-old man has been shot dead in north London. Metropolitan Police officers found the victim with gunshot injuries in Dynevor Road, Stoke Newington, in the early hours of Tuesday. A murder investigation has been launched but no arrests have been made. The man's next of kin have been told and a post-mortem examination will take place. Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke said: 'Our team of detectives and forensic specialists are working at pace to establish the full circumstances that led to the tragic death of this man. 'We understand this incident will cause concern within the Stoke Newington community, however we do believe this to be an isolated incident at this stage of the investigation with no wider risk to the general public.' Dynevor Road and parts of Stoke Newington High Street are closed. It is the sixth fatal shooting in London so far this year.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Edinburgh adoption charity fined after 'shredding thousands of personal records'
An Edinburgh based charity has been fined after destroying thousands of personal records. Birthlink shredded almost 5,000 personal records linked to adoptions in Scotland. Among the items was 'irreplaceable' photos and handwritten letters from birthparents, reports the Daily Record. The Information Commissioners' Office (ICO) fined the charity £18,000, saying "deeply personal pieces in the jigsaw of a person's history, some now lost for eternity". READ MORE: Forth bridge shut and Edinburgh motorists warned in ongoing police 'incident' READ MORE: Couple 'absolutely traumatised' after stopping for scenic seaside snap in Scotland Birthlink, which mainly works with people affected by 'historic forced adoption', destroyed the files to free up space in filing cabinets more than four years ago. The charity apologised "unreservedly" after an inspection brought the incident to light and said it could not say exactly how many people had been affected. Interim CEO Abbi Jackson said: "Documents which are deeply personal, things which matter hugely to people's histories and sense of identity, were not handled with the respect and thought that they deserved. That is inexcusable. "We want to assure everyone who's interacted with Birthlink, that we are doing everything in our power to ensure this can never happen again." The company has operated the Adoption Contact Register for Scotland since 1984 and enables people to file their details in the hope of being linked to family members. Birthlink retained "linked records" in filing cabinets in case they were of future use. But in January 2021, the charity reviewed whether it could destroy the files to free up space. .Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. It was agreed that only replaceable records could be disposed of at a board meeting. The contents of 24 filing cabinet drawers were shredded a few months later. Birthlink did not keep a log of what was destroyed but believes that personal data from around 4,800 individuals was shredded, estimating that less than 10% of the files contained "cherished items". Another 8,300 files were retained. The destruction of the records only came to light two years later, after the Care Inspectorate carried out an inspection in September 2023. Birthlink reported itself to the ICO, who said the charity could have prevented the destruction of the files. The regulator imposed a £45,000 fine but this was reduced to £18,000 to promote compliance with data protection and deter others from "making similar mistakes". Sally Anne Poole, the ICO's head of investigations, said: "The destroyed records had the potential to be an unknown memory, an identity, a sense of belonging, answers. "It is inconceivable to think, due to the very nature of its work, that Birthlink had such a poor understanding of both its data protection and records management process." Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox A spokesperson for the Movement for Adoption Apology Scotland campaign said: "These items weren't stored out of administrative duty, but held in the hope that one day, someone would come looking. "That hope has now been shredded, quite literally." Birthlink has now introduced new policies and appointed a data protection officer. The interim CEO added: "We have set up a helpline for anyone concerned about the loss of their personal information. "We also have a range of services in place which may be able to help support people with their individual situation. Birthlink offers a sincere and unreserved apology to anyone affected by what's happened, and we encourage anyone with concerns to contact us." Anyone who is worried about the loss of personal information can contact Birthlink's dedicated support service by email dataprotection@
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Stella Rimington, First Woman to Lead British Intelligence Agency, Dies at 90
Dame Stella Rimington, the first woman to lead MI5, Britain's domestic intelligence service, and the spy chief widely regarded as the inspiration for the character 'M' in the James Bond movies, died on Sunday. She was 90. The Security Service announced her death in a statement on Monday without specifying the cause of death. In her nearly 30-year career in MI5, she rose from a part-time typist to the first woman to lead the agency. She also became the agency's first director general to be publicly named and photographed, as part of an effort she made to demystify the secret services. 'As the first avowed female head of any intelligence agency in the world, Dame Stella broke through longstanding barriers and was a visible example of the importance of diversity in leadership,' Sir Ken McCallum, the current MI5 director general, said in a statement. Ms. Rimington began her career at MI5 as a clerk, working for the Security Service on a part-time basis in 1965 in India. Her husband, John Rimington, worked as a civil servant in the British High Commission in New Delhi, according to her autobiography and official website. He survives her, as do their two daughters and five grandchildren. She became a full-time staff member in 1969, returning to Britain to begin her career. She worked across the major branches of the Security Service, including countersubversion, counterespionage and counterterrorism, according to the agency. In 1992, she was named director general of MI5, becoming the first woman to hold the position. Her appointment was also the first time a leader of Britain's security services had been named and photographed. Within a year of her appointment, MI5 published a public brochure for the first time, broadly explaining how the agency employed tactics like eavesdropping and telephone tapping but giving little operational detail, according to a BBC article from the time. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
