Go to

http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/local/results_all.asp?CountyID=VA113

See
reels 101-102 Court Minute Books covering 1870-1880
reels 112-113, Chancery order books 1866-1880
reel 202 Fiduciary bonds

One cannot be a guardian without a court order.  Census says age 8 (born 1
Jun 1871-31 May 1872).  Not certain when child made a ward, but before the
census taken.

Guardianship relates to property, meaning that the child had property of
some sort.  Find the source of the property and you might find the parent.



On Mon, Nov 9, 2009 at 9:34 AM, Bill Davidson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I am certainly not an expert on adoptions versus guardianships, but I
> thought that I read somewhere that "true/formal" adoptions were not even
> allowed (in VA, anyway) until sometime well into the 1800s.  Does anyone
> know if that is correct, and if so, when did such "formal adoptions" become
> "legal/recognized?"  I also read somewhere that there was some REQUIREMENT
> to include the "birth surname" in the given name of the child (for a male,
> anyway), if the "new father" was going to give that child the surname of
> that "new father."  Does anyone know if that is actually correct?  If that
> is correct, when was that requirement deleted?
>
> My gg-grandfather was born around 1817, per the various censuses, and he
> was a "Smith infant/toddler" who was taken-in and named Smith W. Brown by
> his "new parents" (John and Mary (Bennett) Brown).
>
> Note: Mary Brown's mother, Mrs. Winnie Bennett, was also a descendant of
> the referenced Smith family.
>
> DNA testing on a "male Brown" in this line proves that this is actually a
> "blood Smith" (versus a "blood Brown") family.  I have traced this Smith
> family back to the mid-1600s in Lancaster/Middlesex Co., VA.  Whether this
> was a guardianship versus a formal adoption, I wonder if they named him
> "Smith" simply to honor his true surname/heritage, or if they named him
> "Smith" becaue they were REQUIRED to?  Comments?
>
> Bill Davidson
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