Crawford County, Pennsylvania

ADOPTIONS

INTRODUCTION

Adoption was unknown to the common law, and thus required an act of the legislature (statutory adoption) or, after 1855, decree by a common pleas court (judicial adoption). The purpose was often for providing inheritance rights to and from children born out of wedlock.

An alternative solution was to have the child declared legitimate by special act of the state legislature (statutory legitimation). Special provision could also be made for illegitimate children whose parents were no longer living, and whose estates had consequently escheated or would escheat to the Commonwealth (escheated estates released).

Some adoptions and legitimations resulted in changing the individual’s name. All name changes by statute or, for Crawford County, judicial decree are also being compiled.

STATUTORY ADOPTIONS	Introduction	List	Transcripts
JUDICIAL ADOPTIONS Crawford County only	Introduction	List	Abstracts
BASEBORN CHILDREN Crawford County only	Introduction	List	Abstracts
STATUTORY LEGITIMIZATIONS	Introduction	List	Transcripts
ESCHEATED ESTATES RELEASED	Introduction	List	Transcripts
STATUTORY NAME CHANGES	Introduction	List	Transcripts
JUDICIAL NAME CHANGES Crawford County only	Introduction	List	Transcripts