Rowson's birth mother was an unmarried woman, and his father was an unmarried Canadian architecture student. He would not marry her, so she was forced to place him for adoption. Two previous children had been taken by their grandparents to be raised; a later fourth child was also adopted by "strangers." Rowson's adoptive mother died when he was 10.

In 2000 he obtained his original birth certificate and discovered that there were another seven brothers: an American serviceman was the father of all seven, and had married his mother after the first one was born. They emigrated to California. One sister had already been tracing and had left a letter with his adoption agency, which enabled him to contact her, and he has (as of mid-2001) met two brothers. Their birth mother had died some years before. He has found that although he has striking physical similarities to his siblings, his religion and politics are poles apart, but they are still glad to have found each other.

References

Morrison, Blake. "Lost & Found," The Sunday Review (Independent on Sunday) [London]. 19 March 2000, p. 10-11
Rowson, Martin. "Suddenly I had 10 Brother and Sisters - and it Felt Great," The Guardian. 22 August 2001, section G2, p. 8-9

Indexes

European
Uk/great Britain
20th Century
21st Century
Journalism
Formal, American/European-Type Adoption
Birth or Infancy
Unmarried Mother, Single Parent (Mother or Father) Unable to Cope
Others ("Strangers")
Divorce or Premature Death of Adoptive Parent(s)
Unmarried Mother
Birth Sibling(s) Separated
Adoptee/Fosteree Traced Family