Help me find my mum - man abandoned as baby in Chesterfield 60 years ago appeals to find birth mother

Stephen Betts, from Clowne, was 16-years-old when he first discovered he was adopted as a baby – and he has been on a mission to find answers ever since.

Having successfully applied to Derbyshire County Council for access to his records three years ago, Stephen says he has made numerous attempts to locate his birth mother but they have all amounted to nothing.

Now aged 60, he remains as keen as ever to find her and has shared details with the Derbyshire Times in hope that someone will finally come forward with a clue to lead him to the answers he so desperately craves.

Stephen said: “I wasn’t told I was adopted until I was in my last year of senior school. I spoke to my adoptive parents and they said they didn’t want me to know because my birth mother was disabled and couldn’t look after me properly.

“She came to Chesterfield because that’s where her mum and dad lived, and I found out I was left outside a shop in 1961 when I was two months old because she didn’t know what she was doing.

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"That was when I went into care for a couple of months and that’s when my adoptive parents took over.”

According to his birth certificate, Stephen was born Stephen Bold on March 17, 1961 at 217 Horton Lane, in Little Horton, Bradford.

His mother’s name was Sylvia Diane Bold and it is believed she was born in January 1942.

At some point, she worked at the old Trebor Factory on Brimington Road – the same place as Stephen’s adoptive mum.

The documents also state that Sylvia once lived with her parents at the Furnace Inn pub, in Chesterfield.

It is said that she had learning difficulties and fits or seizures as well.

“I’ve always wanted to find my birth mother,” Stephen said. “When I was 16, I had an argument with my adoptive mum and I wanted to go to Bradford and I got so far but had to come back again.

"Then, when I was in my twenties I wanted to find her and have been looking all over ever since. I’ve never given up hope.”

Through his searches, Stephen says has been able to identify his birth father – although he is sadly now deceased – and has been in contact with relatives on that side of his family but they have no further clues about his biological mum.

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He added: “I cry every birthday because I’m thinking about whether she’s wondering where I am. Obviously I was her first child so she must be thinking about me all the time.

"I’ve got a son of my own and a grandchild. It’d just be fantastic to find my birth mother. I’m not bothered what she’s like, she might be in a nursing home but I just want to see her, give her a hug and tell her I’ve been looking for her all these years.

If you have any information that can help Stephen find his biological mother contact the Derbyshire Times via [email protected]

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