St Faith's, Warwick Road

Thank you for letting me join your forum.

What a truly wonderful story John, I am so so pleased for you. At least while you wait to meet them personally there is always phone, email and Skype or FaceTime that can keep you going . Have you been able to speak to each other yet? And have you made any arrangements to meet up?

I was born 30/4/67, my birth mother was Janet Christine Lesbirel (nee Smith). As far as I can make out she was married when I was adopted, there were two children before me. I was in St Faith's probably for 6 weeks or so. Did anyone know her or have any info? No desire to meet, just curious & need to fill in the missing parts of my life! Thank you!

Hello Rebecca Welcome to our forum. Thank you for your post which we hope will bring a response.

Hi Rebecca, There is a record of a Janet C. Smith marrying a Roger J. Lesbirel in Coventry in the last quarter of 1961. There is also birth records of 3 'Lesbirel' children (with 'Smith' as their Mother's maiden name) in Warwickshire: # Amanda Jane Lesbirel (Mother's maiden name: Smith) Born about 1967 in Coventry. # Denise M. Lesbirel (Mother's maiden name: Smith) Born about 1964 in Meriden, Warwickshire. # Stephen R. Lesbirel (Mother's maiden name: Smith) Born about 1962 in Meriden, Warwickshire. Please take these records with a pinch of salt (finding family history records isn't an exact science) as they could be unrelated. Best Wishes , Luke.

Note: "Born in Meriden" means the births were registered in the Meriden Registration District, which covered, amongst other areas, Allesley, Coundon and Keresley

Note that Keresley maternity hospital was in Meriden RD and didn't close until 1968 when it became the Royal Court hotel.

Thanks Luke, this is much appreciated. I was named Amanda so this corresponds to info I have! Rebecca

I'm delighted to have found this forum! I'd like to share the information I have gathered over the years, and see if there is any chance of finding my birth mother (or other relatives). My birth name was Geraldine Ryan, I was born on 4 August 1963. My mother's name was Eileen Ryan, I believe she was from Foleshill and gave birth in Gulson Road hospital. I also understand she was 16 at the time I was born and worked as a comptometer operator (no idea what that is!) Apparently Eileen had a younger brother named Peter. Eileen had lost her own father, and her mother would not accept the fact of a fatherless (illegitimate) child, so my mother was sent to St Faith's home. Eileen met my (alleged) father at International House (Warwick U?). He was an engineering student from Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. I was adopted by a family from Birmingham named Cooper, in response to a "Dear Abby" letter my adoptive mother published in a magazine. We migrated to Australia in 1965. My adoptive mother died recently, so now at 54, I feel free to search for my birth mother without causing any upset. Thank you for any assistance or further information any of you can provide.

Hi Geraldine, good luck in your search. I am afraid I can't help you with that but I can tell you what a comptometer operator was - I was one about the same time as your mother. It was a large adding machine, most large offices would have one as there were no calculators or computers on everyone's desk like today so anything that needed adding up or calculating went to the comp operator. I had to go to a school for 3 weeks, multiplying and dividing was quite complicated and we had to learn a lot of tables and decimals. Your mum could well have attended the comptometer school which was located in the back of an old building in High Street at that time.

Hi Ann, I recently found out that I spent my 1st five months at St. Faith's and am also very curious about what it looked like, the culture, etc. I was adopted in 1960. I (think) I've located my birthparents via Ancestry DNA and now am very interested in locating my original birth certificate. Do you know if you had one there or where that information would be located? My brother told me the adoption records are open in England so (I would think) I could somehow locate it. Thank you!

The only way is through a specialist intermediary. While names change on adoptions, the National Insurance number and hospital numbers do not. That is how they trace people and from those numbers, it's easy to trace anyone by their doctor's medical practice. Our family had to go down this route to find someone who was also at St Faith's. I recall the whole process cost around £900. They will find whoever you're looking for but be warned if the person is still alive and doesn't want to know - they won't tell you where he or she is.

Hi there, this is very interesting to me as I have recently found a very close relative of mine through the DNA register. We don't know HOW we are related as we are both adopted. The reason your post interested me so much was because I was a 6 week old adopted girl from Saint Faiths in 1964. My birth mothers name was Janice Oliver and I was named as Susan Anne Oliver. She was 17years old as I understand it. Miss Paton was the lady there who helped with my adoption at the time and came to see me and my parents at home for about a year afterwards. My adopted mum is now in a residential nursing home due to dementia and my father died in 2000. I was wondering if you were there at that time and knew of this lady Janice? just a long shot.. the council just want you to go on a register but that's not really much help.

Hi my name is Lorraine and I was one of the babies that was adopted in 1964 from Saint Faiths here in Coventry, my natural mother was Janice Oliver, I was adopted by Freda and Geoff Spencer. I have since found a very close relative who is actually one of a twin through Ancestry DNA and we are trying to find the link between us. It seems that the only person who can shed light to this would be Janice, but ofcause no one knows if she is still living, or indeed still here in Coventry or the UK? the name I was given in the Home by her was Susan Ann Oliver.... If there is anyone out there that was also living in there at that time who remembers her I would be grateful for any information you can provide to us. We think that the link is with my Biological father as the name Oliver does not connect to my "cousin/ half sister and brother... provided we know the link.. Its a very long shot I know but, hey, who knows one of you reading this out ther may know Janice Oliver from Deedmore Road, Wood End, Coventry back in 1964? I would imagin she was Catholic and possibly of Irish Decent? Thanks All... Miss Paton was the lady who organised the adoption