St Faith's, Warwick Road

Thanks so much for your help. Yes we've always had the feeling she was young and unmarried etc.

Your Mother's Birth Certificate is On the Apr, May, Jun 1964, Volume 9C, Page 1549 of the Births freebmd. Given that daughter and Mother both share a last name, I'd imagine no father is listed (????), it would have been quite strange at the time to take the mother's surname if a father was named. But I may be wrong. I'll have to try and get to the archive at some point to have a look at the electoral rolls (miss the days when you could just pop down without appointments).

Thank you for looking! No, no father mentioned on the birth certificate. Really appreciate that thank you, I wouldn't know where to start.

Hi David There is a lot of interest now in adopted people finding their families. There might be sites out there more dedicated to the process and might be able to help you more. There are records at the Herbert Archive, so a chat with the team there might tell you what records they hold and if it holds what you want to know. That might involve a booked visit or two or you can pay for the Herbert staff to search for you. They might have other directories for the year you're looking at. Is there a dedicated FB page for St Faith's? If not, could you consider setting one up? I'm sure that parents looking for adopted kids have even more trouble wondering how to go about a search. Somewhere to post messages that that people hope that their relative might see them and get in touch. While this forum is top of the Google search, adding other places to catch someone's eye might help.

Hi Helen, I couldn't find a Facebook group, that's a very good idea, nor a dedicated website. Thanks for your help 👍

@DavidSharonWood. Hi David , I went to the Herbert Coventry Archive today. I looked in the local electoral rolls looking for 17 Uxbridge Avenue. In the 1964 electoral roll (taken 10 Oct 1963); Lily and George Mutton are listed (as noted in post 88 by Helen) In the 1966 electoral roll (taken 10 Oct 1965); Matthew and Kathleen Whelan are listed. BUT... Luckily in the 1965 electoral roll (taken 10 Oct 1964); Dennis W. and Alice M. Wood are listed at 17 Uxbridge Avenue. Interestingly the family only spent less than a year at the property before moving. ___ There's a marriage certificate for the couple in 1950 (Dennis W. Wood and Alice M. Whale) in Coventry. This couple could be Susan Mary Wood's parents (or perhaps Uncle and Aunty?)??? ___ I believe Alice M. Whale was married previously and retained the surname, 'Whale', from a previous marriage as there is a marriage record for a Alice M. Paget and a Sydney C. Whale in Coventry in 1945. Although I imagine this needs more research. ___ In 1964, the Annual report for St. Faiths, records that 205 women and girls & 110 babies were helped and/or provided a home for (excluding external help not requiring residential care). Of the 205 women: 112 came to the shelter before the baby was born, 22 admitted with babies born and 71 'shelter cases'. Of the 101 babies: 63 were adopted (3 returned later to mother), 36 left later with mother, 8 went with foster mothers (of those 8; 4 were later adopted with the other 3 going to residential nurseries). In 1964, Miss Margaret R. Paton MBE (superintendent of St. Faiths) noted staffing and financial problems that were threatening the continuation of the shelter, although the shelter was able to continue until at least 1968. ___ Hope this helps and now others on the forum can continue now the ball is somewhat rolling.

Wow thank you so much for looking. Dennis and Alice wood will most definitely be relatives of some sort, like you say grandparents or auntie/uncle. Definitely something to look into. As well as Alice's previous marriage and maiden name. I wonder if there is any info about the staff at St faiths, on my mother's birth certificate where it states adopted it says C.G.Caffele superintendent. Thanks

Cracking work Garlands! There is no Dennis Wood in the 1953 directory. There is a W D Wood but he turns out to be Walter Duncan Wood.

Hi David, funny enough I'd recorded the staff member also (as another member, @marmite0203 enquired about names of other staff members other than Miss Paton). Unfortunately I didn't see a C.G. Caffele. I will look into it though. I will put the staff I saw mentioned below

The Staff members of St. Faith's Shelter mentioned in the annual reports from 1958 to 1968: •  Miss Margaret Russell Paton MBE. -Long serving superintendent of the shelter. -Worked at the shelter for 39 years. Retired in 1971. -Born 19 Aug 1904. -Given an MBE on the Birthday honours list in June 1960 and the Coventry Award of Merit in 1965/66. -Had a dog who was a frequent sight in the shelter (often standing guard by the front door) and she also had a cat in her private residence. -President of the Soroptimist International of Coventry group from 1969-70. See Soroptimist International for more information on Miss Paton, including her early life and career. •  Miss D Whitehead. -Assistant matron to Miss Paton. -Ran house- keeping side of shelter (according to Diane's Post) -Appears to have been "second in command" in the shelter. • Miss Cartner -Head Chef in charge of cooking for babies and women. -Was at St. Faith's for 12 years after working a similar job in the East End of London. -She retired from the shelter in 1963. •  Mrs Westcott -Worked in Kitchens. -Appeared to take over the kitchen duties on Miss Cartner's retirement (?) -By 1965 she was working part time. •  Miss Styles -Residential staff. -Left in the early 1960's but later rejoined the team, in 1965, concentrating on visiting duties. -Noted as a driver, who used her car (she apparently referred to as "Millie") to assist the shelter. •  Miss Aindow -Residential staff. -Not mentioned after 1958. •  Miss McKenzie -Residential staff. -Not mentioned after 1958. •  Miss Sainsbury -Residential staff. -Left in 1962. •  Mrs Gilbert -Part time Residential staff member. •  Mr L. Weaver -Bursar for St. Faith's for 25 years and a member of its finance committee for several years after that. -Close friend of Miss Paton's for 40 years and was the executor of her estate. -Managed the shelter's finances and monitored spending. -Long serving member of the team. •  Dr Harold Parry Williams -Coventry paediatrician. -Created Coventry Children's Unit. -Assisted many of the babies & children at St. Faiths. -Mentioned as being a good friend to the shelter. -Given Coventry award of merit in 1970. -Retired 1966/ 1968. See Royal College of Physicians for more information on Dr H. Parry Williams. ^{Note this list is not exhaustive/ fully complete as there were staff members not mentioned and I only recorded names after the 1957 report.}

C G Caffele was the Superintendent Registrar of Births Marriages And Deaths at the Coventry Register Office.

Ah thank you!

I was a patient of Dr H. Parry-Williams from the age of 5 until 13. Tom Rymer, late of this forum, writes very positively about him in his autobiography, "What are Yer...". I feel Dr Parry-Williams would have been very sympathetic to the mothers and their babies. In researching my own family tree I find that my grandfather's birth certificate does not mention his father and my great-grandmother was only just 16 when he was born. She was not turned out of the house and went on to marry, have further children, my grandfather being accepted by the extended family. This was in 1850! (Yes! we were all born to ageing parents in their 40's and 60's). I do not know the circumstances of my grandfather's conception but it may have been that more compassion was shown to teen mothers in the 1850's than in the 1950's.