Hullo Heather, According to the Oxford Dict. of the Christian Church, "sister of mercy" was a general term applied to any member of a religious community/order, usually Anglican, who was engaged in nursing or similar work. A penitentiary run by such sisters was known as a "House of Mercy". If there is a strong reason for thinking that this sister was a Roman Catholic, then it is possible, but less likely, that she was a member of the RC sisterhood formed in Dublin 1827, known as the Sisters of Mercy (note capitals). You could try writing with your query to the incumbent (Vicar of Buxted) at St.Mary's Vicarage, Buxted,Uckfield, E.Sussex, TN22 4LP, enclosing an sae, but the Crockford here is 1985-6 and in 20 years this parish may have been merged with others. Perhaps you are near a public library and can check in a recent edition. Another option might be to type "Diocese of Chichester" into Google and follow leads to the parish of Buxted. As far as I know, each Anglican diocese has its own website, and some are very informative and useful. Hope this is some help. Jill ----- Original Message ----- From: "Heather Olsen" <hlolsen@poetworld.net> To: <ENG-BANBURY-AREA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 5:27 PM Subject: [BAN] Sister of Mercy > I just found Frances Horwood, b. 1853 Banbury in the 1901 census. She was a "sister of mercy" at St Mary's home in Buxted, Sussex. I have not been able to find her in the 1881 or 1891 censuses. Can anyone suggest sources for sisters of mercy? > > Thanks, > Heather > > > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 >