Hallo Nicky Here is the web site URL for the Sacred Heart at Edge Hill Wimbledon http://www.sacredheartwimbledon.org.uk/ I looked for St Mary's, Merton and could only find a primry school by that name, so then I looked for the Southwark Roman Catholic diocese details. http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/parlink.html If you go to the link for Merton you will find there is no St Mary's church. It does not come up on Google either, so either it never existed and somebody has confused the school name or it is defunct and its regosters passed to another church, or it was bombed and the registers were destroyed or .... I think an email to the diocese might be the quickest way for you to sort this out. The Anglican church for Merton is called St Mary the Virgin so I think there has been a mix up somewhere. British History online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43032does not give a catholic church for Merton An unmarried mother who wanted to have her child baptised might well travel to a more distant church and used a relative's address. Do you know whether Mary had siblings, cousins or other relatives who might have helped her? Do you know why Frederick was adopted? There might be a clue there - maybe a foraml legal agreement or financial allowance as part of the arrangeent. It must have been really hard for Mary to give him up after 2 years. Might be worth looking at the wills of Mary, her parents and possibly her grandparents to see if Frederick is mentioned. Hilary > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 13:38:33 +0800 > From: "Nicky&Peter" <nickyandpeter@bigpond.com> > Subject: [SRY] Baptism for Frederick Frank DUFFY in Merton > in 1914 > To: <ENG-SURREY@rootsweb.com> > Message-ID: <5718F2AD0D964FDDA1F6F49B7BEC6744@corporateict.domain> > Content-Type: text/plain;    > charset="us-ascii" > > Hello Listers > > Could anyone help me with this please? > > I am trying to find the baptism records for Frederick Frank > DUFFY born in > Merton on 9th October 1914. I am interested to see if any > father is named. > Frederick Duffy's mother was Mary Elizabeth DUFFY and he > was born at 21 > Bathurst Avenue.   His parents were not > married and no father is named on > his birth certificate.  He was adopted to another > family in late 1916 and > changed his name. > > > > I looked in the LDS library catalogue under Merton and > found 'Church of > England, Parish church of Merton, Parish registers of > Merton 1559-1923'. > The file notes show that Baptism records are available > 1903-1911 and they > stop there!! > > > > I contacted the Surrey Family History Centre and they > looked at the baptism > records for St Mary's Merton without success. > > They suggested I try St John's which I did- the kind people > there looked for > me but again without success. > > > > The Surrey Family History Centre suggested that as > Frederick Duffy's mother > was a Catholic he may have been baptised in St John Fisher > in Merton.  I > contacted them and their records only go back to > 1945.  They suggested I try > the Sacred Heart Church at Edge Hill but the email address > I was given > (wimparish@jesuit.net) > bounced. > > > > I contacted the Merton Heritage office and they searched > their records but > could find no evidence of 21 Bathurst St existing until > 1915. > > > > Can anyone suggest anything else that I might try? > > > > Many thanks > > Nicky Marlow > > Perth, Western Australia > >