opinions re my brickwall please

[gloryer]

Some of you may remember my brickwall Maria BUTLER.
She claims to be born about 1870 Woolwich. She does not appear on 1871 census and in 1881 she is in the metropolitan district school along with sibling Charles BUTLER b 1867 Woolwich. Her birth does not appear to be registered. I did hire a film at the LDS centre to look for her baptism but no luck there either but I am not sure if I even had the right church. I have e-mailed the Greenwich heritage centre to ask about the parish records and they replied saying they have the baptisms for St Mary Magdalene and it will cost £6.20 for somebody to do the search. I am wondering if it is worth paying the £6.20 (cheaper than ordering the wrong certificate)
I may be paying yet a gain and not yielding anything.

[KiteRunner]

Well, £6.20 doesn't sound too much, does it? I would say it is worth a try but don't be disappointed if they don't find her.

[Phoenix]

Gloryer, it may be a better bet to see if the records for the Metropolitan District School survive (probably at LMA). If there is an admissions register, this may lead you to info re date of birth, parents etc.

I'd only ask for a baptism search if St Mary Magdalene was the ONLY church in the area. I suspect that Woolwich would have quite a few Victorian churches where a baptism might have taken place.

[gloryer]

Allready tried the LMA and the register gives them both as being each others nearest relation and that they are both illegitimate. I dont really know the area around woolwich so it would be another shot in the dark as I suspect there would have been many churches in the area in 1870. But if they were illegitimate and the births not registered would the mother have bothered having them baptised.

[KiteRunner]

I suppose it partly depends whether she was a religious believer or not, Gloryer.

[gloryer]

Just been looking on the LDS site and I think its the same one that I had already checked as the only one that covers teh date that I want is also St mary magdelenes. So looks like I have drawn another blank.

[Phoenix]

Poor little mites.

If Charles is older, can you find him on the 1871 census? Presumably he is with a relative if his sister isn't born yet? (Sorry if you've been through this on the boards before)

[gloryer]

no sign of him although if he is with a relative he could be mistranscribed with their surname. I keep coming back to this one thinking that I may have missed something.