Hi again Jim
Thank you for your comments on my attempts to find Frederick. However, I do believe that I have got to the bottom of the problem.
As I think I said in my previous post, it is difficult researching a Midlands based family history whilst living down here in Devon. Because of this I joined BMSGH who, as you no doubt know publish all sorts of CDs and other publications with parish records, etc. A couple of days ago I bought the digital download of the parish records for Clent, wondering whether I had overlooked something during my last visit to The Hive in Worcester.
I started to read through the several pages of introduction to the register, and found the following paragraph:-
"In 1729 the third book of Registers was begun, Edward Sheward being then Vicar. He enters his native place as being "Stoney Lane in the parish of Tardebig in the County of Warwick." He notes that the vicarage house was re-built by him in 1724, but gives no other item of parochial news. He was followed in the Vicarage by the Rev. John Perry, who was inducted July 21, 1737, and remained Vicar for 43 years. Towards the end of his incombency there is a sad falling off in the regularity of the Register. With the exception of one or two scattered entries no list of burials occurs between 1757 and 1774, and after that date for several years the baptisms are missing. The book is sadly torn and dilapidated, and the entries are very irregular. A later hand has written "Memorandum. Here has been a great omission either of the parson or the clerk. No true copy of the register to be found for the year 1765 to the year 1780 and 1781." To which another person adds explanatory, "Lyttleton Perry, Vicar upon his father's decease did not come to reside in Clent till 1781." The third book of the Registers ends with the Baptisms of 1782. I am glad to say that the missing burials and baptisms can be to a great extent recovered from the Bishop's Transcripts at Worcester.
I am still convinced, based on the various other records I have discovered relating to Frederick, that his date of birth was 1779, very nearly to the year. Bearing in mind the contents of the last sentence of the above transcript, I am highly optimistic that I may have solved the problem - a planned visit to The Hive in a couple of weeks time will hopefully clarify my suspicions.
Thank you for your help, and I'll let you know what I find out during my visit to Worcester.
Best wishes
Heather