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What do these letters mean?

W

Wendy

Guest
Oliver Baker, R.E. R.C.A. I thought the last may be Royal College of Art any more suggestions?:)
 
HI WENDY, TRY THIS

https://www.banksidegallery.com/REHome.aspx

The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (RE) was founded as the Society of Painter Etchers and Engravers in 1880, in order to counter the Royal Academy’s then refusal to recognise printmaking as a creative, rather than reproductive, art.
The Society has had many distinguished Members such as Walter Sickert, August Rodin, Dame Laura Knight, Graham Sutherland and Michael Rothenstein. HOPE THIS HELPS FRANKIE
 
Brilliant thanks Frankie. He is another of our residents at Key Hill he died in 1939 and the letters were after his name on his obituary.
 
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Oliver Baker born 1855 Birmingham died 1939 Stratford upon Avon

1901 Gough road Edgbaston, Oliver Baker age 46 unmarried, Landscape painter and Drawer,living with his widowed father Samuel Henry Baker age 76 b. Birmingham also a
Landscape painter

1861 Hampton Place Icknield Street
Samuel Henry Baker age 36 Artist
Charlotte age 36 (Samuel and Charlotte Chaplin m. 1848)
Oliver age 5 with brothers Henry 12,Alfred 10,Frank 8,Harold 1.

Searching Google it appears that Samuel Henry was a very well respected artist and his son Oliver was an artist of note.There are works by the 2 in Birmingham Art Gallery.

Frank became a Type letter cutter and Harold became a carver of church furniture.
 
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Alberta you are such a star I will save this info as well because Oliver is another resident of Key Hill Cemetery. Thank you again our archive is growing by the day because of the forum. xx
 
Have you seen this Wendy? :)

Oliver Baker (1856-1939)
A Birmingham painter and designer, and a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy from 1883, Oliver Baker was a key figure in the Liberty Cymric scheme for which he produced many designs. He also designed pewter for the firm.
 
Wow so much info thanks Polly. I can't believe what is turning up this week......lol
 
Polly thank you so much we now know this man was an important figure in the art world of Birmingham.
 
Yet another well known person in key Hill. Do you have a picture of his grave Wendy?
What made you decide to investigate this one? :)
 
Hi Polly I don't have a photo as yet. Can you believe for a change I am trying to help Colin he will be so chuffed when I tell him the history.
 
Wendy, I shall look forward to seeing a photo of the headstone.

The amount of talented/well known people that are found buried in key Hill amazes me - it is a disgrace the council didn't look after the cemetery better.

Polly
 
Polly, it's not a disgrace, it is just regrettable. It happens all over England,not just in Birmingham. When I first set up the Friends of Key Hill Cemetery, I had monthly meetings with the Council, which eventually became two or three monthly meetings. I got to know a lot that the general public at large do not realise. Bereavement Services get a very very small budget. I guess one could put it as which is the most important, refuse collection or maintenance of closed cemeteries? New cemeteries are used daily for burials, so they have to have the lion's share of the money. Key Hill's budget is very small simply because of that fact.

Arnos Vale at Bristol was worse than Key Hill. They now have considerable money via a lottery win, but that is a double edged sword. Conservation have prevented them from 'proper' restoration. Some magnificent memorials are covered in ivy and that has to stay - the reason being that to clear them, exposing angels in one case, will attract vandalism.

That's just one city but there are many more like that, without Friends groups, ancient burial grounds would just be left to rot, despite famous and interesting people being buried there. I think councils would be much better off if they stopped pampering their staff with water coolers, etc, and put the money into saving burial grounds, but it is unlikely that the situation will ever change.

Shortie
 
pollypops said:
Wendy, I shall look forward to seeing a photo of the headstone.

The amount of talented/well known people that are found buried in key Hill amazes me - it is a disgrace the council didn't look after the cemetery better.

Polly
Click to expand...
Well Polly thank goodness for the volunteers who help and I include you and Richard in this and now I know your family history there is even more reason to help.
 
Shortie said:
Polly, it's not a disgrace, it is just regrettable. It happens all over England,not just in Birmingham. When I first set up the Friends of Key Hill Cemetery, I had monthly meetings with the Council, which eventually became two or three monthly meetings. I got to know a lot that the general public at large do not realise. Bereavement Services get a very very small budget. I guess one could put it as which is the most important, refuse collection or maintenance of closed cemeteries? New cemeteries are used daily for burials, so they have to have the lion's share of the money. Key Hill's budget is very small simply because of that fact.

Arnos Vale at Bristol was worse than Key Hill. They now have considerable money via a lottery win, but that is a double edged sword. Conservation have prevented them from 'proper' restoration. Some magnificent memorials are covered in ivy and that has to stay - the reason being that to clear them, exposing angels in one case, will attract vandalism.

That's just one city but there are many more like that, without Friends groups, ancient burial grounds would just be left to rot, despite famous and interesting people being buried there. I think councils would be much better off if they stopped pampering their staff with water coolers, etc, and put the money into saving burial grounds, but it is unlikely that the situation will ever change.

Shortie
Click to expand...

shortie, I respect your opinion is "that it is just regrettable"
However my opinion is, that it is a disgrace and I maintain that opinion.
polly
 
Wendy ,what a wonderful project you are doing.I think it must be very satifying putting a background story to the names on tombstones.Alberta.
 
Alberta, Wendys folder of information on people buried at Key Hill is amazing. I saw it at the recent Birmingham History Fair and it really is an interesting read - full of pictures and text - so not just pages of notes to plough through. The members of this forum have provided lots of information on the residents of Key Hill and it all gets put in the folder. Some forum members have commented that Wendy's threads asking about information on Key Hill people are amongst their favourite on the forum and I have to agree - the amount of Birmingham History that I have discovered during these threads is wonderful. It is thanks to people like Wendy, Colin, Brian and Richard who are all dedicated volunteers/members of Key Hill that we get to know a lot of Birmingham history that may otherwise be overlooked.
Well done all!
Polly :)
 
In the Census 1881 The family were at
Edgbaston, Warwick, England
Address 101 Gough Road
Samuel BAKER Head M Male 56 Birmingham Artist Landscape Painter
Charlotte BAKER Wife M Female 56 Birmingham
Frank BAKER Son U Male 28 Birmingham Letter Cutter Employing 10 Hands (Type)
Oliver BAKER Son U Male 25 Birmingham Artist Landscape Painter
Harold BAKER Son U Male 21 Birmingham Wood Carver Church Furniture


[SIZE=+1][/SIZE]
 
Thank you Polly and Jenny for your kind words and I agree it's a group effort. I have added in the folder the research done by members of the Birmingham History Forum as well. I love doing it it brings the place alive.

Pom that's fantastic I spoke to Colin late last night and he told me there was a Frank Baker in the grave you have now solved who he is. Also it's interesting to note he employed 10 hands. Now I need to find his company. What a brilliant and helpful lot you are.
 
What an amazing amount of info - yet again! I always thought RE was 'Royal Engineers' - shows that you have think outside the box ! so long as it's only thinking that gets out!

As usual the Forum have come up trumps and discovered another unknown, uncared for flat stone, slowly being buried by grass & leaf litter to be someone the City should be proud to have.

It is a disgrace that the Council prioritise their finances in such a way. Shifting rubbish is important - but not if it lies in a cemetery! You really have to press them to come an empty bins even. If less money was paid to various 'high level' positions - (You have to pay the market rate!!!!!) and a few less 'fact finding' trips abroad, and Consultants on stupid daily rates - THAN we could put some money into maintaining, restoring, PROMOTING our Heritage.
Places like Warwick, Stratford, Lichfield all promote their heritage a lot better than Brum ever has!
Even places like Aston hall - one of the finest examples of a Jacobean House in England (Quote by Mick Aston - Time Team - on more than one occasion) is barely known about - even in Brum! - and we want to be the City of Culture!

However, due to overspending & the inevitable cutbacks - even worse to come - It is down to us to get our hands dirty and do the work, as we know the Council cannot or will do it. Bereavement Services are on board, and do help as much as they are able in their limited budget - they now have all the Public Graves standing up again in Key Hill - but it's their budget which is the problem.
It's up to all the Councillors to get on board and rejig the allocation (Fat chance).

Keep up the research - and keep up the support !!!!!
 
Short sighted and lack of imagination, that's what it is, they don't seem to understand that if they spent some money, did some research and then put that information out there it would bring people to the area and the city who would spend money here. People, especially tourists spend a lot of money visiting places, not just because of modern achitecture and shopping centres, Americans love old and interesting and Key Hill has bucket loads of that.


bren
 
Brian, I don't think the councillors have a lot of say in the matter, it is the Finance Committee. All departments have a budget, as everyone knows, but they can apply for extra money. This is known as a Capital Bid. That goes before a committee, and if that committee has no interest, or feels it would rather place the money somewhere the general public will feel greater benefit, then the bid fails. I personally believe the whole system is full of faults, but I think it will be a long time before it changes, if ever. BCC spend £300,000 per annum on cool water for their staff - if that was reallocated to Bereavement Services, all closed cemeteries and churchyards under Council jurisdiction would benefit. It's all down to BCC, and this is the Council that knocked down Snow Hill Station and the old library, so is it ever going to get any better? I doubt it, personally.

Shortie
 
Yes Chris Samuel Henry died in 1909 aged 89 and is buried in the plot. I have since discovered Oliver is not buried at Key Hill but commemorated on the headstone. There is also buried in the grave Oliver's brother Frank Baker who had a large business of Letter Cutter, Die Sinker and engraver at 82 Vyse Street in 1878 by 1914 he had moved to larger premises at 27,28 and 29, St Paul's Square employing 120 persons. It seems they were a very talented family.
 
Wendy said:
......... I have since discovered Oliver is not buried at Key Hill but commemorated on the headstone............
Click to expand...

Wendy, I have just caught up with this thread again - do you know where Oliver is buried?
They do sound like a talented family - at least we have his brother in Key Hill.
Polly
 
Yes he is with his wife in Stratford on Avon this is where they moved to.
 
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