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Baker, Margaret - 16 or 17 Coleshill Street, Birmingham

deb004

Brummie babby
Hi, I am trying to trace my Great Grandmother - Margaret Baker (and her Mother etc). Her Dad was Anthony Baker (haven't found her Mom yet). She (Margaret) was born approx. 1869-1871 in Birmingham. She had a Daughter (prior to her marriage to James Bailey), Daughters name: Eliza. Anthony was an Iron Moulder. I believe they lived at 16 or 17 Coleshill Street, Birmingham, around about 1896-1906.

Margaret remarried after James died, in approx. 1905. I believe she married her Husbands Brother Alfred in 1906. He was a Brass Polisher, whose Father was called Henry Bailey. Henry & Anthony (the Dad's) we're both alive in 1896 (when she Married James), but by 1906 (when she married Alfred) they were both deceased.

I can't find a Marriage of Anthony, and Margaret's address when her Daughter was born was 20 Greaves Place, Moland Street - was this a dwelling house or an unmarried mothers place of refuge (if they had those facilities in those days)?

I can't find a link from Moland Street to Coleshill Street for Margaret Baker/Bailey - so can't confirm the people I've found are my family - any suggestions? They eventually moved to Adams Street, but I can't confirm what happened inbetween.

I've found that Adams Street was previously called 'Brewery Street' and have found the family there, but not sure about the numbering of the roads etc. Did families move around quite abit in those days?

Any help/suggestions/pointers greatly appreciated by a novice at all this ancestry!

Thanks in advance.

deb004.
 
The 1911 census shows Margaret Bailey age 41 Married to Alfred Bailey age 33 and living at 48 Adams Street Bham. Married 16 years ago (1895). Lists 5 children Margaret 15, Jane 11, Henry Alfred 5, May Ethel 3, Ann Sarah 6 mths. Also states 7 children born alive in this marriage one having died.
 
The 1911 census shows Margaret Bailey age 41 Married to Alfred Bailey age 33 and living at 48 Adams Street Bham. Married 16 years ago (1895). Lists 5 children Margaret 15, Jane 11, Henry Alfred 5, May Ethel 3, Ann Sarah 6 mths. Also states 7 children born alive in this marriage one having died.

Hi Jukebox - I'd found that Census, but she only Married Alfred after James had died, so not married 16 years, only about 5 years? It's her Mom I want to find, who Married Anthony. It's not the Anthony who married Catharine Cotter, he was born in 1947 and only had one child as far as I can find, her name was Jane.

Thanks for any help.

deb004.
 
In regards your above post.

In 1891 there is a Catherine Baker (b1845) living at Adams St, with daughters Margaret and Ellen.

In 1871 there is an Anthony Baker (b1847) an Iron Moulder living in Bham with Catherine and daughter listed as Jane.

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KD8T-GHY

There is a marriage listed for an Ellen Baker (b1873), father Anthony, to a Thomas Lewis at St James the Less in Aug 1891.

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NF8H-VC5

I suspect that Jane and Margaret are they same person. If so there is a marriage for an Anthony Baker (father Alexander) and a Catherine Cotter (father Lawrence) on 25 Dec 1868 at St Mary's Bham.

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NJXP-Y8R
 
In 1891 there is an Anthony Baker an iron moulder living Bradford with an Alice Derritt (listed as housekeeper)

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:768W-BT2

In 1901 there as Anthony Baker an iron moulder living in Bradford with his wife Alice.

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9PG-ZQX

Catherine is listed as a widow in 1891 but if Anthony had abandoned the family it was a common thing to say.

Unfortunately I can't see any of them in 1881, which would be a help.

There is a Margaret Baker registered in the June qtr of 1871, which would have been after the census, so maybe they changed their mind about the name between the two (Anthony's mother was called Jane).
 
Also in 1891 Margaret Baker is a Firewood Hawker as is Margaret Bailey in 1901.

Hi MWS,

Thank you so much for all your efforts in tracking down Margaret & her family. I did find Anthony & Catherine but discounted them because of Jane their Daughter, I didn't think Jane & Margaret could have been the same person, would/could they have just renamed her, or would they have had to re-registered her do you think?

I get so absorbed in all of this, and don't want to make any mistakes, as it seems so easy to go off on the wrong track. How would I go about finding out if Jane was renamed, or perhaps Margaret was a middle name which became the preferred option? My family seem keen on calling people by other names: my Mom was named Sarah but everyone called her Sally, and my Auntie was named Hannah and everyone called her Nancy! Perhaps its a family trait!

Another Auntie has confirmed that Grandma & Gt Grandma were wood sellers, so that fits with what you've found in 1891 & 1901.

Thanks again for your help.

deb004
 
Hello deb,

I think there may have only been one registration (that of Margaret) as it took place after the census. Maybe they were undecided or as you said maybe she was known as Jane Margaret or Margaret Jane. I've found relatives registered with a single name but have two. A christening record might help but I haven't found one (it might not be transcribed yet).

The further you go back the more uncertain things become unfortunately. A lot of things seem to fit though.
 
In 1841 both the elder and younger Alexander Baker were living in Old Cross St as was Samuel Fenn.

It looks possible that Margaret's sister died in 1895 after having 2 sons, Anthony and Thomas (possibly died young). By 1911 Thomas has remarried and living in Aston. Anthony's birthplace is listed as Adame (more than likely Adams) Street.

And a possible connection though it could just be a coincidence. In 1841 there is a Sarah Trueman living with the elder Alexander Baker who marries a William Jeffries in 1855. She was born in Leicester/Leicestershire and he was born in Somerset.
 
In post #3 you queried the "married 16 years" - she might have counted how long she had been married in total rather than her marriage to Alfred.

Janice
 
Hi MWS,

Can't thank you enough for all your research on my behalf, I really appreciate it. I'm going back to the Mainland soon (I live on the Isle of Wight), so I am going to see what other records I can look through manually, perhaps at the Library. I might also try and find a family grave etc. I'll follow up all your leads you've given me, and speak to my Auntie again, to see if she recalls any of the info you have given me. A name or a place could jog her memory hopefully.

Onwards and upwards ...

Thanks again,

deb004
 
In post #3 you queried the "married 16 years" - she might have counted how long she had been married in total rather than her marriage to Alfred.

Janice

Hi Janice,

Thanks for your comment about the Marriage years, I hadn't thought of that, and I think you are probably right.

Regards,

deb004
 
I am not sure if this has been said before but there is a baptism for Anthony Baker son of Alexander and Jane - at St Phillips birth date as 19 Apr 1847 and baptism 14 June 1847. Alexander's occupation is Spoon Polisher the same as for the father of Anthony on the marriage record to Catharine Cotter.

Janice
 
Hi Janice,

Thanks for your comment - I'm going to investigate all avenues opened up by input and comments from this site. I can't wait to find out my history.

deb004
 
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