Sarah Ann BAKER Hertfordshire

[trish1120]

FreeREG does not have all records but most are before Sept 1837 and taken from Parish Records by volunteers.
It is being added to all the time.
Some counties are covered more than others so far.

I just have added all I can find at this stage but sorting out all the James Bakers in Herts in your time frame is going to be time consuming.

Others may be able to help more.

Trish

[Peckroot]

Thanks Trish,
Was I thinking of freeBMD perhaps.
Don't worry, I can have a go.
Thanks for pointing me towards it.
Roger

[maddys52]

Thanks also for the Wendon Lofts baptism. That did come up in my FindMyPast search but it's in Essex , at least it is now. Would it have been then I wonder.

It's only a possibility, and probably only a small chance of being correct as Sarah gives her place of birth as Barley rather than Elmdon, however I wouldn't rule it out just because it is in a different county. Barley, whilst in Hertfordshire, is very close to Essex and Cambridgeshire. Baptisms could occur wherever the family wanted, not necessarily in the county (or even the town) in which they were living - as in this case Sarah BAKER of Elmdon was baptised at Wendon Lofts. 

[Peckroot]

Yes thanks,
I think I will have to accept that provisionally and see what sort of a family I can construct. The test being whether it can explain how Sarah Ann got over to Witney (which could be explained by it being a Romany family) and also how she didn't marry until the age of 34 (which apparently is unusual in Romany families).

[LizzieL]

There is a Baker's Lane in Barley, so one of the Baker families may have been landowners in the village. It's only a short bit of road cutting off the corner between the High Street and the Royston Road. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.0301461,0.038504,3a,75y,9.07h,89.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHIdJLaLwD6_WQbTMG1QwJA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17.0&lat=52.03116&lon=0.03791&layers=6&b=4

Little road going off to the left just behind the big house.

The big house on the Google map is Dalnyveed, built in 1907. But there seems to be a building shown on the same site on the 1896 map. maybe that belonged to the Bakers

[Peckroot]

Thanks for that. It could be an intriguing thread to follow though it does rather skewer the story of the travelling Romany!

[LizzieL]

On FreeREG;

Also a SUSAN Baker Bapt 24 Jan 1837 St Margaret of Antioch, Barley
Parents JAMES/MARY, Father a Labouer
Abode Royston Workhouse*

+ a Marriage;

William BAKER to Sophia BOWTELL
01 Nov 1851, St Margaret of Antioch, Barley
William a Sawyer, Sophia a Servant
Fathers;
THOMAS Bowtell a Labourer
JAMES Baker a Labourer

1861 Census
William Baker 37 Head Mar Gardener born Barley (1824)
Sophia Baker 29 Wife Mar
Emily Baker 5   Daughter
Alfred Baker 3   Son
George Baker 7/12 Son

William/Sophia seem to be witnesses at the Marriage same Church of THOMAS Baker, Widower*, to
Elizabeth NEWLING, Spinster, 25 Dec 1860
His Father JAMES a Labourer

Trish

In 1851 William seems to be a lodger with Thomas Baker and his wife Ann and family at Pudding Lane (other end of village from Baker's Lane. ) Both Bakers are recorded as being born in Barkway
In 1841, William and possibly the same Thomas (both aged 15) are in the household of Maralin Simmance age 80 and Ann Simmance aged 15. In 1841 anyone recorded as age 15 could be up to 19 years old.

There are baptisms in Barkway of a Thomas and William in 1823 and 1822 respectively sons of James and Judith

[LizzieL]

A Judith Baker of Smith End Barley was buried in Barley in 1836 age 38. Might be James's wife.

Did the widowed James Baker then marry Sarah Ann's mother? If Sarah was baptised as Sarah Ann something else and adopted her stepfather's surname, it would explain why no baptism at the right time for a Sarah Ann Baker can be found.

[Peckroot]

Very good points.

Good lateral thinking!

Many thanks.