I have recently discovered some errors and new information regarding my 12th great-grandparents, Nicholas Baker and Mary Hodgetts of Stourbridge, Worcestershire, England.
The book County Genealogies, Pedigrees of Hertfordshire Families, by William Berry, published 1844, pages 83-84 (available to read at Hathitrust.org) stated that Nicholas died "ob. 14 Nov 1632." This is incorrect. Through the England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 database at ancestry.com, I learned that Nicholas wrote his will 29 Apr 1604 in Stourbridge, and that it was probated 16 Jun 1604. In his will he requested that he be buried at St Mary in Old Swinford (about 1 mile from Stourbridge), and per a transcription of the parish register that can be found at freereg.org.uk, he was buried 6 May 1604. He mentioned his mother Margery, wife Mary, and children Margery, Elizabeth, Judith, Joseph, Nicholas and John, all of whom were under age 21, therefore born after 1583. I now knew where to look for a burial record for Mary Hodgetts Baker, and learned that she was buried at St Mary 14 Nov 1632. This was the date that was erroneously attributed to her husband. Mary wrote her will in Aug 1632 and her estate was inventoried 10 Dec 1632. She mentioned her son John and daughters Margery Nash and Elizabeth Doolittle. Her son-in-law Thomas Nash was a witness. Her will was at The Hive, the library of the University of Worcester.
Through googlebooks.com I learned of the book The Madstard Case: Or Stark Mad in Stourbridge, by R. L. Chambers, 1986 and purchased a copy. I learned quite a bit about the Bakers and the Madstards from this well sourced book. It is about the lawsuit brought forward by Richard Madstard, the nephew of Margery Madstard, and the first cousin of Nicholas Baker. He claimed that the 8 governors of King Edward's Grammar School were embezzling and committing other misdeeds. His suit was unsuccessful, partly due to his erratic and sometimes destructive behavior, which earned him the nickname "Richard Starkmad."
Genealogical Summary of the Baker Family
I. Nicholas Baker, blacksmith, is the earliest known ancestor in Stourbridge. He was fined two pence as a retail seller of ale for breaking the assize in 1529, he was a witness to Kenelm Smythe's will in 1542, a creditor of 8 pence in Henry Perx's estate in 1544, a tenant by indenture in Old Swinford in 1550 and died before 1569 in Stourbridge (1).
II. John Baker, son of Nicholas Baker, blacksmith, was a baker and a brewer, and married Margery Madstard. He was nominated as a juror in 1575 and was a juror in fact in 1577-1578. He was an affeerer (assessor) in Apr 1578 and a juror in fact 1580-1581. John wrote his will and died in 1582 (1). Children:1. Margaret married William Boldon before 1582 (1, 2, 3)2. Alice married William Wight (not West as Berry stated) about 1580, as their son Richard was baptized 13 Aug 1581 at Halesowen, Worcestershire (1, 4).3. Mary married Richard Smarte before 1582 (1, 2, 3).4. Nicholas, born about 1552 in Stourbridge, married Mary Hodgetts. He was one of the 8 governors of King Edward's Grammar School 15 Jan 1586/87* to May 1604 (1).5. John, born about 1554 in Stourbridge, butcher, married Joan, daughter of Gregory Woodward of Bromyard, Hertfordshire. He wrote his will 20 May 1614 in Stourbridge, and was buried at St Mary 1 Jun 1614 (1, 2, 3, 4)6. William married Joan Gill in 1594 in Worcestershire and he was still living when Joan was buried 31 Mar 1632 at St Mary (1, 3, 4, 5)7. Thomas died young, after 1582 (1)8. Elizabeth married William Cox in 1593 in Worcestershire (1, 2, 3, 5)
III. Nicholas, son of John and Margery Madstard, married Mary Hodgetts. Children:1. John died before 29 Apr 1604 in Stourbridge (1)2. Margery married Thomas Nash and they arrived at Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, British Colonial America 26 Jul 1637. She died between 11 Feb 1655 and 1 Aug 1657 in New Haven, Connecticut, British Colonial America (3, 6, 7, 8)3. Nicholas married 20 Jan 1612/13 in Birmingham, Warwickshire to Dorothea Pemberton, buried 4 Jan 1617/18 at St Mary, estate inventory and administration dated 20 Jan 1617/18 in Stourbridge (1, 3, 4, 9)4. Joseph buried 23 May 1607 at St Mary, died "of the sickness" (2, 4)5. John married 7 Jun 1624 at St Mary to Elizabeth Moseley, died 24 Mar 1669/70, buried the following day at St Mary, estate administration 18 May 1670 in Stourbridge (2, 9, 10, 11).6. Elizabeth married 27 May 1609 at St Mary to Edward Doolittle and was buried 23 Oct 1636 at St Mary in Kidderminster, Worcestershire (2, 4, 12).7. Judith, the youngest daughter per Nicholas' will, buried 7 May 1607 at St Mary, died "of the sickness" (2, 4)
*Double date years: a double date year comes from the transition between the use of the Julian Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar that occurred between 1582 and 1758. Since both calendars were used simultaneously for such a long time, dates were often ambiguous unless it was specified which calendar was being used. For this reason, many people wrote dates falling between 1 Jan and 25 Mar using both dates to clarify. According the the Julian Calendar the year began in March (first month) and according to the Gregorian, the new year began 1 Jan. Old Style (OS) referred to the Julian and New Style (NS) referred to the Gregorian.
Genealogical Summary of the Madstard Family
Margery Madstard, a baker and brewer (1) had 5 known siblings, who were identified through the will of her brother Thomas.1. Thomas, mercer, married Jan 1553 in Pedmore, Worcestershire to Mary Tyrer, he wrote his will 24 Aug 1587 in Stourbridge, probated 9 Oct 1587. He was the father of Richard, who brought a lawsuit against his cousin Nicholas Baker and 7 other governors of King Edward's Grammar School (10 13, 14).2. John, no information3. Agnes, married a Harrold, died before Thomas wrote his will.4. Joyce, married a Warham.5. Isabell, who married John Bache.
Sources:
1. The Madstard Case: Or Stark Mad in Stourbridge, R. L. Chambers, Dulstan, 19862. 2. County Genealogies, Pedigrees of Hertfordshire Families, William Berry, J. R. Smith, London, England, 1844, at https://www.hathitrust.org/digital_library 3. The Nash Family; or, Records of the descendants of Thomas Nash, of New Haven, Connecticut, 1640, Sylvester Nash, Tiffany Case, 1853 at https://www.hathitrust.org/digital_library4. Parish register transcriptions at freereg.org.uk 5. England, Boyd's Marriage Indexes, 1538-1858 at findmypast.com 6. U. S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at ancestry.com 7. Families of Ancient New Haven, Volume VI, Donald Lines Jacobus, New Haven, CT, 1930 at ancestry.com 8. Genealogical Notes on the Founding of New England: My ancestors part in that undertaking, Ernest Flagg, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1926 at books.google.com 9. Worcestershire Probate Index, 1600-1858 at findmypast.com 10. England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973 at ancestry.com 11. Worcestershire Monumental Inscriptions at findmypast.com 12. National Burial Index for England & Wales at findmypast.com 13. Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975 at ancestry.com 14. England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 at ancestry.com
She was the 8th child of 10, born to Allan Brown Kerslake and his wife Barbara Jane McWilliams. Her father, Allan Brown Muir, was a native of Ayrshire, Scotland, born there 29 Apr 1814 (1,2), and her mother was born 24 Dec 1825 in Burford, Brant, Ontario, Canada (3). Barbara’s parents, William McWilliams and Elsje Van Wormer, were Loyalists who were married at the Helderberg Church in Guilderland, Albany, New York on 12 Sep 1812 (4). They had two children baptized in New York, and then moved to Burford in 1816, where their 10 other children were born. Barbara’s father was Irish and her mother was Dutch.
Jannette was born 27 Sep 1855 in Oxford, Ontario, Canada (2, 5) and married young, at age 16, to Robert William Kerslake on 15 Feb 1871 at Brantford, Brant, Ontario, Canada (5). Robert was the son of Richard, probably born Feb 1854 in Ontario, Canada (2, 5, 6). Jannette and Robert had three children, namely Charlotte Luella “Lottie,” my 2nd great-grandmother; Allan Brown Kerslake, born 3 Aug 1876 in East Oxford, Oxford, Ontario, Canada (7), married Jessie Orilla Hart-Hyerstay 18 Oct 1897 in Vancouver, Clark, Washington (8), died 21 Feb 1952 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon (9); and Richard M. who was born 20 Aug 1878 in East Oxford (1, 2) and died 20 May 1881 in Brantford of Scarlet Fever (1).
Lottie was born 21 Sep 1873 in Woodstock, Oxford, Ontario, Canada (10) and on 19 Jul 1893 in East Oxford (11) married William Thomas Utting, who came from an interesting London, England family. He was the son of Henry James Utting and Sarah Elizabeth Bayley. They had 11 children, the first born was Kate, who’s birth was registered in the 4th quarter, 1854 in Shoreditch, London (12) and was baptized 9 Sep 1855 at St Mary Magdalene in St Pancras, London (13). This was about 2-1/2 years before Henry and Sarah married, on 21 May 1857 at St Pancras (14)! Kate was the only child who remained in England, living with her paternal grandmother, Catherine Weeks King Utting, until her death at age 20. She was buried 13 Nov 1874 at St Pancras (15). The rest of the Utting family immigrated to Canada 12 Sep 1873 on the ship “Scotland” (16). Lottie died 6 Sep 1950 in Portland (9).
Robert and Jannette were Methodists (17), and with their two children immigrated to Multnomah County, Oregon in 1886 (6). Robert was a Teamster in Canada and a farmer in Oregon (6, 17). Per family lore, Jannette’s middle name may have been Lydia, and she died of “tainted water.” Jannette was buried 1 Jan 1893 in the Mountain View Cemetery in Corbett, Multnomah, Oregon (2, 18). I believe she died the same day as her gravestone gives her death year as 1893. She was only 38 years old.
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| Mountain View Cemetery, Corbett, OR |
Sources:
1. Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938, 1943-1944, and Deaths Overseas,
1939- 1947, ancestry.com
2. Grave Marker
3. Ontario, Canada Deaths, 1869-1934, ancestry.com
4. Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York, Volume VIII,
Frank J. Doherty, 1990, americanancestors.org
5. Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1857-1924, ancestry.com
6. United States Federal Census
7. Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1909, ancestry.com
8. Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013
9. Oregon Death Index, 1903-1998
10. Ontario, Canada Births, 1832-1914, ancestry.com
11. Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927, ancestry.com
12. England & Wales Births 1837-2006, ancestry.com
13. London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms,
1813-1917, ancestry.com
14. London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921, ancestry.com
15. UK, Burial and Cremation Index, 1576-2014, ancestry.com
16. Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935, ancestry.com
17. 1881 Census of Canada, ancestry.com
18. Oregon Metro Cemetery Records,
https://www.oregonmetro.gov/cemeteries/search-cemetery-records
19. Decree for Registration of Birth #539 for husband Robert William Kerslake,
Circuit Court of the State of Oregon, County of Multnomah, personal holding
