Hannah Mary Baker (later Hannah Bellyse)

1785 (may have been 1776) to 23 August 1851

BAK00101

The Bakers Home Page Return to the Home Page of the Bakers Family part of the website

The Bakers of Highfields Story The Story of the Dods and Bakers and of Highfields, Fenton House and Hasfield Court. A journey through the history of Cheshire and Staffordshire, an Anglo-Saxon nobleman who retained his lands after the Conquest, pottery at Stoke on Trent, an encounter with Elgar, and the history of an Elizabethan manor house at Audlem

The Bakers of Highfields The family tree of the Bakers of Highfields

The Dod Family The Family Tree of the Dods, predecessors to the Bakers of Highfields

The Bakers of Fenton House and Hasfield Court The Family Tree of the pottery Bakers of Stoke on Trent

The Bellyse Family The Family Tree of the Bellyse Family

The Farndale Story The main part of this website tells the story of the Farndale family from Yorkshire Descendants of Arthur Baker, the story of the Farndale ancestry is told through the main part of this website You can also return to the Farndale website home page

The Hall Family The genealogy of the family of James Hall, linked to the Baker family through marriage to Arthur Baker

Headlines of Hannah Baker’s life are in brown.

Dates are in red.

Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.

References and citations are in turquoise.

Context and local history are in purple.

1787

Hannah Mary Baker was the daughter of Richard and Hannah (nee Hassall) Baker (FAR00083). She was born in or about 1787 (age at marriage).

1808

Hannah Baker, aged 21, married Dr John Bellyse (1774-1850) of Dorfold Cottage, Nantwich, Cheshire, the son of Dr John 'Cockfighting' Bellyse of Woodhouse, Audlem, himself a surgeon, on 27 September 1808 at Mucklestone, Staffordshire (Muckleston Parish Records).

Hannah, born 1776 (possibly an error), married Dr John Bellyse, of Dorfold Cottage, Nantwich, Cheshire, son of Dr John Bellyse, of Woodhouse, Audlem, and died 23 August 1851, leaving issue. He died 20 December 1850. (Burke, John and Burke, Sir Bernard (1836)(Eighteenth Edition, 1972), Bellyse Baker of Highfields in Burke’s Landed Gentry, Volume 3, pages 35 to 38).

The old man’s son, the second Dr Bellyse, inherited his father’s passion for coursing and, before he retired to Dorfield Cottage, always kept greyhounds. The young man’s marriage caused tongues to wag in the district when he eloped with Hannah Baker from Highfields. They went no further than was necessary and were married at Mucklestone Church. The following morning, having read the farewell letter, Richard Baker her father, decided that a visit to the old cockfighter would not go amiss. He found the gentleman reading by the open window and expressed himself with some force on the subject of the good doctor’s son. Bellyse waited for a period of silence before observing “the gander’s as good as the goose, sir” and returned to his book”. (Audlem, The History of a Cheshire Parish and its five townships, 1997).

John Cockfighting Bellyse’s son's entry into the Baker family was not without colour. He eloped with Richard's daughter, Hannah, in the time approved manner. She climbed from the bedroom window and they departed by post chaise. The following morning, having read her farewell letter, Richard set forth to the doctor’s abode, the house now occupied by Dr Thornton. He came upon Bellyse sitting reading by his open window and, not unnaturally, expressed himself with some force on the subject of the good doctor's son, John. Bellyse waited for a period of silence before observing, “The ganders as good as the goose, Sir”, and returned to his book. Peace was restored, Richard giving the newlyweds a rather fine inlaid coffer. When Canon Bellyse retired as vicar of Audlem, he very kindly returned it to Highfields! John followed his father in the practise; his son, Richard Baker Bellyse, remembered on the monument in Audlem Square, was the third and last Dr Bellyse of Audlem. John also inherited his father's love of sport. He was one of the founders of the Waterloo Cup and is depicted in the well known print of the first meeting. (Baker, J Bellyse (1982), Highfields, Audlem: Sixteenth Century Home of the Dod and Baker Families, Audlem District History Society, page 19).

The elopement reimagined using artificial intelligence

The doctor's son, John, in fact, eloped with the daughter of architect Richard Dod Baker (1743 to 1803). “His son's entry into the Baker family was not without colour,” writes the author. “He eloped with Richard's daughter, Hannah, in the time approved manner. She climbed from the bedroom window and they departed by post chaise.” (The Evening Sentinel, 29 November 1982).

Dr John Bellyse’s son's entry into the Baker family was not without colour. He eloped with Richard's daughter, Hannah, in the time approved manner. She climbed from the bedroom window and they departed by post chaise. The following morning, having read her farewell letter, Richard set forth to the doctor’s abode, the house now occupied by Dr Thornton. He came upon Bellyse sitting reading by his open window and, not unnaturally, expressed himself with some force on the subject of the good doctor's son, John. Bellyse waited for a period of silence before observing, “The ganders as good as the goose, Sir”, and returned to his book. Peace was restored, Richard giving the newlyweds a rather fine inlaid coffer. When Canon Bellyse retired as vicar of Audlem, he very kindly returned it to Highfields! (Highfields, Audlem, 16^th century home of the Dod and Baker families, John Bellyse Baker, 1982.)

See the Bellyse Family page.

Hannah and John had five sons and one daughter.

1841

Census 1841, Sandy Lane, Audlem

John Bellyse, 50, Surgeon

Richard Bellyse, 30

Hannah Bellyse, 55

Louisa Bellyse, 15

Eliza Bellyse 10

Rebecca Cadman, 20, female servant

1851

Hannah Bellyse died on 23 August 1851, aged 65 and is buried at St James’ Churchyard, Audlem on 27 August 1851 (Monumental Record, St James, Audlem Parish Records, Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, 6 September 1851).