Henrietta Louisa (“Poppie”) Baker

9 February 1849 to 22 November 1935

BAK00150

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 Poppie 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.

1849

Henrietta Louisa Baker was the daughter of William and Henrietta Louisa (nee Bellyse) Baker (BAK00121). She was born on 9 February 1849 and baptised at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster on 12 March 1849 (Westminster Parish Records). There is a birthday book held by the Noble family which has signatures by Emily Baker, 7 October; Henrietta Baker, 9 February and Tottie Baker, 29 July. These are the dates of their birthdays.

1851

1851 Census – Woodhouse Lane, Buerton, Nantwich, Cheshire

William Baker, 34, born 1817, fund holder

Henrietta Louisa Baker, 26, born 1825

Henrietta Baker, 2, born 1849

John Bellyse Baker, 0, born 1850

Margaret Green, 28, nurse

Ann Maria Austin, 19, nurse

1861

1861 Census – Kinsey Heath, Buerton, Nantwich, Cheshire

William Baker, head, widower, born Leominster, Herefordshire in 1788, 73, magistrate

Ann Baker, daughter, unmarried, 38, magistrate’s daughter, born Buerton

Mary Baker, daughter, unmarried, 33, magistrate’s daughter, born Buerton

Jane Baker, daughter, unmarried, 30, magistrate’s daughter, born Buerton

George Baker, son, unmarried, 28, solicitor, born Buerton

Charlotte Baker, daughter, unmarried, 25, magistrate’s daughter, born Buerton

Henrietta Baker, granddaughter, unmarried, 11, born London

Jane E Baker, granddaughter, unmarried, 6, born Buerton

Richard D Baker, grandson, unmarried, 4, born Buerton

A visitor, John R Piercy, 29 (who would marry Mary Baker in 1863)

3 house servants and a groom

1871

1871 census – High Fields, Buerton, Audlem, Cheshire

William Baker, 54, head, land owner

Henrietta Baker, his wife 46

Henrietta Baker, 22

John Bellyse Baker, 20

Richard D Baker, 14

Arthur Baker, 11

Charity Baker, 8

Charlotte L Baker, 4

Emily J Baker, 2

Two visitors, including John Percy, their agent

Three servants

1881

Census 1881, Highfields, Buerton, Nantwich, Cheshire:

John Bellyse Baker, head, single, born 1851, aged 30, gentleman

Henrietta Baker, single, born 1849, his sister, aged 32, no occupation

Richard Dod Baker, single, born 1857, aged 24, solicitor’s general clerk

Arthur Baker, single, born 1860, aged 21, no occupation

Charlotte L Baker, single , 14, scholar

Emily Jane Baker, single, aged 12, scholar

Mary Dobson, a visitor, aged 33

Martha A Egerton, single, 19, servant

1891

Census 1891, Sandy Lane, Audlem

Richard D Baker, head, single, 34, solicitor

Henrietta Baker, single, 42, living on her own means

Charlotte L Baker, single, 24, living on her own means

Emily J Baker, single, 22, living on her own means

Sarah Huntbach, general domestic servant

Henrietta lived at The Cedars, Audlem. Thomas Baker (BAK00128), the third and last of the Baker architects, built a number of country houses in the area, including Hillside, Green Lane (later the home of Arthur Baker (BAK00155) and his family) and the Cedars (later the home of the three rather eccentric sisters, Poppy (BAK00150), Totty (BAK00157) and Emily (BAK00158) (known as the ‘Miss Bakers’) and the bachelor Richard Dod Baker (BAK00154).

1901

Census 1901 – The Cedars, Audlem

Richard D Baker, head, single, 44, solicitor, born Audlem

Henrietta Baker, single, 52, living on her own means

Charlotte L Baker, single, 34, living on her own means

Emily J Baker, single, 32, living on her own means

Sarah J Cooper, 23, servant

There was a kindergarten run at the Cedars, the residence of Richard Dod Baker, by the Misses Baker (Latham F A, Editor (1997), Audlem, The History of a Cheshire Parish and its five townships, Local History Group, page 101).

Dr Laffan’s daughter, a Mrs Noble, now in her eighties, lives in Yorkshire, and has a birthday book containing the signatures of the Baker family, of the Cedars, which was a kindergarten. She can remember her brother Cecil going to school there in petticoats. The signatures in her birthday book are Emily Baker 7^th October, Henrietta Baker 9^th February, and Tottie Baker 29^th July. (Burton, Marjorie (1973), Nineteenth Century Audlem, Audlem District Amenities Society, Johnson & Son Nantwich Limited page 22).

1911

Census 1911 – The Cedars, Audlem

Henrietta Baker, head, single, 62, private means, born in London

Charlotte Louisa Baker, 44, single, private means

Emily Jane Baker, 42, single, private means

Ethel May Baker, 17, general domestic servant

1927

Poppie wrote to her niece Peggy Baker in 1927 after Peggy’s engagement to Alfred Farndale:

The Cedars

Wednesday

My Dear Peggy

I was so glad to get your letter yesterday as Annie Stain had told us on Saturday that you were engaged so we were hoping to hear from you. We both send congratulations and every possible good wishes to you and happiness in the future. I am a very poor one to make pretty speeches, but I can only say dear old Peggy that if you are as happy as I wish you to be, you will indeed be so, without any more words about it! Knowing what you say about Alfred (excuse me being so familiar), he sounds very nice and as you are such a cheeky little woman you will make up for it, if he is, as you say, rather shy, won’t you? How quickly the years do pass, to be sure; it only seems the other day since you were a wee child and now you are engaged to be married. My word it makes one realise what an old woman I must be. Hoping to hear of, or see you again before long, with much love to Geoffrey and yourself from us both.

Believe me your ever loving aunt Poppie

PS I wonder do you write more than once a day!!

1921

Census 1921 – Sandy Lane, Audlem

Henrietta Baker, head, single, 72, home duties

Emily J Baker, 52, single, home duties

John Bellyse Baker, 70, visitor

Mary Edge, servant

1930

Aunt Emily and Aunt Poppie (Henrietta) at Audlem 1930s

1935

She died unmarried on 22 November 1935 at Audlem. Probate was dated 23 December 1935, London.

BAKER. Henrietta of the Cedars Audlem Cheshire spinster died 22 November 1935 probate London 23 December to Emily Jane Baker spinster. £1577 13s 11d (Probate Record).

DEATH OF MISS H BAKER. Audlem has lost one of its oldest inhabitants by the death of Miss Henrietta Baker, the Cedars, at the age of 86. She was the eldest daughter of the late Mr William Baker JP, Highfields, Audlem. Miss Baker and her surviving sister, Miss EJ Baker have lived at the Cedars for nearly fifty years. Sympathy is extended to Miss EJ Baker. The funeral took place on Monday. A service at the parish church was conducted by Canon FE Hicks MA, vicar. Mr R Blakeman was at the organ and played “But the Lord is mindful of his own” and “O rest in the Lord”. The hymns were “Lead kindly light” and “Holy Father, cheer our way”. As the body left the church the Nunc Dimittis was chanted. The Interment took place in the family grave at the cemetery. Among those present were: Miss EJ Baker, sister, Miss Charity Baker, Miss Hilda Baker, nieces, Mr Bellyse Baker, Mr William Baker, Mr Geoffrey Baker, nephews, Mr Jack Baker, Mr George Baker, Miss Nellie Baker, the Rev John R Bellyse, Stockport, Mr and Mrs Foster Knight, Mrs Stretch, Miss M Pearson, Miss Bessie Mangnall, Mr Percy Mangnall, Nurse Etches, Miss Hawthorne, Mr and Mrs Eric Smith, Mr REB Smith, Mrs W Smith, Beech Tree House, Miss EJ Goldbourne, Miss S Goldbourne, Blackpool, Miss Hardman, Mrs F Sproston, Miss Sproston, Mrs HK Burton, Miss Jessop, Miss Cooper, Mrs TW Bentley, Miss Smith, Miss I J Brampton, Mrs Joseph Noden, Mrs H J Thomas, Mr and Mrs Fred Williams, Miss Blakeman, Miss G Dale, Mr AP Farrington, Mrs C Griffiths Mr Sam Smith, Miss M Kendall, Mr. James Kendall, Mr Percy Moseley, Miss Hill, Mrs G Furnival, Mr AJ Thornbury, Mr. James Murray, Mrs Joseph Shuker, Cox Bank, and Miss Major, Wood Green. (Crewe chronicle, 30 November 1935).