Thomas Baker 1799- From Pearl Button Maker to Sergeant in the Coldstream Guards

Yea….. still chipping away at a brick wall. Thomas Baker 1799- was my 3x Great Grandfather. Do you know how many soldiers were named Thomas Baker? When you only have a name and don’t have any date of birth, death marriage or census finding this army sergeant was in my wildest dreams. I even had conflicting information about his profession. Was he a pearl button maker or a Sergeant in the Coldstream Guards?

It was so worth the monthly subscription to Ancestry’s Fold 3 collection  at $7:95 per month to get UK Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Soldier Service records- all 21 pages of them which span from his attestation in 1818  where he was described as a pearl button maker to discharge as a Sergeant in 1838 due to medical reasons. My clues were Thomas Baker, father of Julia Baker was a Sergeant of the Coldstream Guards. This was in the marriage certificate for Julia and George Greedus marriage in 1859.  From this it was gleaned that Julia was previously married to a Samuel Smith where they lived in Warwickshire.

The records for the first marriage show Julia’s father was a pearl button maker. See my previous story George and Julia Smith Where did you appear from? where I ascertained by handwriting analysis that Julia and George had also changed their name after marriage to Julia’s previous married name of Smith.  Still another mystery as to why. It was always going to be a tricky brick wall to bash down. I’ll give myself extra brownie points for finding his record embedded in another record for a Thomas Baker who was a Sergeant Major in the Coldstream Guards!!!

I was lucky his profession added at attestation was a pearl button maker and went on to be nominated in his occupation at discharge. I’ve been looking at him for years. 

So, let’s re-trace the steps.

Thomas was a pearl button maker. Pearl buttons were made out of mother of pearl shell from the South Pacific. About 8000 people worked in this cottage home based industry. This specialist industry was based in Birmingham and the highly skilled craftsmen made these expensive luxuries mainly worn by men!

Pearl Buttons displayed at Birmingham Museum

Coldstreamers were traditionally recruited from the south west and north east of England. Thomas’ records show that he was born in the parish of Birmingham near Birmingham, Warwickshire. Thomas joined the Coldstream Guards in 1818. He attested in Liverpool on 8/5/1818 aged 18. That puts his birth in 1799 or 1800.  It is possible he is the son of Ann and Thomas Baker who baptised a child at Birmingham St Martin on 30/7/1799.

Thomas, soldier number 337 signed up for unlimited service.  In all he served 21 years 17 days as a private, Corporal (promoted after nearly 5 years) and Sergeant. He was promoted to Sergeant in May 1827.

The Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards 1670 is one of the five Regiments who normally provide the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace. The Foot Guards have two roles in the British Army. First and foremost, they are highly trained infantry soldiers who carry out operational duties worldwide. Thomas’ duties were entirely in UK. In addition to their combat role the Guards train for Public Duties where they take part State and Royal ceremonial events.

He may have been posted at Wellington Barracks next to Buckingham Palace, Victoria Barracks in Windsor or  Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich. It is the oldest continuously serving Regiment in the British Army with the motto “second to none” The Coldstream Guards can be distinguished at the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace  by the red plume on the right of the bearkskin hat. Their scarlet uniform has buttons spaced in pairs with a garter star on the collars and rose on the shoulders.  

Now I’m chipping away at finding his daughter’s baptism and who he married and any other details if his life past the army. If there’s anyone out there I’m waiting for hints now.

Description of Thomas from his Army records

He was discharged as a consequence of a cough and impaired constitution – a disease he contracted in service. Upon discharge the Regimental Board was of the opinion that “his conduct had been of a good and efficient soldier, seldom in hospital, trustworthy and sober. His disease was not attributed to neglect, design, vice or intemperance.”  His records also give a description of my 3x great grandfather. He was 5’8 ¼” with brown hair and hazel eyes

Thomas’ total service was in the UK.  I have a feeling that this means Thomas spent his time in the Footguards around Buckingham Palace at Westminster. Certainly, Julia was born at Brewers Green, Westminster around 1834 and I have a likely marriage to Ann Maloney at Westminster in 1832 and another child Thomas born 1839 at Marylebone with a mother Maloney. All this is open to further investigation or luck! It’s all a bit frustrating as its just before Statutory registrations came into play.

After leaving the army in 1839 he initially lives in London. His record shows him moving to Tring in January 1841. I’ve been told Tring is a town north west of London. After such promising information from the Army records, he doesn’t show up on a 1841 or 1851 census.

 

Is this Thomas' children in care in 1841?

Upon discharge his daughter Julia Baker would’ve been around seven. I have a possibility for her in the 1841 census living with two possible siblings with a lady from Walthamstow, Essex who appears to be caring for them. Has Thomas who has left the army lost his wife?? He is in bad health and his children are being cared for? There are lots of possibilities. 

Julia in Handsworth 1951

In 1852 his daughter Julia aged 17 is living in Duddeston, Warwickshire and marries a local man Samuel Smith, 25-year-old gas maker from Bordesley. Her father is listed as a pearl button maker (no mention as to him being deceased). Working back to the 1851 census Julia appears as a 16-year-old servant from London working for the Horne family in Handsworth. Just a stone’s throw away from where her future husband lives. 

Samuel and Julia's wedding

Bordesley is 1.7 km from Handsworth

With Julia living in Bordesley with her husband does Thomas return to his childhood roots. There is a possible death of man named Thomas Baker at Bordesley in 1855 who was also born in 1799 making him the same age as our Thomas.  Could be our Thomas- more investigation needed.

Julia’s marriage to Samuel smith was short lived as he passed away and next, we find widow Julia Smith marrying George Greedus in 1859 in London.  Her father is a Sergeant in the Coldstream Guards. Still no mention as to whether he is deceased. Julia and George’s life with their children and change of name to Smith can be traced until their deaths in early 1910s.

Marriage of George and Julia

Nothing is known of what became of Thomas, a wife or any siblings Julia might have had. The second marriage certificate in 1959 for Julia Baker which indicates that her father was at Coldstream Guard does not indicate that he is deceased.Just as there were plenty of Thomas Bakers in the army there were many living in both Warwickshire and London with marriages to boot. Lots of options to work through.

However I found a Thomas Baker deceased on 24th of March 1942 and buried at Berkhamstead Hertsfordshire. This is about 6 miles from Tring. The age at death ties in with someone born 1799. Another possibility is a 1855 death at Stratford Rd Bermondsey near where Julia and Samuel were living. This also ties in with a 1799 birth. Watch this space as I order death certificates and explore further.

Hint of the Day:

Army records are able to be found in a couple of places.  Some are part of the Ancestry membership, while I have also trawled Find My Past for records. Others which I suspect were previously available on Ancestry are now available in a membership called Fold 3. You can take out a monthly subscription for $7.95.  There is a trial which is free for one week if you can speed research and sometimes free days. I suggest saving up your searches until it is worthwhile taking a subscription or ask a friend on the genealogy Facebook page to look up a record for you. The Military records are always a bit hit and miss and overwhelming if you have a common name such as Baker or Kerr and not much else to go on.