Baker family of Drayton, Somerset
The journey from rural England to establishing new roots on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula.
John Baker 1784-1856, Somerset. Occupation Thatcher. Married Maria Smith born 1791, Somerset, England. They had 4 children:
- John Baker born 3 Feb 1816 at Drayton, Somerset. England. Died 15 August 1854 aged 38 at Lightwood Farm, East Bellarine. No record can be found of his emigration although his great grandson thought it was around 1849. He settled at East Bellarine presumably at what became known as ‘Lightwood’ farm. He most likely emigrated as a single man around 1848/49, or even earlier, given that he married in April 1849 at Geelong. He is missing from the 1841 Somerset Census. His parents and other siblings are all together in that Census. He is buried at Drysdale cemetery in an unmarked grave.
- George born 1818, Curry Rivell, Parish of Drayton, Somerset. Died 1889 Somerset having never left.
- Eliza born 1821 Curry Rivel, Parish of Drayton, Somerset. Married Frederick Willey born Drayton, Somerset in 1842 at Curry Rivel, Somerset. Emigrated together in 1849 and died at Portarlington on 8 Jun 1876. She is buried at Portarlington cemetery together with Frederick who died in 1900.
- Elizabeth born 1823 Curry Rivell, Parish of Drayton, Somerset. Married Jacob Small in Somerset. Emigrated to New Zealand together in 1859. Died 1917, Nelson, New Zealand. She is buried at Nelson cemetery.
John jnr married Martha Hammond born 1830 of Hampshire, England at Christchurch, Geelong on 9 April 1849. He was 32 and she was 19. Martha died 8 years later on 5 Nov 1857 aged 26 at Lightwood Farm, East Bellarine. The Hammonds were another early immigrant family who had settled mostly in the Modewarre area.
They had 2 children:
- Anna Maria (Hannah) Baker born 24 May 1851. Married local farmer Edwin Renfrey in 1876. Anna died in 1940 at Drysdale aged 88. Buried at Drysdale cemetery with Edwin.
- George Baker 1853-1922.
When John died in 1854, Martha was only 23. She married Robert Blunden on 2 October 1855 at Christchurch, Geelong. Martha died 2 years later in November 1857 from consumption (TB.) She had 2 further children with Robert however both died as infants within a year either side of her death aged 6 months & 9 months respectively.
When Martha died, her first born children with John Baker, Hannah and George, were effectively orphaned at ages 6 & 4 respectively. They were raised by their aunt, Eliza Willey nee Baker who had married Frederick Willey in 1842 in Somerset and emigrated in 1949 on the ship Hope with his brother and family as well as Robert White Harding & wife Susan nee Davies. Frederick was referred to as George’s Guardian in official records. The Baker, Willey and Harding families came from the same area in Somerset although John Baker had emigrated earlier.
George Baker was born at Lightwood Farm, East Bellarine on 9 Dec 1853. He married Elizabeth Webber born Drysdale 1855 at Portarlington on 21 Jan 1874 – see Webber family history.
In 1875 George is registered as the owner of a 9 acre block with house on Portarlington Road near Church Road, presumably Lightwood Farm.
This was likely provided to him by his Guardians, Frederick & Eliza Willey (Baker) who by this time had become quite wealthy with extensive land landholdings in the area.
The name Lightwood Farm is not mentioned in other than family records but appears to have been part of what were extensive Willey family landholdings at the time around the corner of Church Road and Portarlington Road and stretching up to opposite McAdams Lane.
They had 8 children in 18 years. All are noted in family records as having been born at Lightwood Farm, East Bellarine.
- Ada Louise 8 Sept 1875 – 21 Mar 1951.
- Eva Sarah 1876 – 1963. Married Alfred William White of Scotchmans Road, East Bellarine in 1906. They farmed at Beeac. Died Belmont, Geelong.
- Ethel May 1878 – 1957. Married Elias Harding 1868-1945, youngest son of Robert White Harding of Dunkeld, in 1904. Died at Somerville.
- John Frederick Richard 1880 – 1888. Lived for 8 years.
- Ernest 1881 – 1881. Lived for 4 days.
- Laura Alberta 1887 – 1973. Married Oliver Owen Hines in 1910. Always known as Nanny Hines. Died Drysdale.
- Irene Elizabeth 1891 – 1896. Lived for 5 years.
- Doris Elizabeth 1893 – 1960. Married Frank McPherson in 1920. Died Melbourne.
Rate books show George as owning the 9 acre farm continuously until around 1907 when he and Elizabeth retired to Portarlington. The property then appears to have been acquired by Robert White Harding. When Robert died two years later in 1909 the property passed to Edwin Renfrey, the husband of George Baker’s sister Hannah.
George died in 1922 at Portarlington aged 69 years. Elizabeth died in 1937 aged 84 years. Both are buried at Portarlington next to the Willey plots but in unmarked graves.1
Ada Louise Baker married William Davies Harding 1861-1936 at Wesley Church, Geelong on 7 Nov 1893 when he was 32 years and she 18 years.
See Harding Family History for further.
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