CFHS code : PL51
Parish : St Paul
Inscription : In Loving Memory of ERNEST EDWARD the dearest ——— son of EDWARD & AGNES BAKER b May 30 1883 d Nov 11 1888 also EDWARD BAKER Ex Inspector Borough Police Force father of the above b Jan 23 1860 d Sep 13 1935
Monument : Headstone/Kerb stones
Above information from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
Monument
Fluted Gothic window-shaped headstone, decorated with a rosette on either side, and with plain kerb stones, situated in the St Paul’s parish area between the south path and the south boundary wall 24 rows from the notice board by the entrance..
Inscription
‘In loving memory of Ernest Edward
the dearest [illegible] son of Edward & Agnes Baker
born Nov 30 1883 died Nov 11 1888′
‘Also Edward Baker
Ex-Inspector Borough Police Force
father of the above
born Jan 23 1860 died Sept 13 1935′
Ernest Edward Baker (30 November 1883 – 11 November 1888)
Ernest was the only son of Edward and Agnes Baker. He died just before his fifth birthday at 3 Caius Street.
Edward Milton Baker (23 Jan 1860–13 Sept 1935) – Policeman – see also Life Story page
Edward was born in Babraham, a village due south of Cambridge and was the illegitmate child of Harriet Baker. His father was Joseph Milton, who was a gamekeeper from Whittlesford. In March 1861 Harriet took Joseph to court for upkeep of his child, the court ordered him to pay 1s, 6d per week as effective child maintenance. In 1871 he was living with his grandmother Catherine Baker at the Alms Houses in Babraham. Catherine was documented as a pauper and at the age of 10 years Edward was already working as an agricultural labourer.
He married Agnes Mary Spalding (1862-1938) in 1883 and the couple had two children: Ernest Edward (1883-1888) and Lilian Elizabeth (1886-1943). Edward joined the police in 1878 and the family lived at 44 Covent Garden, which was a police tied cottage house. In 1891 he was a police constable, by at least 1901 he was promoted to sergeant and by May 1902 was promoted to acting police inspector. By August 1902 he had been fully promoted to the rank of Inspector.He was treasurer and secretary of the Cambridge Borough Police Athletic Society for many years and organised the tickets for their annual athletic festival which was generally held at the Leys school grounds every August. He also helped organise the Police Fete in August 1902, held in aid of the widow and children of the late PC Thompson.
He retired from the police on 31 March 1920, on a pension of £233, 6s and 8d per annum (two thirds of his pay of £350 in 1920). In 1921 Edward and Agnes were still living at 44 Covent Garden, and celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1933. In retirement he was an active member of St. Barnabas Church, sitting on the PCC and also serving as a sidesman. He also was a committee member of the Cambridge General Benefit Society.
Edward died at 152 Tension Road, the home of his daughter Lil and son in law Harry aged 75 years old. Newspapers reported that he ‘had been ailing for some time, but the end came rather suddenly’. His obituary noted that he was 6ft 3″ ‘in his socks and must have been one of the tallest men in the force’ and that he had been awarded ‘the King’s Long Service Medal and King George’s Coronation Medal’. His funeral was held on 16 September at St. Barnabas Church, and was attended by a large number of serving and ex-policemen.
From grave records it is known that Agnes Baker was also buried in the same grave plot
Agnes Mary Baker (née Spalding) (1862 – 10 July 1938)
Agnes was born in Swaffham Prior and was the second daughter of Joseph and Martha (née Baker). Her father was a grocer/mealman, but was declared bankrupt and later worked as an agricultural labourer. In 1881 Agnes was living at 31a Petty Cury and working asa general servant.
After she was widowed Agnes moved to live with her daughter Lil and son in law Harry Brooks Hutcherson (1885-1951) in Colchester. She died at Baddow Road, Great Baddow aged 76 years and was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 13 July 1938.
Lillian Elizabeth Hutcherson (née Baker) (7 September 1886 – 4 December 1943)
Lilian was known as Lil and was the only daughter of Edward and Agnes. Between at least 1911 and 1915, the daughter Lillian was a ‘Teacher of Music (Piano)’, working ‘At Home’, so 44 Covent Garden must have had a piano at that time. She married Lt. Harry Brooks Hutcherson who was a railway manager on New Year’s Day 1918. Harry returned to the front two weeks after the wedding and was awarded the Military Cross in June 1918. Lil died in Colchester aged 57 years and is buried there.
Sources:
census reports 1891, 1901, 1911
Spalding’s Cambridge directories
General Records Office marriage index
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
By Ian Bent with thanks to Judy Lester, additional information by Claire Martinsen