Thanks for your post, Keith. I am incuding here some of the info on the Baldrey line:
Lionel Baldrie – 1666-?
Currently the earliest identified Baldrey ancestor is Lionel Baldrie, a carpenter, (spelling of Baldrie varies), who was baptized on January 3, 1666 or 1667 in Framlingham. He married Margaret. At least four children were born to this union: Anne Baldrie, baptized December 29, 1690; Lionel Baldrie, baptized March 16, 1693 or 4 in Framlingham and married to Mary; Francis Baldrie, baptized March 4, 1698 and married to Mary Crisp on October, 17, 1721; and Elizabeth Baldrie, baptized August 5, 1705.
It may be that Lionel Baldrey was also in the painting business. In her book, Royal Arms in Churches: The Artists and Craftsmen, Rosemary Pardoe lists a Lionel Baldrey as such a craftsman:
Baldrey, Lionel: Painter.
Metfield (Suffolk). Churchwardens' Accounts for 1715 record a payment of £8.00.00 to "Lionel Baldrey of framlingham for new painting The Kings Armes drawing ye Ten Commandments and ye Lord's Prayer and the Beliefe and ye frames and setting them up".
Elizabeth Baldrie – 1705-?
Elizabeth had an illegitimate son, Andrew Baldrey, baptized September, 26, 1726 in Framlingham. The father was Andrew Rankin.
Andrew Baldrey – 1726-1802
Andrew was married at St. Margaret’s Church in Ipswich in 1754 as evidenced by marriage bans recorded there:
Bans of Andrew Baldrey, of this parish, singleman, and Mary Semmons, of this parish, spinster, were called on 24th & 31st March and 7th April 1754.
Joshua Kirby Baldrey: on the 23rd of March 1756, he was baptized in St Margaret's church, Ipswich, the son of Andrew and Mary Baldrey.
Joshua Kirby Baldrey baptized, 23, March 1756
Mary baptized 21st September 1757
John baptized ?? June 1757
Susanna baptized ?? March 1761
Married John Acfield, 1781, Ipswich St Margaret
Ran Crown Inn carriage house in Coddenham.
Elizabeth baptized 24th August 1763
Robert baptized 9th April 1765
Anne baptized 4th August 1767, and finally,
Sarah baptized 29th May 1769
Andrew Baldrey lived and worked in Ipswich as an apprentice and later partner then owner of a house and coach-painting business. He apparently was also an engraver and artist of some merit. He was closely affiliated with John Joshua Kirby and with Thomas Gainsborough, an artist of considerable stature of that period.
Joshua Kirby Baldrey 1754-1828
It is highly probable that Joshua Kirby Baldrey (JKB) was named after his father’s friend and business partner, Joshua Kirby, who was JKB’s godfather. It is evident that he grew up in the company of artists with whom his father associated. The family business involved painting, engraving and publishing. Little information is available about his early years. There is evidence that he was married prior to the marriage to Mary Copsey in 1808 in which he is listed as a widower. As noted below, his first wife died in September, 1806. The burial records of the church, St Mary The Great, shows the burial of an Elizabeth Baldrey, age 42, on 14 Sept 1806. This may possibly be JKB’s first wife. There is also reference to a son, John, in the article by Batchly. Another notation states that a daughter, Sarah, was witness to JKB’s second marriage.
JKB and Mary Copsey Baldrey had eleven children between 1808 and 1823.
Baptized in the Church of St Mary the Great in Cambridge
1. Mary Copsey Baldrey was baptized on 12/20/1808; died 1885
2. Joshua Copsey Baldrey, 7/15/1810 d 1857
3. Elizabeth Parsons Baldrey, 9/9/1811 (note: Eliz may be the daughter of Thomas Baldrey rather than JKB)
The rest of the children were all baptized on the same day, May, 1829, in Hatfield, Hertsfordshire: This information is from the Hatfield Parish register:
4. Anne, born 3/3/1813, baptized 5/3/1829
5. Martha, 12/9/1814, baptized 5/3/1829
6. John Marshall, born 12/16/1816 baptized 5/10/1829
7. Susannah, born 12/1817 baptized 5/3/1829
8. Joseph Deighton 12/1817 baptized 5/10/1829
9. Ruth, born 12/1819, baptized 5/3/1829
10. Rebecca, born 11/14/1821 baptized 5/3/1829
11. Samuel Kirby.12/26/1823 baptized 5/10/1829
Burial register at Hatfield parish lists the 1/20/1826 burial of Stephen Baldrey, Wild Hill, Hatfield, aged 2 years. He may be the 11th child rather than Elizabeth Parsons Baldrey.
