BADWELL ASH Baptism Lookup please - KERRY

[leesmob]

Maria KERRY was born on 20 Sep 1871 at Badwell Ash, illegitimate child of Ellen KERRY. Was she baptised? If so, any mention of the father?

[patrish]

There are 2 public member trees on Ancestry with Maria that gives the father as Charles Fordham 1848 - 1908

Mother Ellen Kerry 1851 - 1828

[groom]

Looking at those trees, neither have sources. If they are correct he may just have been her step-father as Charles Fordham married Ellen Kerry 30 Aug 1874  Bradford, Yorkshire. They went on to have 8 more children.

[leesmob]

Thanks for your replies. I'm sure Chares isn't her biological father for a couple of reasons. In the 1871 census (6 months before Maria was born) her mother Ellen was a scullery maid at Kentwell Hall in Melford, Suffolk, 20 miles from Charles in Finningham. That doesn't completely rule him out but in mid 1880 Charles was charged with neglecting and failing to maintain his wife's illegitimate child who was in the care of the Stow Union Workhouse. She was still there for the 1881 census while Charles, Ellen and children lived in Bradford, Yorkshire.

[groom]

)in 1871 her mother Ellen was a scullery maid at Kentwell Hall in Melford, Suffolk, 20 miles from Charles in Finningham.

Posssibly the father is there as well - were there any sons of the right sort of age?

[leesmob]

Alas no. There are only 3 male employees listed - a garden boy age 19, a footman age 22 and butler, age 55 although I imagine there would have been other casual male employees not listed on the day. I don't suppose a scullery maid had a lot of spare time for social activities but Long Melford was only a mile away so can't rule out anyone really.