Two more of my finds from the Festival of Cards at Junction 24, North Petherton, last Friday. Run by the Postcard Traders Association. Postcard Traders Association

When I was searching through one of the traders’ CDVs, I first came across William Bakewell, and then, as I went through them, I came across his wife. It was great to keep them together. Plus, they both had writing on the back.

William Bakewell was born in 1842 in London, the son of George Bakewell. Little is known about his early life, but at some point in his young adulthood, he left London and made his way toward the Midlands, where his life would soon change forever.

This CDV was written on with a biro, so likely by a descendant of Williams. William Bakewell. The Towers, Downing, Whitford, Holywell, Flintshire, in Wales.

I started a tree on Ancestry, and due to the writing on the back, I fairly quickly found the correct couple.

Catherine Roberts was born in 1838 in Aberwheeler, Denbighshire, Wales, the daughter of Robert Roberts.

Like many young women of her time, she entered domestic service, working away from home to support herself. By the mid-1860s, Catherine was living and working in Monks Kirby, Warwickshire.

A Victorian Family in Wales.

It was there, in Monks Kirby, that Catherine met William Bakewell. He worked as a gardener, while Catherine worked as a servant. Both were unmarried and building their lives through hard work and service. On 13 March 1866, William, aged 24, married Catherine, aged 28. Soon after their marriage, the couple moved to Whitford in Flintshire, Wales, where William found work as a gardener.

Family in Whitford.

William and Catherine quickly began their family. Their first child, Mary Jane Bakewell, was born on 26 May 1867 in Whitford. Two years later, in June 1869, tragedy struck when their second daughter, Ann, was born but died the same day. This early loss would be the first of several hardships the family would face.

Life continued, and more children followed in quick succession:

Eliza Annie Bakewell was born in September 1870

Kate Bakewell was born on 6 September 1871

Emily Bakewell was born on 16 June 1873

William Bakewell was born in December 1875

George Bakewell was born in September 1879

Seven children were born within twelve years, a large and busy household typical of the Victorian era. The Bakewell family lived in Whitford throughout these years, where William worked as a gardener. By 1871, the family was living at Lower Downing, Whitford, where William continued his work tending the grounds.

Life and Work.

William’s steady work allowed the family to remain in Whitford for many years. By 1881, he was recorded as head of the household and working as a domestic gardener. Over time, William’s responsibilities increased, and by 1891 he was working as gardener and steward at Downing Hall, a position of trust and responsibility.

Their eldest daughter, Mary Jane, grew up helping at home before eventually leaving service. In 1891, she was working as a still room maid at Down Hall Mansion in Essex, serving in the household of Sir Henry John Selwin-Ibbetson, a Conservative Member of Parliament.

Other daughters also entered domestic service, which was common for women of their background. Kate worked in Bromborough, Cheshire, and later Devon, while Eliza Annie and Emily also found work as servants in Lancashire.

Family Tragedies.

The Bakewell family experienced deep sorrow in the 1890s. In June 1892, their son William died in Treffynnon (Holywell), Flintshire, at just 16 years old. The loss of their teenage son must have been devastating for William and Catherine.

Only eight years later, in December 1900, another tragedy struck when their youngest son, George, died at age 21 in Treffynnon. Within a decade, both of their sons had passed away, leaving their five daughters as the surviving children.

Later Years.

By 1901, William Bakewell had risen to become the estate bailiff at “The Towers” in Whitford. His daughter Mary Jane had returned home and was working as a domestic cook in the household. After decades of service and responsibility, William had achieved a respected position.

However, William’s life came to an end in June 1909 in Treffynnon, Flintshire, at the age of 67. He and Catherine had been married for 43 years.

Catherine lived on as a widow. By 1911, she was recorded as head of her household in Whitford. She died in April 1917 in Treffynnon at the age of 79, having lived a long life shaped by work, family, and both joy and sorrow.

Public Family tree on Ancestry: Bakewell Family Tree

The Children’s Lives.

Mary Jane Bakewell married Arthur Edward Bateman, a blacksmith, in 1903 at the age of 36. They settled in Cheshire and had three children: Hilda, Frank, and Katherine Mary. Mary Jane lived to age 80, dying in 1948 in Haslington, Cheshire.

Eliza Annie Bakewell spent many years in service before marrying Thomas Jones, a farmer, in 1917 at age 46. She lived a long life, dying in 1965 at age 94.

Kate Bakewell never married. She worked as a servant and housekeeper across England, including Devon and Yorkshire, and died in 1951 at age 79.

Emily Bakewell married Thomas Crosier Spence, a footman who later became a club steward, in 1912. She died in Blackpool in 1956 at age 83.

Their sons, William and George, both died young, William at 16 in 1892 and George at age 21 in 1900. They left no descendants.

Family Remembered.

William Bakewell and Catherine Roberts built their life through service, hard work, and resilience. They raised seven children in Whitford, Flintshire, during the Victorian era, experienced both happiness and loss, and saw their daughters go on to lives of work, marriage, and independence across England and Wales.

Their story is one of quiet determination, a gardener from London and a servant from Denbighshire who created a lasting family legacy in Wales.

Though William died in 1909 and Catherine in 1917, their family continued through their daughters and grandchildren, carrying forward the Bakewell name and their shared history into the twentieth century and beyond.

You can contact me either by commenting here or via email at lynnswaffles@gmail.com. 

Till next time then………