Clara Ellen BAKER, [Father?]

1868 - 1920  (51 years)

 Set As Default Person

• Name	Clara Ellen BAKER
  Suffix [ONS gp]	[Father?]
  Relationship	with Teresa Ann GOATHAM
  Born	12 Nov 1868	Lower Halstow, Kent, England
  	GRO ref: BAKER, Clara Ellen q4 1868 Milton RD 2a 794; GRO online index does not show a mother's maiden name, suggesting she was illegitimate No father is named on her birth cert. Her mother, Alice, was the informant and made her mark. Alice did not register the birth until 22 Dec., 40 days after the birth. From 1875 there was a fine for not registering a birth within 42 days, which led to some dates being 'adjusted' to avoid a fine, but since there was no penalty in 1868 it seems Alice was just slow in getting around to it. That Clara was illegitimate is confirmed by her baptism, where only her mother is named, and more clearly by her marriage certificate which states 'Illegitimate' in the father's name field. In the 1871 census, about 6 months after her mother married, Clara was living with her maternal grandparents and not her mother and (step?-)father. Perhaps the latter did not want her. It is suprising she was not with her parents if Thomas Kemp was her father. The marriage was approximately 2 years after Clara's birth, and banns had been read for Alice to a different person, John Moore, shortly before Alice's birth. Everywhere except the 1881 census shows Clara's surname as BAKER, not KEMP, i.e. her birth registration, baptism, marriage and the birth registrations for her 4 children. I think this is the strongest evidence for Clara not being Thomas' daughter; in my experience most children born before their parents' marriage do subsequently use their father's surname. It is not unusual for children born before their parents married to have their surname recorded inconsistently, but usally more inconsistently than this. Hence I think it probable that Clara was not Thomas Kemp's biological daughter. Was she John Moore's daughter? Possibly, but unless autosomal DNA suggests this to be the case it is far from certain. Did John desert Alice (if that's what happened) because he did not want to marry her, or was it because she was pregnant with another man's child?
  Baptised	7 Mar 1869	St. Margaret of Antioch’s Church, Lower Halstow, Kent, England
  	From PR entry (viewed 21 Jul, 2022) "February March [correction initialled T.G.] 7th. 1869 No. 655. Clara Ellen, parents: Alice, surname: Baker, abode: Halstow, father's occupation: -, ceremony performed by: Thomas Grabham Vicar" (original source KFHS CD 19, on which has both the month and Clara's surname are mis-transcribed)
  Gender	Female
  Census	2 Apr 1871	Halstow Street, Lower Halstow, Kent, England
  Census	3 Apr 1881	Billett House, London Road, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England
  Census	31 Mar 1901	Billett Cottage, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England
  Role: Household Member
  Census	2 Apr 1911	9, The Wall, Sittingbourne, Kent, England
  This was the same address at which daughter Daisy was living at the time of her marriage in 1912. A widow, living in a five-roomed house with 3 children. The census is confusing here. It shows her as having had 4 children, 3 still living and one having died. This information is struck through, but that is normal where it is not required; it was only intended to be entered for married women, and Clara was a widow. But she lists four children, i.e. including George Gotha Goatham, a son aged 14. Actually he had died aged 6 in 1902, so he would have been aged 14 if still living. This was a time when séances were popular. Did Clara believe she communicated with George in this way, and that is why she listed him on the census? Or did she simply mis-understand what she was required to enter on the form? She shows herself as having completed 21 years of marriage. Having married in 1890, she would have later in 1911, had her husband still been living - but he had died the previous year, when they had completed 19 years of marriage. (She did NOT enter him on the census).
  Also known as	Clara KEMP
  Died	29 Mar 1920	12, Lloyd Square, Sittingbourne, Kent, England
  	Cause: Tuberculous meningitis
  	GRO ref: Goatham, Clara E q1 1920 Milton RD 2a 1282 age 49; GRO online index (viewed 6 Nov 2016) shows Christian names as Clara Ellen
  Buried	3 Apr 1920	Holy Trinity Church, Sittingbourne, Kent, England
  	From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 25 Apr 2020) Shows "Clara Ellen Goatham, No. 240, abode: 12 Lloyd St S.bourne, buried April 3, aged 49 years, ceremony performed by J. C. Gyre Kidson"
  Half-siblings	3 half brothers and 1 half sister (family of Thomas KEMP and Alice BAKER)
  + 1. Harry Frank KEMP,   b. 16 Jan 1872, Borden, Kent, England ,   d. 4 Dec 1953, The Nunnery Fields Hospital, Canterbury, Kent, England  (Age 81 years) ▻ Florence Annie ASH,  m. Dec Q 1892 ;   Lottie Jane EXCELL,  m. Mar Q 1904 ;   Ellen HOLBROOK,  m. Jun Q 1938 2. Alice Eliza KEMP,   b. Dec Q 1874, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England ,   d. Sep Q 1903, Dartford Reg Dist, Kent, England  (Age ~ 29 years) ▻ George DAVIES,  m. 29 May 1898 3. Thomas Walter KEMP,   b. Jun Q 1878, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England ,   d. Yes, date unknown ▻ Rose Charlotte Jane ROSSITER 4. Reginald William KEMP,   b. 17 Dec 1881, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England ,   d. Mar Q 1962, Sittingbourne Reg Dist, Kent, England  (Age 80 years) ▻ Lily YATES,  m. Dec Q 1903
  Origins
  Patriarch & Matriarch	John MOORE,   d. Yes, date unknown  (Father)  Eliza SHOOT,   b. 1818, Harwich, Essex, England ,   d. Sep Q 1891, The Union Workhouse, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England  (Age 73 years)  (Grandmother)
  Notes	Although Clara died a widow, young enough to be survived by both her mother and step-father, her three surviving children all married between the death of their father and her death, so their care would not have fallen to her mother.
  Person ID	I1924	All | England: Kent Group (in Go(a)tham One-Name Study), England: Kent Group - subjects of Go(a)tham One-Name Study, All in the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study , All subjects of the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study, The descendants (and other halves) of George Goatham and Ann née Winch
  Last Modified	26 Mar 2023

  
  

  Father	John MOORE,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Alice BAKER,   b. Dec Q 1846, Lower Halstow, Kent, England ,   d. Jun Q 1928, Milton Reg Dist, Kent, England  (Age ~ 82 years) Other Partners: Thomas KEMP  m. 9 Oct 1870
  Banns of marriage	From 16 Aug 1868 to 30 Aug 1868	St. Margaret of Antioch’s Church, Lower Halstow, Kent, England
  	Although no marriage followed, the Banns were read all 3 times.
  Married?	Not married or evidence to suggest they didn't marry
  Notes	In August 1868 the banns of marriage were read for the marriage of Alice Baker of Halstow, spinster, almost certainly this Alice Baker, to one John Moore, bacheloar, also of Halstow. No marriage followed. Alice's daughter Clara may have been his daughter. Assuming Clara was not premature, then Alice must have been about 6 months pregnant when the banns were first read, if the date on her birth certificate is accurate. It would seem the pregnancy was probably obvious, and may well have been the reason John and Alice got engaged. If they were only getting married because of the pregnancy without a desire to do so, that maybe the reason (the underlying one, at least) why the marriage did not happen. Of course it is also possible that John learnt of another man in Alice's life, that the child might not be his, and that is why the marriage did not take place. Unfortunately there was no John Moore in Lower Halstow in the 1861 or 1871 census, but quite a few in the slightly wider area that he could well have been from, and of a suitable age. (I have not investigated thoroughly to try to work out which John Moore Alice nearly married, and do not plan to).
  Family ID	F2847	Family Group Page  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Charles Henry GOATHAM,   b. Jun Q 1865, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England ,   d. 2 May 1910, Farleigh House, Sandgate, Kent, England  (Age ~ 45 years)
  Married	4 Oct 1890	Holy Trinity Church, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England
  	GRO ref: Goatham, Charles Henry to Baker, Clara Ellen q4 1898 Milton RD 2a 1625 Details from PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 4 April 2019)
  Children	4 children
  + 1. Annie Maria GOATHAM,   b. 8 Nov 1890, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England ,   d. Jun Q 1979, Wrexham Maelor Reg Dist, Clwyd, Wales  (Age 88 years) ▻ John Joseph HUMPHREYS  m. 15 Sep 1915 + 2. Charles Henry GOATHAM,   b. 2 Jun 1892, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England ,   d. Jun Q 1977, Sheppey Reg Dist, Sheppey, Kent, England  (Age 84 years) ▻ Ada FOWELL  m. 14 Dec 1914 + 3. Daisy Alice GOATHAM,   b. Mar Q 1894, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England ,   d. Dec Q 1919, Milton Reg Dist, Kent, England  (Age ~ 25 years) ▻ William Henry WHEELER  m. 25 May 1912   4. George Gotha GOATHAM,   b. 27 Jul 1896, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England ,   d. 5 Oct 1902, 3, The Wall, Sittingbourne, Kent, England  (Age 6 years)
  Last Modified	21 Jul 2022
  Family ID	F1139	Family Group Page  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Click to hide
  		Born - 12 Nov 1868 - Lower Halstow, Kent, England  Baptised - 7 Mar 1869 - St. Margaret of Antioch’s Church, Lower Halstow, Kent, England  Married - 4 Oct 1890 - Holy Trinity Church, Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England  Child - Annie Maria GOATHAM - 8 Nov 1890 - Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England  Child - Charles Henry GOATHAM - 2 Jun 1892 - Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England  Child - Daisy Alice GOATHAM - Mar Q 1894 - Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England  Child - George Gotha GOATHAM - 27 Jul 1896 - Milton next Sittingbourne, Kent, England  Census - 2 Apr 1911 - 9, The Wall, Sittingbourne, Kent, England  Buried - 3 Apr 1920 - Holy Trinity Church, Sittingbourne, Kent, England   = Link to Google Earth (if installed; see link below to install)
  Pin Legend

  
  

• BMD certificates

  Birth registration of Clara Ellen BAKER A Goatham by marriage (GRO register entry)