Margaret Lister was the fourth child of John Lister and Elizabeth Tate born March 11th, 1798 at Appleton Wiske & christened March 21st, 1798 at St Mary’s R.C Church, Craythorne, N. Yorks. Her godparents were Christopher Tate & Dorothy Davison.
Margaret married John Baker on November 14th, 1820 at Eston, N. Yorks. Witnesses at the wedding were William Hutchinson & John Lister. It was a double wedding as Margaret’s sister Elizabeth married William Hodgson the same day.
Margaret & John, a labourer, initially lived in Eston where their first 4 children were born. Sometime after 1825 they moved a little further south in Yorkshire to Sleights, Eskdale cum Ugglebarnby.
John, aged 49, died at Sleights & was buried on November 24th, 1840 at Eskdaleside. An inquest into John’s death stated that he was walking with another man on Sleights Moor when he fell down & ‘expired instantly’. A verdict of ‘died by the visitation of God’ was returned by the jury. His widow & 6 children were affected by the sudden bereavement. (Yorkshire Gazette, November 28th, 1840)
In 1841 widowed Margaret was living in Sleights with 4 young children to care for - George (12), Anne (9), Jane (5) & Francis (1).
In September 1846 daughter Mary married John Green, a labourer, at Whitby.
Margaret was described as a pauper in the 1851 census & was living at Grosmont, Eskdaleside. With her was daughter Jane, son Francis (aged 11), an ironstone miner & a grandson Thomas Baker (8). Living next door to Margaret was daughter Mary & her husband John Green, an ironstone miner, & their daughter Charlotte (3) & son Joseph (1).
Son George (born at Sleights, Yorks) was listed as being admitted to the Dreadnought Seaman’s Hospital, London in September 1852 & being discharged in October. He was serving on H.M.S.V. Wasp having sailed out from Whitby.
Three of Margaret’s daughters married 3 brothers of the Hoggarth family. Daughter Ann married Thomas Hoggarth, a labourer, in February 1849 in Egton. Both were under the legal age for marriage. Daughter Elizabeth married George Hoggarth, a labourer, in May 1851 at Whitby & daughter Jane, who was a witness at Elizabeth’s wedding, married Charles Hoggarth, a miner, in November 1854 at Whitby. Elizabeth was to marry again in 1860 after the death of her first husband, her second husband being Ralph Marsay.
Margaret was still living in Eskdaleside in 1861 & now in receipt of assistance from the parish. Son Francis was still living with her & working as an ironstone miner as was grandson Thomas Baker who was still with them. Another grandson, George Hoggarth (6) was living with them.
Margaret, aged 66, died at Sleights & was buried on September 26th, 1864 at St Matthew, Grosmont.
In 1881 daughter Jane & husband Charles Hoggarth, an iron miner, were living in Port Mulgrave, Hinderwell with their 5 children & with them was Jane’s brother John Baker listed also an ironstone miner. John continued to live with the Hoggarths & in 1881 he was listed as a sailor.
The children of Margaret Lister & John Baker were:
Thomas Baker christened March 18th, 1821 at Eston; died at Sleights & buried October 9th, 1831 at Eskdaleside
Elizabeth Baker christened July 27th, 1822 at Eston; buried July 29th, 1822 at St Cuthbert’s, Ormesby (10 days old)
Mary Baker christened August 11th, 1823 at Eston
John Baker christened December 4th, 1825 at Eston
Elizabeth Baker christened September 4th, 1827 at Eskdale cum Ugglebarnby
George Baker christened May 16th, 1829 at Eskdale cum Ugglebarnby
Ann Baker christened March 31st, 1832 at Eskdale cum Ugglebarnby
Jane Baker christened July 5th, 1835 at St John the Evangelist, Sleights, Eskdale cum Ugglebarnby
Francis Baker christened July 25th, 1839 at Eskdale cum Ugglebarnby