Overview:

Joshua Kirby Baldrey is earliest of this line for which we have documentation. He was an artist in the engraving business in Cambridge. In some of the art world references, it is noted that he is sometimes also referred to as John Baldrey. Reference works researching English engravers show that he worked in London and Cambridge from 1780 to 1810 and that he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1793-94. An excerpt from Cooper's Annals of Cambridge (v.4, p 559) shows the following: "On the 6th day of December [1828] , died, at Hatfield Wood Side, Hertfordshire, aged 74, Mr. Joshua Kirby Baldrey, who resided for some years in this town and established his reputation as an artist by an accurate engraving of the eastern window of King's College Chapel. He published "A Dissertation on the Windows of King's College Chapel, Cambridge," (1818) from which it appears he was engaged on an engraving of one of the south windows. This ingenious man died in indigence, leaving a widow and eleven children totally unprovided for.

On June 9th, 1808, Joshua Kirby Baldrey made application for marriage stating that he "is a widower, aged 50 years, a resident of the Parish of St. Mary the Great, in the town of Cambridge; that he intends to marry Mary Jane Copsey of said parish, who is 20 years of age and a spinster. John Copsey, of Saxham in the County of Suffolk, natural and lawful father of said minor consents to said marriage". Joshua listed his occupation as an engraver and a painter. John Copsey is listed as a waggoner. The application was granted and the record shows they were married on the 12th of June, 1808 at the Church of St. Mary the Great.

From an earlier marriage there was probably at least one child, Mary Baldrey , who was married on 4/6/1806 to John Marshall. JK Baldrey was a witness at this wedding. [There was a marriage in St Michaels, Cambridge 6 April 1806, John Marshall of this parish, widower and Mary Baldrey of this parish. Allegation: 5 April 1806, John Marshall of parish of St Michael in the town of Cambridge, gent and Joshua Kirby Baldrey of St. Mary's in the same, engraver that John Marshall and Mary Baldrey shall marry. Bond: appears John Marshall of St. Michael, 21 years and upwards and a widower and intends to marry with Mary Baldrey of 21 years and up.]

Baptismal records show that Joshua K Baldrey and Mary C Baldrey had eleven children between 1808 and 1823. Mary Copsey Baldrey was baptized on December 20th, 1808; Joshua Copsey Baldrey, on August 5th, 1810; and Elizabeth Parsons Baldrey, on August 9th, 1811, all of these in the Church of St. Mary the Great in Cambridge. Joshua K Baldrey died on 12/6/1828, leaving Mary Jane a widow at age of 41. The rest of the children were all baptized on the same day, May, 1829, in Hatfield, Hertfordshire: Martha, Rebecca, Ruth, Susannah, Anne, John Marshall, Joseph Deighton and Samuel Kirby. By 1851, Mary Copsey Baldrey appears on the Census as living in Mount Pleasant Almshouse along with an unmarried daughter, Mary Copsey.

John Marshall Baldrey, sixth child of Joshua Kirby Baldrey, was born on December 16th, 1816 in Hatfield, Hertsfordshire. His birthplace in the census records is given as Hertford, Hertfordshire. On June 20th, 1842, he married Jane Lions, a widow, in the Parish Church of Haslingfield, Cambridge County. A copy of the marriage registration lists him as a school master residing at Orwell and her residence as Haslingfield. His father's occupation is given as artist and her's as gardener. The document was witnessed by Thomas and Isabel McGee. To this marriage seven children were born, all of whom were christened in Orwell. The names and dates of christenings are: Agnes Jane Baldrey, April 16th, 1843; Fanny Isabelle, May 15, 1844; Rosa Ann, June 22, 1845; Thomas Marshall, October 4th, 1846 (born September 18th), Edward George, December 1848; Eleanor Rebecca, September 1st, 1850; and, John Alexander, January 26th, 1852, (born December 27th, 1851). In its editions printed for 1858 and 1864, Kelly's Post Office Directory in Orwell shows John M. Baldrey is a Master of an endowed school and Jane Baldrey as Mistress of an endowed school. The 1851 and 1861 Census for the Orwell District shows J.M. Baldrey's occupation as School Master. The 1871 Census lists him as being the Bailiff at the Rectory Farm on 175 Cambridge Road and also shows his sister, Mary C. Baldrey, age 62, unmarried, as living in his home.

Early in 1875, John Marshall and Jane Baldrey moved to New Hunstanton, a resort town located on the sea in Norfolk, where they leased a house and rented rooms to tourists during the Season. They also had a small shop where they sold such things as tobacco and J.M. also did book binding. The resort season was usually short, about four months of the year, due to the rainy weather and heavy winds on the water. At about this time, their eldest son, Thomas Marshall, emigrated to the United States, settling for a time in Chicago. Agnes, married to Charles Fuller, lived in Birmingham. Fanny never married and continued living with her parents until her death at the age of 46. Edward lived at home and was quite a trial to his parents. He had a difficult time finding work and apparently was a bit wild. He eventually took a job in Birmingham and then joined his brother, Tom, in America. He spent some time in Hodgeman County for it is thought that he went out West with Henry Feidler and Frank Parsons, Mary Ellen's uncle. He was unmarried and is thought to have died of a sunstoke. Eleanor (Nelly) married a young widower, Fred Anderson; he possibly was related in some way through her Aunt Dolly (Mary) who was married to an Anderson. Several of the Andersons came to America and were in contact with Tom and Alexander.