THISTORY OF THOMAS BAUGH 1775-1829
AND ANN AUSTIN 1777-1871
Compiled by Beth J. Baugh
Thomas Baugh was born in 1775, in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. Thomas married Ann Austin on May 9, 1799, in St Nocholas, Rochester, Kent, England (The marriage certificate shows her name as Ann Allen, but this is incorrect). He was twenty four and she was twenty two. The only picture that we have of Thomas Baugh was taken in the garb of the Druids Lodge, a society of men.
Ann Austin was born on February 10, 1777, in Sutton, Kent, England, to Thomas Austin and Mary Randalls.
At the age of 22 on January 20, 1797, Thomas enlisted in the Marines. He was stationed at a marine base in Chatham, England. Thomas was in The 86th Company of Chatham Division of the Royal Marines. He was made a corporal on the August 13, 1794, and sergeant on October 28, 1797. Thomas was a Military ornament maker by trade, making buttons and decorations for the uniforms. Thomas was very handsome, tall, 5 ft 6 inches, with dark hair and a fair complexion. While off duty in Chatham Thomas probably met the tall, well built Ann Austin and their courtship began.
Thomas and Ann had an interesting life together. Thomas became a petty officer in the marines, so he was transferred often. In 1800 they made their home in Cliff, Kent, England, where their first child, Francis Maria Ann, was born February 1, 1800. They then moved to Birmingham, Warwickshire England. Their next child Caroline was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England on the May 25, 1804. In July of 1805, Caroline, then one year old, passed away, probably due to an epidemic. Three months later Francis, age four, passed away. This was a tragic and difficult time for Thomas and Ann. It would be eight years before they had another child probably due to her physical as well as mental condition.
William was born in August and was christened on August 23, 1813, in Chatham, Kent, England. William must have been a joy to his parents after being childless for eight years. Having a father in the marines was an exciting life for young William. When he was five years old the family moved to Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire, England. Their second son Henry Huntington was born there in 1818; William would have been five years old. Sometime between 1818 and 1820, Thomas was assigned to sea duty. Ann traveled with Thomas and probably her two young sons aboard the ship. As it was a man-of –war ship it was not built for comfort. The bunks were wood with very little padding. The eating area was crowded and eating was done in shifts. Keeping two little boys out of trouble would have been a full time job for Ann.
At the beginning of the voyage there would have been fresh foods. Later the main meal was salted beef and pork and hard baked bread. They would have to wait until they got to port to again have the fresh food. They would buy live animals so they could have fresh meat later.
Exposure to the elements was always a challenge, the storms and also the heat. There was always the chance of sickness aboard the ship, smallpox, measles, cholera and yellow fever. Because of the cramped quarters the disease would spread quickly and the he sick bay would have from half dozen to three dozen men a week.
Ship life was very busy. Every seaman had his duties for the day and the duties were given based on the crewmen’s skill and experience. The Watch standers would take four hour shifts, day and night. The cleaning of the ship went on every day, washing down the deck, polishing the bright work and painting the exterior. Also there were exercises in manning the cannons and fire arms. There were times of relaxing, the men spinning yarns, singing, dancing and games. There was also a small Library on each ship, with a good supply of books.
Women on board a man-of-war ship were quite common. Most were wives of officers and NCOs. Military units of the time were usually allotted some women as cooks and laundresses (A company of marines was allotted five women.) When hostilities broke out the women were usually drafted to help the surgeon. Women were present at every major British naval engagement of the time.
Ann was tall and ably built and able to do her part while on board the ship with her husband and boys. While on the ship, their last son, George Thomas Baugh was born on May 20, 1821. He was born at Gibraltar, Mid Sea, Spain. Having two young boys, age eight and three and a new baby on board a man-of war ship must have been an interesting experience for Ann and for the crew.
Eight years later in 1829, while they were living again in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, Thomas, then age 56 passed away. At the time he was a Pay-Master Sergeant in the marines. He left Ann, his widow, age 52, and three sons, William, age 16, Henry, age 11 and George, age 8. Ann continued living in Birmingham, England, with her three sons. At some time there the Mormon missionaries taught her the Gospel and she was baptized a member.
George, the youngest son, was married November 23, 1840, to Elizabeth Fenneyhough, when he was nineteen, and she was seventeen. They made their home on Church Street, in Birmingham, England. After their first child was born in 1841, mother Ann moved in with them to help with the family.
Henry worked in Dover, England, and he married Jane Allpress but there are no children listed on the records. William lived in Chatham, England, where he worked at the shipyards and was clerk of a Regiment at Fort Pitt. Our records do not show a marriage, however in a family record done by Judith Ison, a professional researcher, it says that William had two sons that were either buried or drowned at sea, so we believe that he was married. William passed away in 1865, at the age of 52.
George Thomas Baugh was baptized April 20, 1848. Elizabeth was baptized in 1849. They stayed in England for twenty years before gathering with the main body of the Saints in Utah.
Ann lived with George and Elizabeth for many years, helping with the children. When the children in the family were punished she would bring tea and cookies to them. Many a time she had money hid and gave the children a penny or half penny. When the children started to work she world bring tea and sugar in a paper for them. She would tell tales of being in Gibraltar, of serving on the ship on the high seas and living in different places and told tales of the storms and the battles at sea which the young boys loved to hear. They loved the story of George, their father, being born right in mid-sea onboard the ship. She told about men being hung for stealing sheep. The young boys didn’t need fairy tales; they had Grandma Ann’s stories.
Son George and his wife, Elizabeth, had fourteen children, twelve girls and two boys. Third daughter Frances died at age two. One child was stillborn and the last little girl, a twin, died at nine months. When their seventh daughter, Alice Mary, was baptized, Ann, her grandmother was re-baptized. They later moved to and ran the “Conference House” which was the house where the Elders of the church lived. Their large family and small income required all the members of the family to work hard and live economically. George worked in a factory making silverware using an alloy made up of copper, zinc and nickel, called “German Silver.” They were very busy and active in the Church. Ann loved living with the family and helping with the cooking and washing. She loved doing her ten granddaughters hair and helping them with their clothes, or just playing with them and telling them stories of when she was young and how she met their grandfather Thomas. Ann was a great help to Elizabeth. On a cold and wintery day, January 25, 1871, Ann passed away at age 94. It was a sad time for the whole family as they were so close to their grandmother and missed her greatly. She was buried in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. Five months after the death of mother Ann, the family left for America, on June 21, 1871.
The family had Thomas and Ann sealed to each other and to their children in the Logan Temple on June 1, 1894. George Thomas was the proxy for his father, Thomas, and his daughter, Laura Matilda Baugh Knowles, was the proxy for Ann Austin Baugh, her grandmother (Book D, page 294, Sealings for the Dead, Logan Temple.) William, Henry and George were sealed to their parents on September 28, 1894 (Book B, page 254, Sealngs of Children to Parents, Logan Temple.) After family research found their two daughters Francis and Caroline, who died as infants, they were sealed to their parents. Caroline was sealed to her parents on January 10, 1978. Francis was sealed to her parents May 21st, 1998. The daughters are buried at St. Mary, Whittall, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.
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