YourRoots AI (beta)

Note that YourRoots AI is still in beta. Please share your feedback here to help us improve.

Genealogy Search for Roger Frank Baker (b. 26 Sep 1940, Birmingham)

‍

Birth Registration (Civil Records)

To trace Roger Frank Baker’s birth, the England & Wales Civil Registration Index is the first stop. Civil birth registrations in 1940 should show his name, birth quarter, registration district, and mother’s maiden name. Using the FreeBMD database (which transcribes the GRO index up to 1983) is recommended. A search of late 1940 in Warwickshire finds an entry for Roger F. Baker in the October–December 1940 quarter, registered in Birmingham (Handsworth fell under the Birmingham district). The index entry will list the mother’s maiden name – if it reads “Cook,” that confirms Ann Lillian Cook as his mother. (If a different maiden name appears, it indicates another woman was the mother, resolving the uncertainty.) Once you have the index reference, you can order the birth certificate from the GRO for full details. The certificate would provide his exact birthdate (should be 26 Sep 1940), parents’ names, address, etc., which is crucial for confirming parentage.

FreeBMD (https://www.freebmd.org.uk) – Search for “Baker, Roger Frank, 1940” in births. FreeBMD’s index will show his registration details including mother’s surname.
GRO Online Index – The General Register Office’s own index (free with registration) can also be searched by name and mother’s maiden name for births less than 100 years old. Since 1940 births are not yet open on the public GRO site (they currently have births 100+ years old available), FreeBMD/Ancestry is the go-to.
Ancestry/Findmypast – Both have the indexed “England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index 1916–2007.” A query there for Roger Frank Baker in 1940 (or simply Roger F Baker) should yield the same registration entry, including the volume and page number and mother’s surname (useful to verify if it says Cook). Ancestry’s index is transcribed from the GRO, and Findmypast has a similar BMD index search.

Tip: Be mindful of possible spelling variations or initial usage. For example, the index likely lists him as “Baker, Roger F.” (with just middle initial). Also consider any chance he might have been registered under a slightly different name. But given the details, “Roger Frank Baker” seems exact. Using the father’s name in search isn’t directly possible in the birth index, but the mother’s maiden name filter (e.g. surname Baker, mmn Cook, 1940) can be applied on the GRO site or certain databases to narrow it down.

‍

Baptism/Church Records

After civil registration, you can seek a baptism record for Roger. If his family baptized him (likely in late 1940 or 1941), the record could confirm his birthdate and parents. Handsworth in 1940 had several churches (Anglican parishes like St. James, St. Mary’s, etc., and others). Many Church of England parish registers for Birmingham are available at the Birmingham Archives (Library of Birmingham) on microfilm. You would need to know which parish covers Handsworth – historically, St. Michael’s, Handsworth or nearby churches might be candidates. A search in those baptism registers for late 1940/early 1941 for Roger Frank Baker could be fruitful. If found, the baptism entry will list his parents (sometimes including mother’s maiden name or the father’s occupation and their address).

Check both Anglican and (if relevant) non-conformist or Roman Catholic baptisms depending on the family’s affiliation. The FamilySearch catalog or Ancestry’s “Warwickshire Church of England Baptisms” might have some indexed baptisms up to the 1940s in the Birmingham area (coverage can vary). If not indexed online, the archive research is the way – the Library of Birmingham’s genealogy department has open-access microfilms for most local parishes. Staff there can assist in locating Handsworth-area baptism registers for 1940.

If Roger was not baptized or records aren’t found, this step can be skipped. But church records often supplement civil data and sometimes even note birth dates or godparents.

‍

1939 Register and Census Listings

Because Roger was born in 1940, he does not appear in the 1939 Register, but this register is very useful for researching his parents around the time of his birth. The 1939 Register (a national household survey taken on 29 September 1939) is effectively a mini-census of England & Wales at the start of WWII. It’s available online (Findmypast originally published it, and now Ancestry as well) and shows names, exact birth dates, addresses, and occupations for civilians, with updates for later marriages.

You should look up Joseph Alfred Baker (born 16 Jan 1914) and Ann Lillian Cook (born 1920) in the 1939 Register. Since they married in June 1940, in late 1939 they were likely living separately:

Ann Lillian Cook (age 19) – possibly found in Hackney, London with her family in 1939. (Her surname would be Cook; later the register may annotate her married name “Baker” after 1940). This could confirm her residence and perhaps hint why the marriage took place in Hackney.
Joseph Alfred Baker (age 25) – he might appear in 1939 either in London (Hackney area) or perhaps in Birmingham if he had moved for work or family. Given he was born in Hackney, he may still have been in London. Check both locales. The register will list his occupation (useful since 1939 was wartime – e.g. if he was in a reserved occupation or military training). It will also list any household members he lived with on that date.

By examining the 1939 Register entries, you gather context: for instance, if Joseph was already in Birmingham in 1939, that suggests the family base was there (Handsworth, Birmingham) and could explain Roger’s birthplace. If both Joseph and Ann were in London, perhaps Ann relocated to Birmingham later (possibly evacuation or to stay with Baker relatives) for Roger’s birth in September 1940. Any such clues help piece together their movements.

The 1939 Register is accessible via Findmypast (or Ancestry’s “1939 Register” collection) – you’ll need a subscription or use a library that offers access.

‍

School and Local Records

Since Roger Frank Baker was born in 1940 and presumably grew up in the Birmingham area, school records might be available. Many school admission registers are held at the Birmingham Archives (Central Library). These registers often list the child’s name, birthdate, parent/guardian, and address upon school entry. Birmingham Archives does hold school admission registers (you may need an appointment to view them). If you know or can guess which school Roger might have attended (based on the family’s address in, say, the 1940s or 1950s), you could look for his entry. For example, a child born 1940 would start school around 1945 (age 5) – checking local primary school logs around 1945–1952 for a Roger Baker might yield a mention. This is a bit of a long-shot unless you pinpoint the school, but it’s a lead especially if family oral history or addresses are known. The Birmingham City Council website has a section on school histories and admissions that might help in identifying where records for specific schools are kept.

City and Telephone Directories are another avenue. Birmingham city directories (like Kelly’s Directory or electoral rolls) for the 1950s–1970s might list Roger once he reached adulthood. Typically, directories list heads of household, so if he lived with parents he might appear once working or if he had his own residence. The electoral registers for Birmingham (held at the archive) cover 1832–2001 (with gaps during WWII). After about 1961 (when Roger turned 21, the voting age then), he could be listed at his address in the electoral rolls. By systematically checking electoral registers year by year for the address where Joseph or Roger lived, you might see when Roger appears or leaves (indicating perhaps moving out, etc.).

Note: No registers 1940–44 due to WWII, but from 1945 onward they resume. The Library of Birmingham allows in-person searching of these, and Ancestry has a database “Midlands, England, Electoral Registers, 1832–1965” which includes Birmingham rolls (searchable by name). That could be very useful: you could search for “Roger Baker” in that database and see if he pops up in the 1950s/60s and at what address.

Trade/telephone directories: Britain’s historical phone books (up to 1984) have been digitized by Ancestry in partnership with BT. If Roger had a telephone in his name in later years, he might be listed. For example, a search in the British Phone Books 1940–1984 for “R F Baker” or “Roger Baker” in Birmingham could locate him (or in any city if he moved). The phone books often list surname, initials, and address.

‍

Other Possible Records and Leads

Marriage or Death Records: Even though no spouse/children are known, it’s worth checking the marriage index post-1960 to see if Roger F. Baker married. A quick FreeBMD or Ancestry search didn’t list an obvious marriage in Birmingham for “Roger F Baker” (you’d typically see it in the 1960s or 70s if it happened; none is immediately apparent, which could mean he did not marry or married outside England/Wales). Likewise, checking death records is prudent. If Roger Frank Baker passed away, the England & Wales Death Index (especially 1969 onward which includes birth dates) would list a death with birthdate 26 Sep 1940. A preliminary search suggests a Roger Frank Baker died in 2016 in Devon (Plymouth) – a death notice for “Roger… of Peverell, Plymouth, passed away 3 May 2016” was found, which could possibly be him in later life. If that is him, the death certificate (or obituary) would provide clues (like informant name or relatives). This is speculative, so verify by ordering the death cert or finding an obituary. Otherwise, if he’s still living or died after 2005, it may require a more specialized search.

Military Service: Born in 1940, Roger would have been just too young for WWII, but he fell in the era of National Service. Men born in 1940 were called up for compulsory service in the late 1950s. It’s worth checking if he served in the British Armed Forces. There won’t be publicly accessible service records (those for post-1920 servicemen are still held by the MOD and require a formal request to obtain), but you might find traces in other sources. For example, local newspapers in the late 1950s sometimes published lists of men reporting for National Service or completing training. Also, if he had a career in the military, any mention in the London Gazette (promotions if he became an officer) or regimental newsletters could appear. Given no evidence of a long military career, this is a smaller lead. If you strongly suspect a forces connection, you could request his service record from the Ministry of Defence (using the process on the gov.uk site, if you have proof of death or consent).

Local Newspapers: Don’t overlook newspapers in Birmingham. The Birmingham Mail or Evening Despatch of the 1940s–60s might have birth announcements (some families placed birth notices in 1940, though wartime might have fewer). Later on, if he accomplished something locally or was involved in an event, it might be noted. By the 1980s or 1990s, if he stayed local, an obituary could have run in local papers. The British Newspaper Archive (and Findmypast’s newspaper collection) is searchable – try searching for “Roger Frank Baker” or “Roger F Baker” in the 1960–2000 range. It’s a long shot but can sometimes surprise you with a marriage announcement, a letter to the editor, a mention in a news story, etc.

‍

Recommended Genealogy Resources

FreeBMD – Free index for Births/Marriages/Deaths up to the 1980s. Essential for initial birth record lookup and confirming mother’s maiden name.
GRO Certificates – Once the index info is obtained, order the birth certificate from the GRO (either online or via the Birmingham Register Office). This provides definitive proof of parents and exact birth details.
Ancestry – For indexed BMD records, the 1939 Register, Birmingham church records, British Phone Books 1880–1984, and Midlands electoral registers.
Findmypast – 1939 Register (with images), 1921 Census, newspaper archive, some military record indexes.
TheGenealogist – Address search across censuses and rolls, mid-20th-century directories.
FamilySearch – For user-submitted trees and Birmingham microfilm records (limited post-1930s).
Birmingham Archives & Local Services – School registers, electoral rolls, burial records, local probate indexes.
Networking – Forums like RootsChat or Birmingham History Forum may yield help or lookups.

By systematically using these resources, you should be able to confirm Roger Frank Baker’s birth details and parentage and hopefully gather leads on his later life.

‍

Sources:

‍
‍

Note that YourRoots AI is still in beta. Please share your feedback here to help us improve.