Pictured in the centre from left to right are Timothy Warner, grandson of Constance Baker, Mayor of H&F Cllr Daryl Brown, Mayor of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Cllr Geoffrey Hipperson, and Pablo Walsingham, Vice Chairman of Mariam Parish Council
A Fulham mother who gave her time and money to entertain and feed the troops in Bishops Park during the First World War has been commemorated with new plaque.
The plaque for Norfolk-born Constance Baker was unveiled in the park on Saturday 11 January. It follows the unveiling of a similar plaque in her hometown of Marham, last September.
Mrs Baker’s family moved to Pimlico, London, in 1891, before later marrying her husband, John, and moving to Fulham.
See all the pictures from the event on our Flickr photo gallery
Last summer, H&F Council pledged lifelong support for the armed forces and their families by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
The unveiling was also attended by Chelsea Pensioners and officers from the Royal Yeomanry.
Supporting the troops
A mother of eight, when one of her sons was killed in the war, distraught Mrs Baker and her husband, decided to offer their support to the troops by arranging entertainment in Bishops Park.
Much of the family’s wealth was spent on goods and food for the returning troops, which earned her the title, ‘Mother of the Wounded’. This was later inscribed on her tombstone, following her death in Livingstone, Scotland, in 1929 at the age of 61.
Mrs Baker’s legacy in the borough is maintained through her great-grandson, Tim Warner, who lives on the Edward Woods Estate in Shepherds Bush.
On Saturday 21 September, 2019, the Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, Cllr Daryl Brown attended a ceremony for the unveiling of Constance Baker’s plaque in Marham.
In reciprocation, the Mayor of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, Cllr Geoff Hipperson, attended this weekend’s event in Fulham, along with members of Mrs Baker’s family.
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