Who is the father of the Edgmond Emigrants?

Many researchers have claimed that the Baker emigrants were the children of a John Baker who died in 1672. He appears in the Quaker Records of Shropshire, and was buried in the Quaker Burial ground in Shrewsbury, but later secretly removed and reburied in Edmond. For this reason he is probably related to the Bakers of Edgmond, Shropshire. However, it is pretty clear from Robert Baker's Will, that Robert is the father of the emigrants.

Robert Baker was probably the one baptised June 17, 1611 in Newport, son of Robert Baker. Some sources have given him born in 1606. The Newport Church Registries show a Robert Baker, son of Robert Baker, baptised Dec. 4, 1606 and buried Jan. 20 1606/7. So if the Newport Bakers are Our Robert's family, he must be the one baptised 1611.

This research was done Oct. 12, 2000 by Edward Sinker at the Shropshire Record office. He says that Newport is only a few miles down the road from Edgmond, and that these are the only Bakers listed in the register for over a hundred years. For the complete transcript see Baker Sources.

The Hearth taxes of the Manor of Edgmond in 1671 show that John and his family lived in one house with one hearth; and that Joseph and his mother (and presumeably three younger sisters) lived in another house with one hearth. In 1672, after the death of Robert, Mary, his widow, signed a fostering agreement with a Walter Littleton for the tuition and education of Hanna, Sarah and Mary, who are minors. The other children who did not emigrate in 1684 presumeably were married and settled elsewhere than Edgmond. After 1684 there were no Bakers left in Edgmond.

However, for some reason, Gilbert Cope, the preeminent Chester county genealogist, claimed that John was the father of the emigrants, and many people have perpetuated this error. Cope was not often wrong, but this case is the exception.

Another widely perpetuated myth is the claimed descent from Sir Richard Baker the Chronicler, who is descended from the Bakers of Sissinghurst, Kent. The more research that comes to light, the less that probability remains that this connection may exist.

Sir Richard Baker was born in 1588 and died February 18, 1645. He married Margaret Mainwaring, daughter of Sir George Mainwaring, baronet of Ightfield. Richard agreed to assume certain debts of his wife's father, and thus became bankrupt and ended up in debtor's prison. Richard was knighted for his historical works, and was well-known. His family owned the beautiful Manor of Sissinghurst, Kent. He was the grandson of Sir John Baker, Chancellor of the Exchequer of England, under King Henry the VIII, through King Edward VI and Queen Mary, about 18 years. Margaret Mainwaring's lineage can be traced back to William the Conquerer. For these reasons, I believe, many people with the surname Baker, claimed a relationship that, so far as we can tell, is totally nonexistant. Sir Richard Baker the Chronicler had two sons, Thomas and Arthur, and three daughters, Cicely, Anne and Margaret. (source: Biographia Britannica by Andrew Kippis, 1800, researched by Ed Sinker.)

John and Robert Baker are definitely not sons of Sir Richard. I do not believe they are grandsons, either. If the Robert Baker, who was born in 1611 in Newport is our Robert, then the birth record shows that he is the son of another Robert Baker, and this makes there be no chance for our Robert to be the Grandson of Sir Richard the Chronicler. However, we keep our minds open, and perhaps there is another descent from the Bakers of Sissinghurst that we do not know about yet.

Robert Baker, Gunsmith of Lancaster Co. m. Susanna Packer

There was a Robert Baker (1675-1725) who lived in Lancaster County and was a gunsmith. His wife is given by some sources as Susanna Packer, daughter of Philip Packer and Ann Coates. This Robert is NOT the same Robert Baker ( b. abt. 1682; d. 1716) who lived in Middletown Twp., Chester (now Delaware) County, son of Joseph Baker of Edgmont, and who married Susanna Packer, daughter of Robert Packer of Philadelphia. This couple and their children are documented in Chester Monthly Meeting records, and Robert has intestate papers filed in Chester County in 1716. There is absolutely no way they can be the same people. Two different Robert Bakers; two different Susanna Packers.

We will continue to keep this page updated as we find any more erroneous Baker genealogy.