Lemuel Baker (1742 - 1815)

Born 27 May 1742 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Abigail (Griggs) Baker — married 17 Nov 1785 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA

Descendants

Died 27 Jul 1815 at age 73 in Steuben, Washington, Maine, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Judith Mitchell [send private message]

Biography

Surgeon Lemuel Baker served with Suffolk County Militia, Massachusetts Militia during the American Revolution.

Lemuel Baker is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A005022.

Mortuary Notice Date: Thursday, July 27, 1815 Paper: Independent Chronicle (Boston, MA) Volume: XLVII Issue: 3576 Page: 3: "In Steuben, Me, Mr Lemuel Baker, aged 73, formerly of Roxbury, a worthy and exemplary character."

The Narraguagus Valley -- Some Account of its Early Settlement and settlers, by James Alphonso (1813-1891) Cornell University Library [ covers towns of Stueben, Milbridge, Harrington and Cherryfiled], Machias, Maine 1886, reprinted A. J. Huston, Portland, Maine, 1910, page 30.

The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Volumes XIII - XIV (13-14), "The Turner Family of America" Section: "Edward Turner and His Descendants" (July 1882) ppg 129 - 130 by Frank F Starr and John V. L Pruyns, Jr.

Baker Family Archives of Guy Ellis Baker, Esq of Albany, New York expert on the descendants of the Bakers of the Roxbury Colony.

"History of the First Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts, 1630-1904"

"A Naval Disaster: The Penobscot Expedition" ^[1]

Ships Logs from University of Nova Scotia Archives.

Find a Grave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=133535761

Massachusetts and Maine Vital records.

Family Tree: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/59016579/person/48041691949

DNA research by Roland Henry Baker, III molecular geneticist University of California at Berkeley.

12 Jun 1779 British Brigadier General Fracis McLean under the command of British General Henry Clinton invaded the Penobscot River Velley in Maine to Establish "New Ireland" as new British Colony and cut off the United States from Nova Scotia. 24 Jun 1779 the Court of Massachusetts requisitioned under penalty of imprisonment a fleet of privateers, merchant ships and state warships totaling 18 armed vessels, 24, transports and 1,500 troops under the command of U.S. Navy officer Dudley Saltonstall and with ground troops under Brigadier Generals Solomon Lovell and Peleg Wadsworth and Lt Col Paul Revere. On 25 Jul 1779 began an amphibious assault that would later be recorded as one of the greatest Naval disasters of all time. All vessels where scuttled or burned and the crew shipwrecked, among them serving under the command of Brigadier General Solomon Lovell in Colonel Benjamin Foster's regiment was ship's surgeon, Lemuel Baker of the Roxbury Colony of Massachusetts. He made a home called Baker's point and founded the town of Steuben, Maine and there his descendants would stay for generations.

Lemuel Baker, ships surgeon (27 May 1742 West Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts - 27 Jul 1815 Steuben, Washington, Maine).

Lemuel Baker's father was Captain John Baker (17 Dec 1705 Roxbury, Essex, Massachusetts - 10 Aug 1781 West Roxbury, Massachusetts) of the Continental Army and the Roxbury Colony son of Thomas Baker (1676 – 1761) and Sarah Pike (1681 – 1715) from a founding family of the Roxbury Colony.

Lemuel Baker's mother was Abigail Colburn (24 Oct 1712 Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts - 25 Oct 1746 Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts) the daughter of John Colburn (1675 – 1732) and Rhoda Bradhurst (1678 – 1707) also from a founding family of the Roxbury Colony.

Taken from early records: "Among the very early settlers at Steuben was Lemuel Baker, who came from Roxbury, Massachusetts. He must have come about, or soon after, the time that the Leightons came. He married a (Rhoda) Tracy, sister of Mrs. Thomas Leighton, 2d (Note this is Lydia Tracy 1748 - 1789 who married Thomas Leightron 1740 - 1803), and Mrs. Deacon Stevens (Note this is Mary Tracy 1752-1833 wife of Deacon Jonathan Stevens 1741 - 1842). He settled near the shore of Joy's Bay, on what is known as Baker's Point, afterwards near where the George Baker house is. By his first wife he had four children:"

Rhoda Tracy (17 Aug 1756 Falmouth, Cumberland, Maine - 8 Oct 1784 Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts) the daughter of Jonathan Tracy (1713 – 1796) and Abigail Riggs (1726 – 1795) was the first wife of Lemuel Baker. They had four children:

1) George Baker, died unmarried.

2) Nabby Baker (25 Jun 1776 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 1 May 1805 Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts) married Solomon Jones (1766 Roxbury – 13 Mar 1820 Roxbury) and had four children: Dolly Baker Jones, Louisa Jone, Arthur Tracy Jones, Nabby Baker Jones.

3) Rhoda Baker (1782 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 25 Jan 1867 Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts) married George Lyon Farrington (1764 – 1823) and had six children: Sophia Mann Farrington (1806 – 1865), Mary Adaline Farrington (1808 – 1885), Rhoda Tracy Farrington (1810 – 1837), John Lemist Farrington (1812 –), Noble Farrington (1816 –) and Abigail Baker Jones Farrington (1819 –).

4) Dolly Baker ( 14 Jul 1782 in Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA -), died unmarried.

Taken from early records: "After the death of his first wife, which occurred while these children were young, Mr. Baker moved to Massachusetts and there married Abigail Griggs, and by her had two children... both born in Roxbury, and while they were young again moved to Steuben, where he and his wife lived for the remainder of their days."

Abigail Griggs Abigail Griggs (18 Oct 1761 Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts - Steuben, Washington County, Maine, USA) Lemuel's second wife, was the daughter of James Griggs (1704 – 1798) and Mary Mayo (1718 – 1778) also from a founding family of the Roxbury Colony.

Lemuel Baker and Abigail Griggs had two children:

1) Susannah Baker (13 Jan 1785 Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts - 18 Aug 1863 Cherryfield, Washington, Maine) married Amaziah Ricker (1778 – 1826) Taken from early records: "Amaziah Ricker...came from Waterbury, Maine, to Addison about 1796. He was a blacksmith, came to Cherryfield, Maine in 1800 and built a shop where Mr. Samuel Campbell's house now stands." They had six survining children:

a) Sarah Griggs Ricker (3 Aug 1805 Cherryfield, Washington, Maine - 1841 Cherryfield, Washington, Maine) married first Rev Edmund Nugent (1788 – 1822) and married second Colin Campbell (1796 – 1841).

b) Benjamin Gleason Ricker (24 Sep 1807 in Cherryfield, Washington, Maine - 1892 in Cherryfield, Washington, Maine) married Elizabeth Campbell (1812 – 1878).

c) Caroline Ricker (14 Feb 1810 Cherryfield, Washington, Maine - 31 Jan 1895 Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts) married Alexander Campbell (1810 – 1888).

d) George B Ricker (3 Jan 1813 Cherryfield, Washington, Maine - 13 Dec 1852 Cherryfield, Washington, Maine) married Mary Ann Upton (1815 – 1870).

e) Arthur S Ricker (25 Apr 1817 Cherryfield, Washington, Maine - 16 Feb 1891 Lawrence, Douglas, Kansas) married Jane Stoddard (1816 – 1883)

f) Abigail B Ricker (5 Jun 1819 Cherryfield, Washington, Maine - 1883 Cherryfield, Washington, Maine) married George Wingate (1813 – 1879).

(Note Amaziah Ricker and Susannah Baker also had three other children that died shortly after birth early in their marriage around 1803 - 1804: Abigail B Ricker, Arthur S Ricker, George B Ricker not to be confused with their namesakes born later who survived their vitals cam be found on my tree referenced above on Ancestry.com).

2. Eli Forbes Baker (26 Jan 1790 Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts - 28 Sep 1855 Steuben, Washington, Maine) married Rebecca Downs (4 Mar 1795 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 1884 Steuben, Washington, Maine) the daughter of Benjamin G Downs (1767 Steuben, Washington, Maine – 1840 Frankfort, Waldo, Maine) and Molly (Mary) Rowe (1759 Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire – 15 Oct 1848 in Maine) Note Molly Rowe married first Moses Spencer, Jr (1755 – 1778) before marrying Benjamin G Downs. She was the daughter of Lazarus Rowe and Molly Webster who both lived for over 100 years of age and are recorded in the Guinness book of world records as the longest married couple.

Elit Forbes Baker and Rebecca Downs had 11 children:

a) George Lemuel Baker (4 Aug 1814 Steuben, Washington, Maine - abt 1875 in Steuben, Washington, Maine ) married Mary Ann Smith (1818 – 1913). No children.

b) Abigail Baker (7 mar 1816 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 23 Jul 1911 Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts) married Isaac Child (1792 – 1885). Children: Susan Rebecca Child and Elizabeth Ball Child.

c) Susan R Baker (15 May 1818 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 10 Aug 1891 Addison, Washington County, Maine) married Joseph Nash Davis (1820 – 1892). Children: Rebecca Baker Davis, Abbie Baker Davis, Albert Davis, Edward E Davis, Hamilton H Hamlin Davis and Flora Cousins (Adopted).

d) Forbes Baker (28 Mar 1820 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 14 march 1905 Steuben, Washington, Maine) married first Sarah D Evans (1823 - 1855). Forbes Baker married Second Susan Davis Dorman (1836 - 1922). Children with second wife: Charles Forbes Baker, Fred Forbes Baker, Walter C Baker, Hiram "High" A Baker, Jerome Wase Baker.

e) John H Baker (23 May 1822 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 1 May 1873 Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts) married first Mildred Ann Turner (13 Apr 1833 Lumpkin, Stewart, Georgia - 13 Dec 1866 Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts). Children with Mildred: Elizabeth R Baker, Georgia Anna Baker, John Howard Baker, William Colin Baker, Ida Jane Baker. John H Baker married second Angeline Lovina "Angie" Kidder (3 May 1839 Georges Mills, Sullivan, New Hampshire - 28 Oct 1929 Andover, Essex, Massachusetts in SAR). Children with Angie: Ruthetta Maude "Ruth" Baker and Frederic Warren Kidder Baker (SAR).

f) "Frank" Francis Baker (1 may 1825 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 18 Oct 1892 Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts) married Mary Elizabeth Dockham. Children: Francis and Elen Louisa Baker.

g) Henry C Baker (3 Jun 1827 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 29 Jun 1897 in Portland, Cumberland, Maine) married Sarah C Curtis (1834 – 1900). 12 Children (see tree).

H) Mary Downs Baker (2 Dec 1833 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 21 May 1913 Cherryfield, Washington, Maine) married William Mellish Eaton (1821 – 1904).

i) Sophia Downs Baker (18 Sep 1836 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 13 Dec 1906 Franklin, Norfolk, Massachusetts) maried George Edgar Kendall (1837 – 1899). Five children.

j) William Griggs Baker (15 Oct 1838 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 17 Oct 1905 Machias, Washington, Maine) married Sylvia Greenwood Hart (1838 – 1892) of St. Louis. Four children. He married second Santie W Wiswell (1858 -).

k) Colin Campbell Baker (21 Aug 1830 Steuben, Washington, Maine - 06 Sep 1896 Steuben, Washington, Maine) married Elizabeth "Bessie" Young Crowley (1849 – 1917). Four children.

His Baker ancestors originally came from Sissinghurst, Kent, England. During the great migration 400 years ago his forefather, Thomas Baker, was a founding member of the Roxbury Colony in the early 1600's. In the late 1700's during an ill fated Navel campaign against the British ship's surgeon Lemuel Baker, left Roxbury and was shipwrecked in Steuben, Washington, Maine where the family remained for generations. The Bakers of Steuben, Maine made regular voyages back to the first Church of Roxbury for baptisms, marriages and deaths. The first Church of Roxbury remained the cornerstone of the family for generations even to my own father.

His American Baker pedigree is Lemuel Baker 5 (1742 – 1815), Capt John Baker 4 (1705 – 1781), Thomas Baker 3 (1676 – 1761), John Baker 2 (1644 – 1732), Thomas Baker 1 (1608 – 1683), Sir Thomas Baker (1557 - 1625), Sir Richard Baker (1527 - 1594), Sir John Baker (1488 – 1558), Member of Parliament and Exchequer of England of Sissinghurst, Kent, England according to noted genealogist and expert on the Roxbury Colony Bakers, Guy Elis Baker of Albany, New York.

Y Chromosome DNA analysis shows that this Baker family has no relationship to the other New England Baker families that descend from Alexander Baker nor Nicolas Baker. This Baker family has a haplotype of R-L664 under R1a1->M417>CTS4385>L664>(S3478?)>S2894>YP282-C>YP441 (within subgroup 2D of L664). This has been verified against more than one sample. It is related to other families in the Kent and Sussex area of Southern England such as Britton, Brittan, Tucker, Drake, Robinson, Apps/Epps, McCarty, Sunderling, Smith, Elliott, Lee, and Pike. Based on FTDNA BigY, STR-111, Y-Full, FullGenomes. A Full Sequence is currently being completed for publication.

Sources

1. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 02/29/2016), "Record of Lemuel Baker", Ancestor # A005022.