Joseph Baker R.N. (1767 - 1817)

Born 1767 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England

Husband of Elizabeth (Weyerman) Baker — married 28 May 1797 in St Mary, Newington, England

Descendants

Died 1817 at about age 50 in Presteigne, Radnorshire, Wales, United Kingdom

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Biography

Joseph Baker R.N. is Notable.

Joseph Baker (1767–1817) was an officer in the Royal Navy, best known for his role in the mapping of the Pacific Northwest Coast of America during the Vancouver Expedition of 1791-1795. Mount Baker is named after him.

Baker is thought to have come from the Welsh border counties. From 1787 he served on HMS Europa where he met then-Lieutenant George Vancouver and then-Midshipman Peter Puget. Vancouver picked Baker as 3rd Lieutenant (and Puget as 2nd Lieutenant) of HMS Discovery for a round-the-world survey, focusing on the American Pacific Northwest Coast. Baker proved a highly capable surveyor and chartmaker in addition to his other duties.

Most of the small-boat work in exploring the Northwest Coast of America was done by the more senior officers, while Baker specialized in converting their observations into nautical charts. When Discovery explored Admiralty Inlet, Baker was the first Briton to see Mt. Baker, a prominent volcano which Vancouver named after him, although it had already been sketched by the Spanaird Haro in 1790 as first pilot on Quimper's exploration of the area.

Baker spent much of the next few years refining the expedition's charts for publication. After the Peace of Amiens caused the Admiralty to reduce the Navy, he lived at his family home in Presteigne. ^[1]

Born

1767, second son of James Baker and Nancy Ludlow.

Bristol, Gloucestershire, England.

Baptism 10 Jan 1768 at St Peter's, Bristol, England.Bristol Archives; Bristol, England; Bristol Church of England Bishop Transcripts of Parish Registers; Reference: EP/V/4/41/7, viewable here.

Marriage

Husband Capt. Joseph Baker.

Wife Elizabeth Weyerman.

Marriage 28 May 1797.

St Mary, Newington, England. ^[2]

Died

1817, leaving 9 children.

Presteigne, Radnorshire, Wales. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Baker_(Royal_Navy_officer).
2. ↑ London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921; London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Mary, Newington, Register of marriages, P92/MRY, Item 018; viewable here.
3. ↑ England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858; The National Archives; Kew, England; Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 1596. Last Will and Testament viewable here: page 1, page 2.

See also:

• https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51951848/
• https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51951696/

Acknowledgement

I worked to get it right the first time, but as we know... mistakes happen, times change and so does access to information. Please add to or correct this profile based on sourced fact. Thanks. Morgan Mulligan