Notable Ancestors

Our first ancestor in the new world was Henry Baker I, sometimes referred to as “Colonel Henry Baker,” or ” Henry Baker of Isle of Wight.”

“He was a wealthy merchant. He was a Justice of the County Court in 1685, 1698, and 1702, also was a Burgess in 1692-93 and Lieutenant Colonel commanding the Isle of Wight Militia. He died in 1712.”

— Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia: A History of the County … By John Bennett Boddie

Other Notable Ancestors

• Captain Henry Baker II (b. 1684 – d. 1739): Served as a Justice, a Sheriff, a Burgess of Virginia who frequented the Jamestown Colony when it was the Capital. For this reason, descendants of Henry Baker II qualify for membership in the Jamestown Society today. He was also a Captain in the militia and a Vestryman and Warden of his church.

• Colonel William Baker of Gates County (b. 1743 – d. 1805): Justice of Gates County’s first court, State Representative for Hertford County, where he introduced the bill that was put into law establishing Gates County (1779), “Col William Baker” in the Revolutionary War.

• Major General Lawrence Baker (b. 1745 – d. 1807): Gates first Clerk of Court, Colonel Lawrence Baker of the North Carolina State-Wide Provincial (Revolutionary War), following the war he later became “General Lawrence Baker” and although he declined the appointment in 1799, was also called “Major General Lawrence Baker.”

• Lt. Col John Baker (b. 1723 – d. 1791): Justice and First Sheriff of Hertford, Co. Appointed Lt. Colonel of the Hertford Militia in 1772.

• Major John Baker, Jr (b. 1755 – d. 1829): Wounded in the Battle of Brandywine in Pennsylvania and became the first Major in the Herford Militia. Major Baker was also a State Senator (1781-1784), , Justice of Court (Gates, NC), and a State Representative (1787). The historic courthouse in Gatesville was built on a portion of his land.

• Brigadier General Laurence Simmons Baker (b. 1830 – d. 1907): Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War, and wounded at the Battle of Brandy Station. More accomplishments can be found on his wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_S._Baker

• Dr. Simmons Jones Baker (b. 1775 – d. 1853): A physician, Dr. Baker was also a State Representative (1814-1816), a State Senator (1816-1818), State Grand Master of the Masons (1833 and 1840), legislator. Other notable accomplishments can be found on his wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simmons_Jones_Baker

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