Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/51

BAKER. 1843, while cruizing in the Mozambique Channel, to effect the destruction of a celebrated armed slaver, and the capture of two others. Since 2 Jan. 1844, the date of his being paid off, Capt. Baker has been on half-pay. His promotion to his present rank took place 9 Nov. 1846.

He married, 17 Jan. 1827, Elizabeth Octavia, fourth daughter of the late Wm. Harding, Esq., of Baraset House, co. Warwick, and has issue two sons and four daughters. – Messrs. Halford and Co.

 BAKER. 

entered the Navy 7 March, 1829; passed his examination 31 March, 1837; served as Mate, from 1838 until 1843, of the 10, Lieut.-Commanders Wm. Morris and John Thos. Nott, in South America; then joined the 50, Commodore John Brett Purvis, on the same station; and obtained his commission 15 March, 1844. He was reappointed to the 8 May following; and since 16 March, 1846, has been attached to the  92, Capt. Edw. Collier, part of the Channel squadron.

 BAKER. 

, born 25 July, 1796, is brother of

This officer entered the Navy, 1 May, 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 32, Capt. Alex. Robt. Kerr, and assisted in blockading the French ports in the Bay of Biscay. During the whole of the American war he was, very actively employed with the same officer, as Midshipman, in the 40. Until Sept. 1823, he afterwards served on the Home, East India, South America, Mediterranean, and West India stations, on board the 74,  24,  18,  and  74’s,  28, and Gloucester 74, Capts. Geo. M‘Kinley, Houston Stewart, Wm. Hill, David Buchan, Fred. Lewis Maitland, Sir Thos. Livingstone, John Lawrence, and Jas. Lillicrap. He then (having passed his examination in Sept. 1816) became Acting-Lieutenant of the 28, Capt. John Walter Roberts; and on being officially promoted, 12 Jan. 1824, was placed on half-pay. He subsequently held the temporary command of a Falmouth packet; and from 21 May, 1829, until 1831, was employed in the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the and  74’s, Capts. Hugh Pigot and David Colby. Since 31 March in the latter year he has served uninterruptedly in the Coast Guard. We should not omit to mention that, in March, 1830, while in discharge of his duty, Lieut. Baker encountered a band of smugglers, and, in a desperate conflict which ensued, received several very severe wounds on the head and in different parts of the body; and that his conduct on the occasion was reported in the most flattering terms to the Admiralty. – Messrs. Ommanney.

 BAKER. 

entered the Navy, 31 July, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 38, Capt. John Poo Beresford, stationed in the North Sea, where he removed, 11 Aug. 1804, as Midshipman, to the, of 38 guns and 200 men, Capt. Sir Robt. Laurie. On 17 Feb. 1805, the latter ship was captured, after a brilliant and self-sought action of nearly three hours, and a loss of 20 killed and 38 wounded, by La Ville de Milan, of 46 guns and 350 men, 10 of whom appear to have been slain. The French ship, however, was herself taken with her prize on the 23rd of the same month, by the 50, Capt. John Talbot; and being added to the British Navy as the 38-gun frigate, was commissioned by Sir Robt. Laurie, under whose orders Mr. Baker continued to serve, as Master’s Mate and Lieutenant – his commission bearing date 31 Oct. 1809 – until Aug. 1810. From 2 Nov. following until advanced to his present rank, 15 June, 1814, he was next employed, latterly as Senior Lieutenant, in the 42, Capts. Edm. Heywood and Wm. Hugh Dobbie, on the Baltic and Cork stations. Since the latter date he has not been afloat.

Commander Baker married, 4 June, 1830, Henrietta Margaret, relict of the late Lieut.-Col. Digby, of Bath.

 BAKER, Bart., C.B.

, born 3 Jan. 1787, is eldest surviving son of the late Sir Robt. Baker, Bart., by Dinah, daughter and sole heir of Wm. Hayley, Esq., alderman, and Representative in parliament of the City of London; and brother of Capt. Onslow Baker, of the Hon. E.I.C.’s artillery. He succeeded his father as second baronet 4 Feb. 1826.

This officer entered the Navy, in Dec. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the 38, Capt. Chas. Rowley, in which ship, the 18, Capts. Chas. Wollaston and Jas. Brisbane, and, as Midshipman, in the 38, commanded also by Capt. Rowley, he continued to serve on the Home station until the peace. In July, 1802, he joined the 74, Capt. Bendall Robt. Littlehales, and after assisting under Sir Sam. Hood at the reduction of Ste. Lucie, in June, 1803, returned home with the former officer on board the hired brig, in charge of the despatches. He then became attached to the 74, Capt. Hon. Alex. Inglis Cochrane; but, returning soon to the West Indies, served, in the 74, Capt. John Bligh, at the blockade of Cape François; the reduction of Port Dauphin, where two forts and a 28-gun ship, La Sagesse, were taken from the enemy; and the surrender of the French squadron with the remains of General Rochambeau’s army from Cape François on board. On 16 July, 1804, Mr. Baker removed with Capt. Bligh, as Acting-Lieutenant, to the 38, from which frigate he was transferred, in March, 1805, to the, of 18 guns and 121 men, Capt. Jeremiah Coghlan, for his meritorious conduct under whom, at the annihilation, on the 20th of the same month, after a warm conflict of 35 minutes, of Le Général Ernouf French privateer, of 20 guns and 160 men, he was confirmed by commission, dated back to 18 Oct. 1804. His next appointments were, between Dec. 1805, and the latter part of 1807, to the 36, Capt. Henry Vansittart,  32, Capt. Wm. Furlong Wise, and 64, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Jas. Rich. Dacres; during which period, while First Lieutenant of the, he took part in the capture of several privateers, and, in company with Capt. Wise, Lieuts. John Norton and Shaw, and a party of seamen, gallantly stormed and carried, after a cannonade of four hours, the fort of Samana, St. Domingo, 14 Feb. 1807. On his return home from the West Indies in 1807, Lieut. Baker joined the 32, Capt. Wm. Roberts, and, next, the 74, and  38, Capts. Chas. Rowley and Geo. Sayer. In Aug. 1809, he took charge of a gun-boat, and was particularly mentioned by Sir Geo. Cockburn for his exertions at the bombardment of Flushing; and on 15 Aug. 1810, he assumed command of the schooner, of 10 guns. His distinguished skill and gallantry, as second in command under Capt. Jas. Wilkes Maurice, at the glorious defence of Anholt, when attacked, in March, 1811, by a Danish force of at least four times the strength of the garrison, on which occasion he gave the coup-de-grâce to the defeat of the enemy by bearing down along the northern shore of the island, and placing them between two fires, was acknowledged, on his arrival in England with the despatches, by promotion to the rank of Commander, 8 April, 1811. On 28 Oct. 1812, Capt. Baker was appointed to the 16, and on 18 March, 1814, to the  18, both on the North America station. In Aug. of the latter year he was present, up the Potomac, at the capture of