Documents pertaining to Alexander Baker of Cliffords Inn and New Windsor and his wife Elizabeth Farrar



The following is a copy of the Baker pedigree from the Visitation of London, 1633, 1634 and 1635. This document clearly identifies Alexander's wife as Elizabeth Farrar. Alexander is the 2nd sonne (son), with John being the 1st and Henry the 3rd.






The following was taken directly from the book "The Marriage, Baptismal, and Burial Registers of the Collegiate Church or Abbey of St. Peter, Westminster. edited and annotated by Joseph Lemuel Chester, fellow of the Royal Historical Society; Honorary or corrsponding member of the Historical Societies of the States of Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Viriginia, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Minnesota; The New England Historic-Genealogical Society. London 1876.

Here's what Westminter Abbey itself has to say about the book: "The Abbey's baptism registers begin 1608, the marriage registers in 1655. They were edited for publication (up to 1875) by Joseph Lemuel Chester and were published as The marriage, baptismal and burial registers of the Collegiate Church or Abbey of St. Peter, Westminster (Harleian Society, 1876).

This printed edition of the registers can be found in many large reference libraries and in libraries specialising in genealogical studies. Although a small number of errors and omissions have subsequently come to light, Chester's is a generally reliable edition with a good index and excellent biographical notes." [Source: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/library/marriage.htm]

Below is a copy of the page containing Mary Baker's marriage to John Dugdale



Below is the above document extracted (exactly as worded)
Page 3
Weddings in K.H. 7ths Chappell
1662 Dec. 3 Mr. John Dugdale and Mrs. Mary Baker1

1He the only son of Sir William Dugdale, Garter King of Arms, by Margery dau. of John Huntbach of Sewall, co. Stafford. He became Windsor Herald in 1676, and Norroy King of Arms in 1686, and was then knighted. She was his first wife and coheir of Alexander Baker, of New Windsor, co. Berks, Gent., by Elizabeth dau of Thomas Farrar of Harold, co. Beds. She died 9 Jan 1670-1, and was buried at Windsor, with an infant son and daughter. See her grandfather's burial 2 Oct. 1635.

The entry above establishes that Alexander Baker who was married to Elizabeth Farrar, had a daughter Mary who remanined in London and married John Dugdale, in 1662. She was John Dugdales 1st wife and supposing her age at marriage was 23 she would have been born in 1639. The Alexander Baker who emigrated to Boston arrived there in 1635, therefore he could not have had a daughter born in London in 1639.

The following is also taken from the Abbey records, it is an entry for Mary Baker's grandfather Alexander Baker (note her father was also named Alexander Baker) He was buried 2 Oct 1635.




Below is the above document extracted (exactly as worded)

Page 131

Burials in Westminster Abbey

1635 Oct 2 Mr. Baker, his Majesty's Serjeant of the Chirurgeons:5 in the North aisle of the Church.

5 Alexander Baker, son of George Baker, Esp., Chief Chirurgeon to Queen Elizabeth, by his first wife Anne, Anne, dau. of William Swayne, of Hackney, Midx. He had been also Chirurgeon to K. James I., and a J.P. for Middlexex. His will, dated 25 Sept 1635, was proved on the day of his burial. See burial of his first wife 2 Dec. 1624, and the marriage of his grand-daughter 3 Dec. 1662. He remarried Frances, dau. of Michael Grigg, and widow of Francis Pendleton, of London, draper, who survived him. He died 26 Sep., at his house on St. Peter's Hill in London.



The following is the Baker pedigree taken from the Visitation of Worcester 1682 and 1683, Note that Alexander Baker of Clifford's Inn age 78 in 1683 is now listed as being of New Windsor. This clearly indentifes him as a separate person from Alexander Baker of Boston.





Finally, below is a link to a pdf copy of the will of Alexander Baker of New Windsor. It confirms the above listed information and is the final piece in this puzzle. I want to thank Jan Waddell for this copy, she researched and obtained this will to help reslove this matter. (You will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat, free from Adobe) to read this file.

Alexander Baker of New Windsor Will





The following are well identified facts about the Alexander Baker of Boston.

The Alexander who, with wife Elizabeth and daughters Elizabeth, age 3, and Christian, age 1, went to Boston in 1635, was 28 years old. [Source: passenger lists from the Elizabeth & Ann, e.g. http://www.mayflowerfamilies.com/ships/elizabeth__ann.htm]

His children are well-identified by their birth and/or baptism records in Boston. [source: Birth and baptism records, First Church of Boston]

I hope that now this error will begin to be corrected and perhaps we can locate the correct parents of the Boston Alexander Baker.

Please contact me if you have any information that you would like to share about the origins of Alexander Baker, I'd love to compare notes.

Copyright © 2008 by Lisa Baker - All rights reserved.

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