Bennington

BAKER, John (1681-1750) & family

Vermont Historical Magazine, No XI, October 1867, p 133

John BAKER, born 24 December 1681, came to Woodbury [Litchfield County], 
Connecticut, from New London [New London County, Connecticut?], and died in 
1750. His [seven] children were John, Ephraim, Mary, Remember, Sarah, 
Elijah, and Elisha. Mary BAKER married Joseph ALLEN, 11 March 1736-1737, 
father of Col. Ethan ALLEN. Remember BAKER married Tamar WARNER, aunt of 
Col. Seth WARNER. He [Remember BAKER] was killed by accident and left two or 
three children: (1) Mindwell who married Peleg STENE of Lenox [Berkshire 
County], Massachusetts, and afterwards removed to Arlington [Bennington 
County, Vermont]; and (2) Remember. There was, it is believed another 
sister, (3) Desire, of whom we have no certain information.

The second Remember BAKER married 03 April 1760, Desire HURLBERT, daughter of 
Consider HURLBERT and Patience HAWLEY. At the age of eighteen, he served in 
an expedition against Canada. He came to Arlington in 1764, was much 
respected and very serviceable to the settlement. His arrest by John MUNRO, 
Esq., of Shaftsbury [Bennington County, Vermont] and subsequent rescue are 
well known. In the commencement of the revolution he entered the army again. 
In Montgomery's operations against St. John's, Canada, he was sent forward 
to reconnoiter the position of the enemy. When within a few miles of St. 
John's, he secreted his boat with the intention of marching through the 
woods. He had scarcely left the boat when a party of Indians took possession 
of it. He called upon them to return it. Hard words passed when one of the 
Indians fired and shot him through the head. The Indians, who appeared to 
have an old grudge against him then cut off his head and put it on a pole. 
The Americans gave them a guinea to take it down that they might bury it. 
Thus died Captain Remember BAKER, at the early age of thirty-five.

He left one son, (1) Ozi BAKER, who married Lucy, daughter of Capt. James 
HARD, and left Electa BAKER, who died single at White Creek [White Creek in 
Rennselaer or White Creek in Washington County?], New York, very much 
respected; (2) Nancy BAKER who married --- YATES, a successful teacher at 
the South; (3) Lorane BAKER who married --- BARNES; (4) --- Remember BAKER, 
a lawyer in the State of New York; and (4) Luther BAKER. By a second wife 
Hetty DARLING,* he left a daughter (5) Rhoda BAKER. Ozi BAKER was Town 
Clerk [Arlington] for some years. He was a man of promising abilities and 
very useful as a surveyor of lands. Unfortunately, however, falling into 
irregular habits he soon dissipated an ample inheritance, went into the army, 
served in the last war, and died in the service in circumstance of extreme 
destitution. Other BAKER families of Arlington [Bennington County, Vermont] 
are the descendants of the second John BAKER mentioned. 

* His marriage was in this wise. Ozi was under certain legal restraint for 
the nonfulfillment of certain legal obligation when he dispatched the 
following laconic letter: "Hetty come to Ozi." Ozi could not go to Hetty, 
so Hetty went to Ozi, and became at once Hetty BAKER. [Numbering of children 
added by submitter.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly