Yesterday, I shared the tangled clues about the origin of George Washington Baker, a Baptist preacher and “long hunter” who lived on several frontiers in Kentucky, Indiana and, finally, Linn County, Missouri, where he died in the summer 1846 cholera epidemic. His wife was Esther Robertson, daughter of Samuel Robertson and brother of David Robertson of Clay County, Kentucky. George and Esther married on 14 July 1800 in Garrard County, Kentucky.
You’ll notice a distinct pattern here in spouse choices. Elizabeth really stepped out of the family comfort zone when the English Bakers married into the German Stufflebean family.
An 1847 land deed identifies their children:
- Elizabeth, born c1800, Kentucky; died 1850; married Michael Stufflebean, 25 December 1817, Estill County, Kentucky
- Samuel, born 3 December 1803, Kentucky; died c1875, Montgomery County, Iowa; married Rachel, reportedly Davidson, c1827, but no record has been found of the marriage or of her maiden name. Rachel was born c1812, Kentucky; died 1 December 1874, Montgomery County, Iowa.
- Susannah, born c1805; died c1846, Linn County, Missouri; married William McCollum, 7 May 1824, Estill County, Kentucky. He also died about 1846 and I think they were both cholera victims.
- Jane, born c1806, Kentucky; died c July 1846, Linn County, Missouri; married William Baker, 15 September 1825, Clay County, Kentucky. He died in September 1846, two more victims of the horrible cholera epidemic that struck. It is thought that William Baker was a son of Boling Baker and Elizabeth Bunch.
- John R., born c1809, Kentucky; married Susannah Baker, 15 January 1829, Morgan County, Indiana. Susannah was born c1812, Indiana; died between 1850-1860, probably either in Linn County, Missouri or Denton County, Texas, where the family lived at the time. Susannah was reportedly a daughter of Morris Baker and his wife, Rhoda. John R. married (2) Jane (MNU), before 1860. Jane may have been previously married to a Mr. Smith, as there was six year old Mary Smith living with them in 1860. By 1865, the family had moved on to Johnson County, Kansas. They were still there for the 1870 census, but no trace has been found of John, Jane, or children Robert and Melinda at home with them in 1870.
- Caroline, born c1811, Kentucky; died after 1880; married Balaam M. Baker, 12 June 1826, Clay County, Kentucky. Balaam was born c1806, North Carolina and died c1868, Linn County, Missouri. Caroline married (2) William Miner, c1869, probably in Missouri. He was born c1800, Virginia; died 2 February 1880, Linn County, Missouri. It is thought that Balaam Baker was the son of Revolutionary War soldier George Baker and Susannah Morris.
- Nancy, born c1812, Kentucky; died after 1880, probably in Antelope or Boone County, Iowa; married David W. Nance, 20 May 1831, Morgan County, Indiana. David was born c1793 in Tennessee and also died after 1880, likely in Iowa.
- Andrew Jackson, born 1813, Kentucky; died in the fall of 1848, Linn County, Missouri; married Ailey Baker, 15 June 1836, Morgan County, Indiana. She hasn’t been found in the 1850 census and nothing further is known of their family. It is thought that Ailey was a daughter of Morris and Rhoda Baker, as she lived with them in 1860 after Morris died.
- Martha; reportedly married George Baker, who died before 1847. No marriage record has been found and no further information on this family.
- George Robinson (Robertson?), born 13 July 1820, Kentucky; twin to Esther; died 1 May 1892, Linn County, Missouri; married Polly McCollum, 15 December 1842, Linn County, Missouri. Polly was born c1824, Kentucky; died after 1880. Some say that he married Mary Lavina Johnson, but either that information is wrong or else it was a second marriage that I haven’t been able to find.
- Esther, twin to George, born 13 July 1820; reportedly married James Baker, but I have found no record of the marriage or of them in 1850 or later. I have found three other Esthers married in Linn County to other men, but none seem to have a time period where they could have been married to James Baker.
- Robert, “Surly Bob,” born 24 August 1824, Kentucky; died 3 July 1884, Sullivan County, Missouri; married Elizabeth J. Couch, 2 April 1844, Linn County, Missouri. She was born c1823, Tennessee; died after 7 June 1900, Sullivan County, Missouri, when she lived with her son’s family.
Some say George and Esther had two other children, Boling and James, but if they did, they predeceased George, as they are not included in the 1847 land deed.
Besides the 1846 cholera epidemic, Missouri had a second outbreak in 1849. It is possible that some of these other family members who died before 1850, like Michael Stufflebean, might also have died of that disease.
Tomorrow, I will outline the grandchildren of George and Esther Baker.
I know it has been 3 -4 years since this post, but I have clarification on one of George and Esther’s children…..Judge Samuel L Baker (my 3rd great grandfather). Samuel did married Rachel Davidson. They had 14 children. James Davidson Baker, my 2nd great grandfather, was one of these children. He married Rachel Russell. They had 11 children including my great grandpa Guy Russell Baker who married Bessie Johnson. They had 11 children also. My grandmother was Virginia Josephine Baker.
Samuel & Rachel moved to Southwest Iowa (Adams, Page & Montgomery counties). Samuel was the first judge in the Adams County/Montgomery County, Iowa circuit. James Davidson was injured during the Civil War. His leg was amputated.
I have a lot of information about James Davidson Baker’s descendants and some about many of Samuel’s descendants.
Our Baker family may be one of the hardest to research, but these people who I am proud to call family are some of the greatest, most caring people. Willing to compare notes…..I have piles of research notes on George Washington Baker & John Renta Baker but have not found “solid” proof of lineage….YET! 🙂