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HENRY

Follow of the Royal

and of the Society

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BAKER,

and Antiquarian Porichies. for the Encouragement of

Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce.

Author of "The Microscope made

easy" "

Employment for the Microscope", and other Works.

Born May 8.1698, died Nov. 25.1774.

Publish'd by J. Nichols & Son Jan 1st 1812.

Office.I was born May 8th, 1693, in Chancery Lane, where my father resided, to be near the Chancery Office.-My father died when I was very young; and from about four years old, I was brought up by my father's mother (Mrs. Amey Lock.) On February 17th 1713, I was placed, at my own particular request, with Mr. John Parker, bookseller in Pall Mall; an honest, good-natured man, who treated me with the utmost kindness, and made the seven years I continued with him as agreeable a part of life as any I have known.-On April 26th 1720, I took leave of good Mr. Parker, and went to Enfield, on an invitation from Mr. John Forster, an eminent Attorney, who was my relation by marriage.

My visit here was intended only as an amusement for about a month, after a confinement of seven years; but Providence so ordered, that I continued in this family till my marriage.-For, this gentleman having a daughter (Miss Jane Forster) born deaf and consequently dumb, and at that time about eight years old; Heaven put into my thoughts a method of instructing her to read, write, understand and speak, the English language; which communicating to her father, he intreated me to make a trial, and from that time would never part with me, till I had perfected her in the language, and taught her not only to read, write, and speak it readily, but likewise to understand the speech of others by sight, and be able to hold a regular conversation with them upon most subjects."-Another daughter and a younger son of Mr. Forster's labouring under the same unfortunate defects, were afterward under his care, and received the same benefit*. In the

* Mr. Baker succeeded so well with these two young ladies, his first pupils (Miss Jane and Amey Forster), that they were well qualified in all the parts of the best female education, and possessed every elegant and domestic accomplishment. So capable were they of the politer instructions, that they appeared with advantage in public assemblies. They were not long since living in Peterborough. Their elder brother was bred to the Church, was D. D. and rector of Elton co. Huntingdon. Another VOL. V. brother

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prosecution of this valuable and difficult undertaking, Mr. Baker was indeed eminently successful; and all his pupils bore the best testimony to the ability and good effect of his instructions *.

On April 30th 1729 he married Sophia, youngest daughter of the famous Daniel De Foe, by whom he had two sons, David-Erskine, named after his godfather the Earl of Buchan, born January 30th 1730; and Henry, born February 10th 1734; both of whom he survived. On the 29th of January 1740, Mr. Baker was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries; and on the 12th of March following, the same honour was conferred upon him by the Royal Society. In 1744, Sir Godfrey Copley's gold medal was bestowed upon him, for his microscopical experiments on the crystallizations and configurations of saline particles. This medal was presented to him by Sir Hans Sloane, the only surviving trustee of Sir Godfrey Copley's donation, at the recommendation of Martin Folkes, esq. the President, and of the Council of the Royal Society. Having led a very useful and honourable life, he died on the 25th of November 1774, being then in his 77th year. His wife died in 1762; and he left one only grandson William Baker, who was born February 17th 1763, and to whom he bequeathed the bulk of his fortune, which he had principally acquired by his profession of instructing the deaf and dumb. It is much to be regretted that Mr. Baker

brother was the late Mr. Serjeant Forster, who left, by a daughter of the late Sir John Strange, Master of the Rolls, three daughters,

* His pupils were very numerous; among them were- -The Honourable Lewis Erskine, a son of the Earl of Buchan; Lady Mary and Lady Anne O'Brien, daughters of the Earl of Inchiquin; the Earl of Sussex, and his brother Mr. Yelverton; the Earl of Haddinton; a son of Sir William Heathcote; the Earl of Londonderry; and many others. It is doubted whether any of his pupils be now living.

†The Reverend William Baker, LL. B. at this time (1812) rector of Lyndon and South Luffenham, in the county of Rutland,

should

Office.-I was born May 8th, 1693, in Chancery Lane, where my father resided, to be near the Chancery Office.-My father died when I was very young; and from about four years old, I was brought up by my father's mother (Mrs. Amey Lock.) On February 17th 1713, I was placed, at my own particular request, with Mr. John Parker, bookseller in Pall Mall; an honest, good-natured man, who treated me with the utmost kindness, and made the seven years I continued with him as agreeable a part of life as any I have known.-On April 26th 1720, I took leave of good Mr. Parker, and went to Enfield, on an invitation from Mr. John Forster, an eminent Attorney, who was my relation by marriage. -My visit here was intended only as an amusement for about a month, after a confinement of seven years; but Providence so ordered, that I continued in this family till my marriage.-For, this gentleman having a daughter (Miss Jane Forster) born deaf and consequently dumb, and at that time about eight years old; Heaven put into my thoughts a method of instructing her to read, write, understand and speak, the English language; which communicating to her father, he intreated me to make a trial, and from that time would never part with me, till I had perfected her in the language, and taught her not only to read, write, and speak it readily, but likewise to understand the speech of others by sight, and be able to hold a regular conversation with them upon most subjects."-Another daughter and a younger son of Mr. Forster's labouring under the same unfortunate defects, were afterward under his care, and received the same benefit*. In the

* Mr. Baker succeeded so well with these two young ladies, his first pupils (Miss Jane and Amey Forster), that they were well qualified in all the parts of the best female education, and possessed every elegant and domestic accomplishment. So capable were they of the politer instructions, that they appeared with advantage in public assemblies. They were not long since living in Peterborough. Their elder brother was bred to the Church, was D.D. and rector of Elton co. Huntingdon. Another VOL. V.

T

brother

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