Robert Baker, the Gunsmith

https://horwitzfam.org/getperson.php?personID=P1550&tree=ScratchFile

Robert's father was JOHN, John's father was ANDY, Andy's father was SIR ROBERT the 1st of ENGLAND. He was the Kings personal Knight.

Robert Baker, Sr. was granted land and a gun bearing mill for manufacturing of firearms, the Pennsylvania rifle, by the King of England. Robert Baker was the first man in recorded history to design and manufacture the PA rifle. At his death his son Caleb kept up the tradition and later used the rifle to great effect in the American Revolution. The rifle was later known as the "Hog Rifle" and the "Kentucky Rifle" in Daniel Boone's day.

They were commissioned by the King of England to make fire arms for the Colonies. Later the Bakers would join the Colonies against England in the Revolutionary War.

Three of Robert's sons, Samuel, Robert and Douglas married sisters,Elizabeth, Mary and Jane Thompson.

Married: Abt 1720 in Ashe County,North Carolina 1

Children

Bolin (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 4 MAY 1738 in Ashe County,North Carolina

Capt. John Renta (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 17 OCT 1735 in Pine Mountain,Wilkes County,North Carolina
Abednego (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 1741 in Culpepper County,Virginia
Leonard (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 1745 in Culpeper County,Virginia
James (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 1753 in Ash County,North Carolina
Cuthbert (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 1746 in Lunenburg,Virginia
Richard (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 1753 in Lunenburg,Virginia
Andrew W. Jr. (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 1749 in Grayson County,Virginia
William (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 1750 in Virginia
Morris (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 1750 in Wilkes County,North Carolina
Joseph (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 1751 in Orange County,North Carolina
Capt. George F. (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 14 OCT 1759 in Guilford County,North Carolina
Ellendor "Nellie" (Andrew W. Sr. And Mary Agnes Bolling) BAKER b: 24 DEC 1765 in Wilkes County,North Carolina

As young men the two brothers moved to PA and set up a gunmaking business in Lancaster Co . It is believed that he and his brother Sam were the first gunmakers in Lancaster Co, PA.and that they obtained a grant from the King of England to manufacture guns for the colonies

Robert met a young lady named Susan Parker . Susan lived in an older community near the coast. (The town was established in 1682 as Philadelphia) Susan like her parents and neighbors were of the Quakers Religion. After a short courtship they got married in 1685. Robert was 25 and Susan was 21 years old. They had seven children over the next fourteen years. The boys were named Robert Jr., Douglas, Caleb, Andrew and Samuel and the girls Mary and May. Than in 1713, thirteen years later another daughter, Elizabeth was born.

Robert and Samuel had developed a reputation for quality in the gun manufacturing business.It was about this time,early 1700′s, that some reseachers report that Robert Baker was ordered to go to England to make guns for King William, and to teach their gunsmiths their tecnique of cutting rifling in gun barrels.(England was involved in two wars with France known as King Williams War and Queen Anne’s War.) He probably took his family with him to England. After a stay of eight to ten years he returned to America with a grant to make fire arms for the Colonies. (Later the Bakers would join the Colonies against England in the Revolutionary War.)

When Robert returned to the Colonies, he moved his family and settled in Conestoga Township, Chester County, PA. He bought 500 acres of land on the Susquehanna River from Col. John French in 1717. This land was located one mile from the junction of Pequea Creek and the Susquehanna River. Two of his sons Samuel and Caleb, were interested in gun manufacturing and joined with their father and uncle in the business.

On August 15, 1719, Robert Baker had Jacob Taylor, Surveyor, with permission from William Penn, and Lancaster Co, lay out a site for erection of a gun boring mill at the mouth of Pequea Creek. They developed and produced the American Long Rifle later known as the”Kentucky Rifle”. This rifle was developed from Jaeger rifle which was a short stocky flintlock rifle designed for hunting by the well-to-do in the fields of Europe. The American frontier hunter needed a practical rifle to put food on the table and to protect their families. They elongated the barrel and reduced the caliber. The longer barrels increased the accuracy, and gave greater muzzle velocity. The smaller bore gave more bullets from a pound of lead. The typical American Rifle was a slender full stock flintlock with a 40 inch barrel and of about 50 caliber. The guns barrels were rifled for accuracy, as were the earlier European rifles.

Robert, his sons Samuel and Caleb (who were about 25 and 29 years old) and a cousin, John, joined together to run the mill. Records indicate that they were in operation for the next nine years. (Pequea creek originates in the hills about 20 miles east of the town of Lancaster, runs southwest and empties in the Susquehanna River.)

In February 1721, iron ore deposits were located on the West bank of the Sesquehanna River. It is believed that this was one of the sources of iron to make the Baker gun barrels. A Philip Syng claimed 200 acres of this land in 1722. Robert Baker and James McClean filed a complaint before Francis Worley Esq., a JP for Chester County. A warrant was filed to have him punished if he tried to survey this land in question. This stopped his claim.

The Baker family grew up in a neighborhood of German Immigrants, known as Pennsylvania Dutch, who settled in that area in the early 1700′s. It is noted that most all of Robert Baker’s neighbors seem to have German names. Caleb Baker always signed his name Beaker and possible spoke with a German accent.

Robert died in September, 1728. He left no will and his son Caleb was appointed administrator of his estate, dated September 13, 1728. Along with the original papers at the Register’s Office at the Court House in Lancaster County is the Administrators Bond and inventory signed by Joseph Higginbotham and Tobias Hendricks and witnessed by Douglas Baker. Among the creditors were the names of Caleb Baker, Robert Baker Jr. and Douglas Baker. Caleb being part owner of the business, took over and operated the mill until1741, when he sold out to Jacob Godin.

In 1741-1742 Caleb, his immediate family and one or more brothers (Douglas and Robert Jr.) moved from Lancaster Co., Pa. and bought land and settled on what was then called “The Backwoods” in Amelia Co., Virginia on Buffalo Creek.

We have a copy of Caleb’s will dated 24 Nov 1750 with codicil dated 6 Feb 1754 filed in Prince Edward Co. VA. (He was 64 years old.) He named his wife Martha and sons Samuel and Henry as Executors of his will. To his sons, he left 463 acres to Samuel, 400 acres to Henry, 200 acres to Abraham, 307 acres to Caleb—all on Spring creek. He designated 305 acres on Buffalo Creek to be sold to help legacies. He left his four daughters 20 pounds each, except Easter got only one shilling.

We have a copy of Martha’s will dated May 8, 1759 filed in Prince Edward Co.,VA. She left her son Caleb the following: two negros, three horses and a large bay mare, two cows with calfs, all meat, and all the working tools for use on the plantation. To her son Samuel she left a brown mare, a colt, and a side-saddle. The executors of her will were Samuel and Caleb. She signed the will with her mark.

We also have a copy of Douglas Baker’s will dated Sept 16, 1765 and filed in Prince Edward Co.,VA ( He was 77 years old). He left his daughter, Jean, one Negro boy and one mare and the balance of the estate to his wife, Jane. The will was witnessed by Samuel and Andrew Baker and George Shilliday. He signed the will with his mark.

• Updated from Find A Grave Memorial via daughter Mary Susannah Hughes (born Baker) by SmartCopy: Nov 24 2015, 23:44:54 UTC

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• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 22 2019, 4:13:37 UTC

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