Person:Thomas Baker (6)

"Thomas Baker was of Milford, CT, 10 May 1650 when he bought East Hampton, LI, land holdings of Capt. Daniel How. Four months later he was dismissed from Milford to East Hampton. There he was Townsman in 1651, 1653, 1654, 1655, and 1657; second military officer 1654; Magistrate 1661, 1663; Deputy Feb 1664/5; Patentee and Constable 1667; Trustee 1686; and Commissioner 1688. For more information on the Baker family, see Frank Baker's Baker Ancestry, 1914, and also see Mrs. James T. Watts additions and corrections in TAG 9:201-204."

" He was m. to Elizabeth ? of Roxbury, Ma. and to Alice DAYTON. Thomas & Elizabeth had a dau named Sarah BAKER b. abt. 1642 in Roxbury, Ma. Sarah m. Sebus JACKSON who was born at sea."

Thomas Baker, the immigrant ancestor, was born in Hothfield (near Ashford), County Kent, England on 29 September 1618; he was baptized on Sunday, 11 October, of that same year. His parentage is presently unclear.

While it is uncertain exactly when he came to America, he was at Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut (one of the original six towns in New Haven Colony), in 1639, where he was enrolled as a free planter on 29 November. This coincides with an old family bible entry that says he "came out of England in 1639"

He married ALICE-2 DAYTON, daughter of Ralph Dayton and Alice (Goldhatch) Tritton, on 20 June 1643, probably in New Haven. Alice was baptized in Ashford, Kent, on 21 May 1620. They had four children:

      i       Hannah             b. 26 June 1650           m. Ebenezer Leek

      ii      Thomas             b. 26 July 1654           m. Ann Topping

      iii     Nathaniel          b. 22 December 1655       m. Catherine Schellinger

      iv      Abigail            b. 1 June 1658            m. ------ Tuthill

Thomas later removed to East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York, where he had settled by 1650; Thomas Baker "of Milford" is recorded as having bought the East Hampton land holdings of Capt. Daniel Howe on 10 May of that year. This was four months before he was dismissed from the Milford Church to attend the church in East Hampton. He was one of the signers of the "Original Compact or Civil Combination" founding the town.

His new home was the location of the town's church services until the meeting house was built in 1653. The town paid him £0.01.06 each Sabbath to use the building. After the church services were moved, Thomas operated a tavern there which was first licensed on 29 June 1654. He was still licensed to operate a place of public entertainment in 1673. His holdings in 1683 were valued at £244.

He held several civic posts, serving as Selectman in 1651, 1653-55, and 1657; Second Military Officer in 1654; Magistrate in 1661 and 1663; Deputy in February, 1664/5; Patentee and Constable, 1667; Trustee, 1686; and Commissioner, 1688. He served on a commission to travel to Connecticut and petition to bring East Hampton under that colony's jurisdiction. In 1665 he was the foreman of the first grand jury to sit in the Province of New York, in New York City. On 4 May 1671, he and the Rev. Thomas James were chosen to treat with the towns of Southampton and Southold to establish a charter.

On 6 March 1671/2, Thomas brought suit in the Suffolk County Court of Sessions against Thomas Skidmore; the action was one "concerning Debt & Damage or not accompting." Because the defendant was sick, he could not appear and the trial was put off until June. This was not his last experience in court that year. The constables of East Hampton entered a complaint against him "for takeing goods into his possession and Detaining them, Not withstanding the Sd goods lay under Arrest or attachmt."

The court found:

" yt Mr. Tho: Backer tooke a barell of Oyle illegally into his possession: And doe award or Sentence him to returne the Same unto ye Constable of Easthapmton from whose custody it was Soe taken. And also to pay as fine -- 10s -- to ye poore of the Parish. And Cort Charges."

Finally, on 7 March of that year, he entered a complaint against Thomas Osburne for "mollesting him in ye quiet possession of his goods, to his great damage." The case was put off to the next court session.

He died on 30 April 1700, in East Hampton; he was ninety-one. A memorial plaque in the Old South End Cemetery reads:

" In Memory of Mr. Thomas Baker & his wife Alice Dayton. They came from England AD 1639, he to Milford, she to New Haven, were married 1643, came to this Town 1650, where he died 1700 aged 81.

She died at Amagansett, 1709, and was buried there.

He was here a Townsman 1650, Assistant to the General Court of Conn. 1658, Overseer, Constable, Justice of the Peace 1675, and Patentee in both Town Patents."

His will dated 28 May 1686, provided:

" To all Christian People to whome [these presents] Shall Come I Thomas Baker of Easthampton In the County of Suffolk in the province of new york Sendeth greeting Know yea that I the Said Thomas Baker as for and In Consideration of the naturall Affection which I have and beare unto my well beloved Son and heire Thomas Baker Junr as also for Diverss other good Causes and Considerations me at this present Especially hereunto Moveing Have Given and by these presents Doe Give grant and Confirme unto my Said Son Thomas Baker at my decease my whole Estate Lying and being within the bounds of Easthampton or Else where (upon this terme of Consideration following first that my wife Also Shall have Dureing her Life The one halfe of all my houseing Lands meadow and Comonag & alsoe the one halfe of all my movable Estate whatsoever Dureing her Life and at her Decease Shee Shall have free Liberty to dispose of twenty pounds of my movable Estate to my Children and grand Children as Shee Shall See Cause and 2dly that my Said Son Thomas at my Decease Shall pay out of my moveable Estate to Each of my three Children namly Nathaniell Baker Hanah Leek and Abigaile Tutill ten pounds a peice to be Disposed to my grand Children as they Shall See Cause: all the Rest of my Estate I doe by these presents freely and absolutely give unto my Said Son at my Decease namely all my houseing Lands meadows pastures Comonage and Comons withall the profitts privilledges Comodityes and advantages whatsoever doth In any wise thereunto belong together withall and and Singuler my goods Chattells utensils withall other my moveable and Imoveable Substance whatsoever that is accepted used or reputed as any parte or percell of my Estate withall the Remainders and Reversons that Shall or may here after thereunto belong or In any wise Apertaine Excepting only what is before Excepted that my wife allice to have the one halfe of all for her Life and then to Returne to him my Said Son Thomas baker all the above menconed premises as above Expressed I give unto him my Said Son and heire Thomas baker and to the male heires of his body Lawfully begotten to have and to hold for Ever and for Default of Such Issue to the female heires of his body Lawfully be gotten; and for default of any such Issue then Surviveing at my Said Son Thomas his Deceas my houseing and Land to be unto my Son Nathaniell Baker and to the beires of his body Lawfully begotten for Ever and my Stock and goods with all my moveable Estate to be Devided Amongst my Daughters to my Daughter Ann now wife to my Said Son thomas to have the one third part of all my moveable Estate what Soe ever Quietly to possess the Same for Ever together with the Liberty of my houseing to Dwell in Dureing her widow hood and the other two thirds of my moveable Estate I give unto my Daughter hanah and Abigaile Aforesaid: to be Equally Devided between them but if Either hanah or Abigaile be not then Surviveing then her Respective proportion Soe Deceased to bee unto her Children and for the further Confirmation of this my Deed of gift never to be Revoked I have hereunto Sett my hand and fixed my Seale In Southampton this twenty Eight Day of may Anno Dom 1686."

After the signature on the will the following notation appeared:

" it is to be understood that the twenty pounds to be Disposed of by my wife and the thirty pounds to be paid to my three Children above menconed Shall be vallued in Contrey pay."

Baptism: October 11, 1618, Hothfield, Kent, England

1.   Mr. Thomas Baker and Alice Dayton, His Wife, in Baker, Frank. Baker Ancestry: the Ancestry of Samuel Baker, of Pleasant Valley, Steuben County, New York, with Some of His Descendants. (Chicago, Ill.: Frank Baker, 1914)
   1-21.
2.   Watts, Mrs. James T. The Second Wife of Thomas² Baker of East Hampton, Long Island. American Genealogist (D.L. Jacobus). (Apr 1933).