The Life of Sir John Baker

Sir John Baker (1488 – 23 December 1558) was an English politician. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1545 to his death, having previously been Speaker of the House of Commons of England.

In 1520 he was under-sheriff of London and in 1526 appointed Recorder of London, which he gave up to be attorney-general of the Duchy of Lancaster. He was appointed attorney general in 1536 and by 1540 sworn of the privy council of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth I. He was knighted in June 1540 but gained no further preferment until 1545, when, having recommended himself to the king by his activity in forwarding a loan in London and other imposts, he was made Chancellor of the Exchequer. He served as Chancellor under three monarchs: Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary.

He entered Parliament in 1529 and 1536 as MP for London, followed by terms as MP for Guildford in 1542 and Lancaster in 1545. He was then elected to Parliament in 1547 as knight of the shire for Huntingdonshire. He attained considerable eminence as Speaker of the House in both the 1545 and 1547 sessions. He afterwards represented Bramber (1553) and the county of Kent (1554, 1555 and 1557).

Baker had a reputation as a brutal persecutor of Protestants, earning the nickname ‘Bloody Baker’. A legend arose that he was riding to persecute Protestants when he heard the news that Queen Mary had died. The place where he was said to have turned back became known as Baker’s Cross in Kent.

Sir John married firstly Katherine, daughter of Richard Sackville of Withyham, East Sussex, and secondly Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Thomas Dingley of Stanford Dingley, Berkshire and Middle Aston, Oxfordshire, and widow of George Barrett of Belhouse, Aveley, Essex. He kept a country estate at Sissinghurst Castle, Kent, on property his grandfather, Thomas Baker, had purchased.

One son of Sir John Baker (1488–1558) was Christopher Baker (1528–1628), who was an English captain of the ship ‘Foresight‘ in battle against the Spanish Armada. Two American descendants of this line include Robert “The Gunsmith” Baker (1660–1728), who created the Kentucky Long Rifle, and Robert’s grandson, Jesse Hughes (ca. 1750-ca. 1829), who was an American frontiersman, Scout in the American Revolutionary War, and settled part of West Virginia.

A very interesting history of his career is detailed here on the website of the History of Parliament.

Another source on Findagrave says the following:

Knight of Sissinghurst, Recorder of London, Attorney General, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Privy Counsellor under Henry VIII, Edward VI and Queen Mary.

Lore has it that he was called “Bloody Baker” because he killed so many Protestants and heresy burnings in his diocese where he was Justice of the Peace were higher than any other in England. But he probably received the name because of his close association with Queen “Bloody” Mary who ordered many Protestants burned at the stake across England in they did not once again accept the Catholic religion.

Parents and Ancestors

John Baker was the son of Sir Richard Baker and Lady Joan Barrett. He descends from many royal lines including Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as all Scandinavian Monarchs, including Ragnar Lothbrok, Viking Warrior King of the Danes, as well as back to all of the Sicambrian Franks, Romans, and many others.

Wives of John Baker and Their Heritage

John Baker was married twice. First to Catherine Sackville. Most, if not all, of his children descend from his second wife, however, Lady Elizabeth Dinley.

Lady Elizabeth Dinley was the daughter of Sir Thomas Dinley and Phillippa (Lady) Harpesfield. This Dinley family also traces back to Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

Children of John Baker and Elizabeth Dinley

It is not clear how many children they had. Some sources show a dozen or more. The more reliable sources indicate five – so I will only show the five I’m certain about.

They were as follows:

• Christopher (Capt) Baker, b. 05 Jan 1528 Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England and d. 1628 Norfolk, England; he m. Dorythe Thomsone.
  • Descended from by Charles Fishburne and Jessica Baumann Patterson
• Richard Baker, b. Bet. 1529–1530 Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England and d. 27 May 1594 Sissinghurst, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England; he m. Mary Gifford;
• Lady Cecily Baker, b. 1535 Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England and d. 01 Oct 1615; she m. Sir Thomas (1st Earl of Dorset) Sackville;
• Elizabeth Baker, b. 1538 Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England and d. 17 Nov 1583 Ashford, Ashford Borough, Kent, England; she m. Sir Thomas (MP) Scott;
  • Descended from by Vanza Davis Patterson
• John (of London) Baker, b. 1548 Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England and d. 1605 Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England; he m. Catherine Scott;

The following lineages to John Baker show only the shortest lineage. In some cases, there may be multiple lineages that could be shown.