Robert Baker b. Between 1660 and 1675 Conestoga Township, Chester Co., Pennsylvania d. 13 Sep 1728 Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania: Our Family History

1675 - 1728 (~ 68 years)

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Name	Robert Baker
Birth	Between 1660 and 1675	Conestoga Township, Chester Co., Pennsylvania
Gender	Male
Death	13 Sep 1728	Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania
Person ID	I21053	Gregory Gen
Last Modified	12 Aug 2023

Father	Joseph John Baker, b. 16 May 1624, Boston, Massachusetts d. Between 1693 and 1728, Chester, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania (Age 68 years)
Relationship	natural
Mother	Frances Stephenson, b. Abt 1630 d. Bef 1728 (Age ~ 97 years)
Relationship	natural
Marriage	Abt 1650	Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Family ID	F5034	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family 1 Susanna Packer, b. 1664, Massachusetts d. Abt 1730 (Age 66 years)

Marriage 24 Dec 1709 Chester Co., Pennsylvania

Children

	1. Douglas Baker, b. 1714, Chester Co., Pennsylvania d. 1765, Prince Edward Co., Virginia (Age 51 years) [Father: natural]
	2. Samuel Baker, b. Between 1711 and 1728, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania d. 24 Dec 1757, Mecklenburg Co., North Carolina (Age ~ 46 years) [Father: natural]
	3. Mary Baker, b. 24 Dec 1711 d. Abt 1780 (Age 68 years) [Father: natural]

Family ID F7751 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 12 Aug 2023

Family 2 Unknown, b. Abt 1665 d. Aft 1705 (Age ~ 41 years)

Marriage Between 1682 and 1685 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Children

	1. Caleb Baker, b. Between 1685 and 1690, Chester Co., Pennsylvania d. Mar 1754, Amelia, Prince Edward Co., Virginia (Age ~ 69 years) [Father: natural]
	2. Robert Baker, Jr., b. 11 Dec 1686, Chester Co., Pennsylvania d. Apr 1759, Prince Edward Co., Virginia (Age 72 years) [Father: natural]
	3. Andrew W. Baker, b. Between 1692 and 1702, Chester Co., Pennsylvania d. 1781, Grayson Co., Virginia (Age ~ 89 years) [Father: natural]
	4. James Baker, b. 1705, Wilkes Co., North Carolina d. Abt 1776, North Carolina (Age 71 years) [Father: natural]
	5. May Baker, b. 1700, Wilkes Co., North Carolina d. 1800, Walnut Grove, Ash Co., North Carolina (Age 100 years) [Father: natural]

Family ID F7752 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 12 Aug 2023

Notes

Robert Baker, Sr. lived in Lancaster County, PA on Pequea Creek. He and his sons were gunsmiths in Lancaster CO, PA, VA and NC. They invented and developed the "Kentucky" Rifle and developed hand operated machines to cut the rifles in the barrel.

[Samuel E. Dyke]

a researcher in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This was a report given to the Kentucky Rifle's Association in 1972. It seems that the Association had employed Mr. Dyke to do some research for them. They wanted him to see if he could find out the person or persons responsible for making the first Pennsylvania Rifles or what was sometimes called the "Kentucky Rifle". Mr. Dyke in his report states; "We feel as though these early gunsmiths came into Chester, Pennsylvania, or New Castle, Delaware, from abroad and migrated up the Susquehanna River to where the Pequea flows into it and set up shop for making guns." He goes on to say that Robert Baker came into Lancaster County Court on August 15, 1719 and asked permission to erect a gun boring mill at the mouth of Pequea Creek on his land. Permission was granted. Robert Baker and his son Caleb set up their gun shop and operated it until 1728. It was at this time Robert Baker died. His son, Caleb Baker, continued to operate this gun shop until the family moved to Amelia County, Virginia.

Posted by: William Baker Date: June 27, 2000 at 10:44:09
In Reply to: Re: John and William Baker, "Long Hunters" by Bill Baker of 12144
Bill,
One of my great-grandfathers was Andrew Baker, born in Buckingham, England. His father was Sir Robert 1st of England. He was the Kings personal Knight. Andrews son John had a son Robert who was granted land and a gun boring mill, by the king of England, and was the first man in history to design and manufacture the Pa. riffle which later would be known as the Kentucky hog riffle.

[David K. Baker]

A number of Baker researchers have noted that Robert Baker and his sons were gunsmiths in Pennsylvania. I found the following information in:

" Arms Makers of Pennsylvania" by Whisker, James B.. Selinsgrove: Susquehanna University Press, 1990. See pages 37-38.

"Gunsmiths of Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania". Lampeter; Edwin Mellen Press, Ltd., 1990. See pages 6-8.

"List of Gunsmiths of Lancaster County Pennsylvania, Period 1728-1863." Grove, Charles.
Journal of the Lancaster Historical Society. Vol. 72, no. 1, 1968, pages

Baker, Caleb, 1719-41, Gunsmith, worked with his father, Robert Baker, on the confluence of Pequea [Pequea] Creek and the Susquehanna River, Lancaster Co.

Baker, Robert (d. 1728), 1717-28, gunsmith at the confluence of Pequea Creek and the Susquehanna River, Lancaster Co.

Baker, Samuel. 1717-19, worked with his brother, Robert Baker, Lancaster Co. In 1719 Robert bought out Samuel's interests.

Excerpts from GUNSMITHS OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA by James B. Whisker: "Nearly all studies of the Pennsylvania-Kentucky long rifle assume this distinctively American rifle was invented in Lancaster County sometime in the second quarter of the eighteenth century. We find a number of pre-Revolutionary War gunsmiths who may have made Pennsylvania-Kentucky long rifles. We have no idea what the early Baker rifles may have looked like, c. 1720. Lancaster County was formed out of Chester Co, an original county of the Province of Pennsylvania, on 10 May 1729. Several of the Baker gunsmiths in the Pequea Valley, had worked and died before the formation of the county."

"ROBERT BAKER ( -1728)., gunsmith. Robert Baker was a gunsmith between 1717 and 1728 at the confluence of Pequea Creek and the Susquehanna River in Chester (now Lancaster) County. In 1719 Robert Baker took over the shop operated by his brother, Samuel Baker. Robert died intestate 19 September 1728, the Orphan's Court ordered an inventory of Robert's estate. It showed tools of the gunsmith and blacksmith. The total value of the tools in his gun barrel boring and gun shop was 295 pounds/10/7."

Editors Note: Based on all information found, I believe Samuel Baker & his brother Robert Baker were probably the first gun makers in America.
National Geographic Magazine stated that the Baker's invented the Pennsylvania-Kentucky Long Rifle. Unable to find the date of that article.

Excerpts from A RECORD OF THE BAKER AND BUFORD FAMILIES with Allied Lines by KATHERINE BAKER JOHNSON, 1940:
"The first of this family in America appears to have been Robert Baker who settled in Conestoga Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. This township became Lancaster County in 1729, as this family does not appear on the tax list of any of the other townships, it is possible that the settlement in Conestoga was the original home of the family from their arrival in America.

Abner Baker, Great Grandson, states in his "Life Book", that this family came to America from England in the early part of 1700, and that three brothers, Samuel, Andrew and Caleb were gunsmiths, with a grant from the King of England to manufacture arms for the colonies.

The first record we find of Robert Baker, is the administration of his estate dated Sept 13, 1728. Robert Baker died without a will and his son Caleb Baker was appointed administrator of his estate; along with these original papers at the Register's Office at the Court House in Lancaster County is the Administrators Bond; and inventory and the administrator's accounts; the bond was signed by the administrator; Joseph Higginbotham and Tobias Hendricks, sureties; and witnessed by Douglas Baker and Joshua Lowe. The inventory enumerates chattels, harvest crops, live stock, and 450 acres of land, this was signed by Tobias Hendricks, David Jones and Joseph Higginbotham, appraisers. Among the creditors were the names of Caleb Baker, Robert Baker, Jr, and Douglas Baker."

Subject: BAKER RIFLES
Date: 9/17/00 10:24:34 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: jvore@iti2.net (Jean Vore)
To: BBrown7152@aol.com (BBrown7152@aol.com)

I have heard that a Baker rifle was found at the Alamo. I have never seen it, but the story goes; when the historians at the Alamo were going through excess items, one of those was a Baker Rifle that went down with the Tennesseans.