Of the Madras Army. Misty's flickr page has some useful information. It pointed us to National Archives which corroborated our guess that our JLB is the father of Lawrence James Baker, English stockbroker and Liberal MP, who was born in London in 1828. It seems likely that LJB, as a pillar of the community, erected the memorial fountain to his father. (Note: JLB's birth year is disputed, either 1789 or 1790).
The London Heritage Hotspots website gives much information about this fountain and our colleague, Andrew Behan, has researched the man and found an image on a family tree on the ancestry.co.uk website.
John Law Baker was born on 20 January 1789 in Buntingford, Hertfordshire, the youngest of the three sons of John Baker (1760-1791) and Mary Baker née Gilder (1760-1849). His two elder brothers were: Reverend Lawrence Palk Baker (1785-1870) and Lieutenant Colonel William Thomas Baker (1786-1851). His father was a surgeon and apothecary. He was baptised on 8 March 1790 at Layston, Hertfordshire.
His father died in 1791 and on 11 February 1802 his mother married a John Wilson at St Mary's Church, Marylebone Road, Marylebone, his half-sister, Ann Theodosia Wilson (1802-1875) being born later in the year.
In 1805 he went to India as Cornet in The Honourable East India Company and was promoted to Lieutenant on 10 October 1807 when he served in their Eighth Regiment of Native Infantry. He retired from The Honourable East India Company on 23 September 1818.
On 7 April 1825 he married Caroline Elizabeth Browne (1795-1877) at St Giles Church, Camberwell, Surrey and they went on to have six children: Charlotte Ward Baker (1826-1890), Lawrence James Baker (1828-1921), William John Baker (1829-1868), John Law Baker (1831-1905), Mary Elizabeth Baker (1833-1919) and Caroline Gilder Baker (1841-1894).
When his daughter, Charlotte, was baptised on 26 April 1826 the baptismal register described him as a gentleman and the family were residing in Kings Road (later renamed as Theobalds Road), Holborn, but the registers show the family at John Street, Holborn, when his son, John, was baptised on 23 May 1832 and his daughter, Mary, was baptised on 9 October 1833.
In 1831 he was listed as the Assistant Secretary to the Madras Military Fund and in the 1841 census he was described as a merchant living in Lower Green, Esher, Surrey, with his wife, their three daughters: Charlotte, Mary and Caroline, three female servants and a male agricultural labourer.
The Post Office London Directory of 1845 lists him as a merchant at Hall of Commerce, Threadneedle Street, London and in the 1851 census he was listed as a Lieutenant on half pay living at 37 Gloucester Gardens, Paddington, with his wife, two of their children: Charlotte and John, together with two female and one male domestic house servants.
When the 1861 census was compiled he was described as a retired East Indian Army Lieutenant, living at 20 Alfred Place, St Giles, London, with his wife and their two daughters, Mary and Caroline.
He was still described as a retired Lieutenant of the Honourable East India Army in the 1871 census but he, his wife, their daughter, Charlotte, and their son, John, were now living at The Vicarage, Saxby, Leicestershire, the home of his daughter, Mary, who was married to the Reverend Peter Freeland Gorst (1838-1918) the Rector of Saxby & Stapleford, together with two female domestic servants.
By the time of the 1881 census he was a widower, still describing himself a retired Lieutenant in the Indian Army and he is shown as living in Eastcote Road, Eastcote, Pinner, Middlesex , with his daughter, Charlotte, together with cook and a housemaid.
Electoral registers in 1885 show that he was residing at The Lodge, Eastcote and probate records confirm that he died there, aged 97 years, on 28 September 1886. He was buried on 2 October 1886 in the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church, Gateway Close, Northwood, HA6 2RP and the burial records confirm that he was aged 97 years and 9 months. His will was proved on 20 January 1887 by both his son, Lawrence, who was living at Ottershaw Park, Chertsey, Surrey and his daughter, Charlotte, who still lived in Pinner. His effects totalled £91-12s-5d.
