William Baker 1705 to 1771 Architect BAK00068

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Headlines of William Baker’s life are in brown.

Dates are in red.

Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.

References and citations are in turquoise.

Context and local history are in purple.

1705

William Baker was the eldest son of Richard and Mary (nee Smith) Baker (FAR00060). He was baptised at St Bride, Fleet Street, London on 14 October 1705.

1725

William was employed as a joiner and later foreman by the noted architect, Francis Smith of Warwick. He worked on projects including:

· Ditchley Hall, Oxforshire, in 1727, as a carpenter.

· Mawley Hall, Shropshire.

· Etwall Hall.

· Swynnerton Hall, Derbyshire.

· Wingerworth Hall, Derbyshire.

· Catton Hall.

· Patshull Hull.

1729

William married Eliza Eykyn (born 1707), the eldest daughter of James Eykyn of Ackleton, Worfield, Shropshire on 5 July 1729 at Blymhill, Staffordshire.

William and Eliza had two children, though both died in infancy.

William’s first wife Eliza Baker had died on 31 October 1729 and was buried at Worfield on 3 November 1729. Although this needs to be reconciled with the later birth dates of the two children by this marriage.

1730

Mary Baker (1730 to 1730) was born in 1730 and died the same year.

1731

William Baker (1731 to 1736) was born in 1731.

1736

After Eliza died, William married Jane Dod (d. 1783), the elder daughter and sole heiress of George Dod, barrister-at-law, of Highfields, Audlem, Cheshire, on 17 January 1736 at Bridgnorth.

William Baker acquired Highfields, Audlem, Cheshire after his marriage to Jane Dod in 1736 and his son Richard would inherit Highfields in time. It has been said that he inherited Highfields in 1744. Jane Dod’s father had died in 1713, and his grandfather had outlived him and died in 1727. So it might be supposed that William would have acquired Highfields directly on his marriage in 1736, but perhaps matters were not formalised until later. William and Jane moved into Highfields and some alterations were made, including the addition of a rear wing.

They had five children.

Jane Baker, nee Dod (1711 – 1783)

1738

William Baker worked on several projects on his own account after Francis Smith's death in 1738.

Judith Baker (1738 to 1738)(BAK00080) was born in 1738.

1739

Charity Baker (1739 to 1817)(BAK00081) who later married Lawrence Barrow was born in 1739.

1740

William then set up his own business as architect and surveyor in about 1740. He also acted as a building contractor.

1741

Mary Baker (1741 to 1809)(BAK00082) who later married Captain Edward Thorley was born in 1741.

1743

Richard Dod (“Dick”) Baker (1743 to 1803)(BAK00083) who later married Hannah Hassall was born in 1743.

William Baker had a close relationship with the innovative Shrewsbury architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard and in 1743 at Ludlow, both Prichard and Baker put forward plans for the Butter Cross, but it was Baker who was selected to do the work. It was designed by William Baker and built in 1746 in the classical style.

The Buttercross is considered by most Ludlovians to be the centre of the town. The ground floor was originally a butter market and today it is still used on market days by traders. The upper rooms have had a variety of uses, the chamber for the Town Council, a boys’ charity school and today the Ludlow Museum.

He worked chiefly by contracting with a small number of craftsmen contractors for the erection of his buildings:

· Roger Eykyn (who was perhaps his brother-in-law),

· Gabriel Featherstone and

· Charles Trubshaw being the most frequently used.

William Baker was one of the foremost architects in the north Midlands during the mid eighteenth century. That so much of his work is known is largely due to the survival of an account book kept by him during the years 1748 to 1759, illustrating the nature of his professional work. Over a period of twelve years one can follow in detail the day-to-day life of an eighteenth century provincial architect who was often in the saddle, riding from one job to another, for his practise took him all over the north west Midlands and occasionally into Wales. Perhaps his best known building is the Market Cross or Butter Market at Ludlow which he designed in 1743-4, four years before the commencement of the account book. Montgomery Market Hall and St John’s Church, Wolverhampton among his other works. He was born in 1705, the son of Richard Baker a surgeon of London and Leominster and died in 1771. When his father died on 24th May 1749, he recorded the fact in the account book, adding the information that “he married Mary Smith and both she and my father were born in London as was myself in St Brides parish.” His grand father and great grand father were merchants of Norwich and London, the latter being the youngest son of Sir Richard Baker MP of Middle Aston, Oxford and St Brides, London, the historian. He married Margaret, the daughter of Sir George Manwaring of Ightfield, Salop and died in Fleets debtors prison, 1644; He was buried at Saint brides in St Brides. (Highfields, Audlem, 16^th century home of the Dod and Baker families, John Bellyse Baker, 1982.)

1744

William Baker was based at first at Bridgnorth, Shropshire, but after his second wife gained possession of Highfields at Audlem in 1744, they moved there.

Their son, William Baker (1744 to 25 November 1784)(BAK00084) was born in 1744.

1745

Baker's design of the Market Cross or Butter Cross, which housed the Ludlow Council Chamber, was based on James Gibbs' A Book of Architecture (1728). The Butter Cross had obviously impressed Herbert.

The Crown and the Phoenix public houses in Audlem were “built by William Baker in 1745. Both are said to have been of a similar design. From 1745 until 1808 it was known as Baker’s Tenement and was then renamed.”

“The Lamb hotel once bore the distinctive name Goat’s Head, the crest of the Baker family of Highfields, once owned by William Baker.”

From Nineteenth Century Audlem by Marjorie Burton, 1873:

There is a unique link between the Phoenix and the Crown at Audlem, for they were the architecture of William Baker in 1745 and were identically alike in exterior and interior design. William Baker, who did a great deal of important architectural work in Shropshire, Staffordshire and adjacent counties in the mid 18^th century, was the son of Richard Baker of London and Leominster. He was born in 1705 and died in 1771.

For more than half his life William Baker lived at Highfields, a small estate near Audlem, inherited by his wife, Jane Dod whom he married in 1736. She was the only surviving daughter and heiress of George Dod of Highfields, a Jacobean manor house built in 1615 on the site of an earlier structure of the same name. It still contains much original panelling, a staircase with ‘double twist’ banisters and several carved oak fireplaces. One of the latter, in the ‘best parlour’, is said by some to be the finest of its period in the country.

A Highfields William Baker combined the profession and surveyor with that of farer and small landowner. He also had a small kiln on the estate in which he made bricks used during the course of his professional work. He was often in the saddle, riding from one job to another, for his practice took him all over the North West Midlands and occasionally into Wales.

Perhaps Baker’s most important work was the Town Hall in Montgomery, the contract for which was doubtless gained through his friendship and business contacts with the Earl of Powis. Audlem is fortunate to have two of is buildings in the Square.

The Crown was known as the Bakers Tenement from 1745 to 1808.

There is a record of an exchange between John Capper and Joby Buckley at the Crown:

A shoot was held at Highfields, and Mr Baker asked Joby if he would take a brace of hares to Mr Cartlich at Woore. On arrival he knocked on the door which was opened by Mr Cartlich.

“Mr Baker’s sent thee these ‘ere ‘ares” Joby said.

“That’s not the way you bring a present from ne gentleman to another”, was the reply, “you step aside and I’ll show you how it should be done.”

Mr Cartlich knocked and Joby thereupon opened the door.

“With Mr Baker’s compliments and will Mr Cartlich kindly accept these hares.”

Joby, quick thinking and not to be outdone, “Oh yes, come inside and sit yersel down, ‘ave something to eat and drink, and ‘eres two ‘alf crowns for thee”.

1746

In 1746 William Baker was paid for the plans and work at the Royal Shrewsbury Infirmary, but the plans are signed by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard. It is likely that Pritchard was working under Baker on this project.

He was also responsible for the building of St John's Church, Wolverhampton and it is likely that Pritchard was the supervising architect working under Baker.

1748

The survival of his payments book for the years 1748-59 (R. Morrice ‘The Payment Book of William Baker of Audlem’, in "English Architecture Public and Private: Essays for Kerry Downes" edited Bold & Cheney, 1993) provides evidence of the range and balance of his activities.

The book includes receipts and payments relating to William’s architectural and surveying work and records the names of his clients over these twelve years.

He had many influential clients. Most of William’s journeys to his clients would have been made on horseback and he appears to have been an extremely active man.

He sometimes took a somewhat relaxed approach to balancing his accounts – in 1759 at the end of the year, he simply wrote: “”payment seems overs – done by some mistake” and left it at that.

From about this time, he combined his work as an architect and contractor with the life of a gentleman farmer, and the usual activities of running an estate. His accounts books 1748 to 1759 (see further below) provide a picture of the country squire in the eighteenth century. He sometimes used the accounts books as a diary and recorded facts not only relevant to his work, but to family events, local gossip and national events. He didn’t really separate his receipts and payments from household matters. In April 1747 he recorded receipts for a drawing of a house for £1 1s 0d and then recorded that “This month died Mr John Hussey aged 116 [presumably an exaggeration!]. He lived and laft for ninety years upon balm tea sweetened with honey for his breakfast; and every day pudding for his dinner.”

Items relating to household items in his accounts included:

· Land tax of £2 5s 0d.

· Window tax of 6/9d each quarter.

· Shoes 4/6d.

· Mens’ boots 5/8d.

· Wife’s gown from Mrs Gilly 18/7d.

· Crockery ware 4/7d.

· A double sett of china £1 4s 0d.

· Wig, £1 10s 0d.

· Paid tailor for a suit of clothes 7/0d.

The average wage for farm workers at harvest was 1s a day. He showed some kindness when he gave Nelly Viggars £1 1s 9d and forgave her arrears of rent due upwards of £4.

Animal costs included:

· A bull for £2 17s 0d.

· 5 piggs and a sow for £1 14s 0d.

· A cow for £3 3s 0d.

· A mare for £5

His practice covered a wide area across the north west Midlands including Cheshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire and also Wales. The Biographical Dictionary of British Architects suggested that William Baker had a significant role in the development of the Georgian style of architecture.

His designs owe much to the pattern books of James Gibbs, but also show some Palladian influences, as might be expected in even a provincial architect of the mid 18th century.

William Baker gained the patronage of Henry Arthur Herbert (1703–72), who became Earl of Powis in 1748. William Baker would have known Henry Herbert from his Ludlow connections. Herbert was the Whig Member of Parliament and a member of Ludlow Town Council when Baker was awarded the contract to build the Butter Cross at Ludlow. In that same year 1743 Henry Herbert relinquished his position as Member of Parliament when he inherited Powis Castle and became Lord Herbert of Chirbury. In 1735 he had been appointed Custos Rotulorum of Montgomeryshire and Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire. and this now provided him with a power base to dispense patronage in both Montgomeryshire and Shropshire.

William Baker (1705-1771), whose architectural designs included the Crown and the Phoenix in Audlem

His earliest known independent work and probably his most significant building was the Butter Cross in Ludlow, a plan and elevation of which can be seen in his portrait.

Between 1748 and 1758 Henry Herbert got Baker to alter his house at Oakly Park at Bromfield, just outside Ludlow. Then, between 1748 and 1754, Baker undertook repairs at Powis Castle, possibly in preparation for Herbert to move in. Also in 1748, Herbert got William Baker to design and build Montgomery Town Hall. The new Town Hall was intended to accommodate the Court of Great Sessions when it met at Montgomery and over which Herbert presided as Custos Rotulorum. At Bishops Castle Baker submitted designs for a new Town Hall to Herbert in 1745, but it was slightly later that the Town Hall was built and to modified designs.

1749

William Baker paid Dutton in June 1749 for felling 47 trees at 3d and 41 trees at 1d. Stocking a new meadow cost £1 5s 0d. a new wagon cost £9 9s 0d.

The accounts showed that he sold cheeses at Highfields with yearly income varying between £50 and £87.

He also took on wider social responsibilities. In 1749 William served as High Constable and a summary of his receipts and expenditure whilst holding office is set down in the accounts.

From in Audlem, The History of a Cheshire Parish and its five townships, 1997: “The earliest references to angling [at Audlem) come from Wiliam Baker’s diary, when he notes on 7 March 1749 that he “killed one carp out of Brew House field” and a further entry for 11 May 1750: “from Old Pitt in gate house ground. Took a carp 2 ft 3 inches.”

He also seems to have operated a brickmaking works on the estate.

From in Audlem, The History of a Cheshire Parish and its five townships, 1997: “In the eighteenth century William Baker had a kiln at Highfields and sold bricks, payments for which are recorded in his account books with details of numbers made. In the parish there are a number of Brick Kiln Fields, indicating that local clay was frequently used for the purpose.”

Baker had a kiln at Highfields and sold bricks. There are many payments to the brick maker, Plant and his successor, Barber; also memoranda of the number of bricks made. Receipts and payments in connection with his professional work occur cheek by jowl with entries concerning household and farming matters. At the end of the book there is a summary of the accounts received each year for the sale of cheeses made it Highfields. (Highfields, Audlem, 16^th century home of the Dod and Baker families, John Bellyse Baker, 1982.)

1756

William also recorded national events in his accounts books:

· On 18 May 1756 he recorded that “warr was proclaimed at London against France.”

· In July 1756 he recorded “Island of Minorca was taken by the French. Admiral Bing is disgract for running away with 13 men of Warr from 12 French – he is brough to England and tried & shott to death for his cowardice.”

He also recorded local activity:

· “Miss Reves married Capt Warren – she is worth 200 thousand pounds.”

· “At Bath was married Earl Powis to Miss Herbert; he was 48 but she but 16 years old.”

· Sir John Astley’s only son, Mr Prince Astley had to flee from England for wishing ill to his Majesty King George.

1757

His accounts also provide some weather information. On 15 March 1757 he recorded “a great gale blew down abundance of tress, unthatch houses and threw down a number of barns and overturned the top of Acton steeple upon the roof of the church which fell in on the pews in a ruinous condition.” On 26 March he recorded that he paid expenses for his inspection of the roof at Acton church for £42 3s 0d. In February 1759, “No rain of consequence from the middle of January but perpetual warm weather. Everything looking like an April Spring, greens and other things forward, hawthorne in leaf, pear blossom out by 14^th. On 18^th mercury up to ’settled fair’.”

1759

In October 1759 he recorded that “Port of Quebec taken”.

In November 1759 he recorded that “French fleet beat by Admiral Hawke.”

1767

William purchased the manor of Fenton Culvert in Staffordshire, with its pottery works, for his son William in 1767.

1771

William Baker died on 29 November 1771. He was buried at St James the Great, Audlem.

His son Richard (“Dick”) Dod Baker (1743–1803)(BAK00083) continued the practice after his father's death in 1771. Richard seems to have practised mainly as a building surveyor, and there are few buildings that he designed.

1775

In 1775–1775, after Baker's death, Pritchard continued Baker's survey work at Powis Castle.

1783

William’s widow Jane died 17 March 1783.

List of Architectural Works of William Baker

William worked for:

· Sir Jonathan Cape on Ranton Abbey.

· Sir John Astley Bt on Patshull. He was on good terms with Sir John who promised him a legacy in his will. William sometimes supplied the Baronet with chocolate and his daughter Chatty (Charity) lived at Patshull for a time.

· The Earl of Powis, for whom William did a lot of work including Powis Castle and Oakley Park.

At Wood Eaton, he designed a house for the Rev William Astley, the headmaster of Repton School. William sent his oldest son, Richard, to Repton and his fees and board for the first two years were paid by deduction from what the headmaster owed the architect.

Public building and monuments

· Montgomery, The Town Hall (the market hall) 1748–1751, which is said to be his most important work, built originally in 1748 to the design of William Baker as a Market Hall, with a low upper storey above.

· Ludlow, Shropshire, The Butter Cross 1743–1744. The design is derived from James Gibb's 'Book of Architecture', 1728. Faced with Grinshill stone with a low pedimented portico and a semi-circular or lunette window above. The parapet has heavy balustrading, capped with ball pinnacles.

· Royal Shropshire Infirmary. 1747

· Bishops Castle, Shropshire. Town Hall 1745–1750

· Shrewsbury. Royal Shropshire Infirmary 1747. The plans are signed by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard, but Baker was commissioned and paid for the work.

· The alms-houses and gaol at Ludlow.

· Wichnor Bridge, Staffordshire.

· Hereford, College of the Vicars Choral.1750. Repairs and alterations

Churches

· St Peter's Church, Congleton, Cheshire. A church here since the 15th century (The Higher Chapel). The present church was built by William Baker in 1740–1742 for £2,000.

· Stone, Staffordshire, Gothic revival 1754–1758 designed by William Robinson, Clerk to the Board of Works, who produced the first designs for Strawberry Hill for Horace Walpole. He supervised the whole of the work and laid the foundation stone on 2 October 1754 and was present at the consecration of the church.

· St John's Church, Wolverhampton, 1756–1759. A very grand ashlar faced church which is based on James Gibbs' St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. Built as a chapel of St Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton by a private Act of Parliament in 1755. There is some uncertainty as to whom the architect was, but there is no doubt that the main contractor was William Baker, who was helped by the local builder and architect, Roger Eykyn. Traditionally the design of the church has been credited to the Shrewsbury architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard, but it could be that he supervised the construction for Baker.

· Seighford, Staffordshire. Tower and Nave rebuilt. Metal framed gothic windows. Brick pilasters with ?mock artillery slits, which also appear on the crenellations of the tower; which is surmounted by four corner pinnacles. Looks like a very early attempt to re-create German Brick Gothic. He made many journeys to Sleighford while supervising the rebuilding of the church in 1754 and 1755. He did survey work there.

· He surveyed the steeple of Newcastle under Lyme church.

· Acton church (west view), Cheshire. Rebuilt by Baker 1758

· Ellenhall, Staffordshire 1757. £1023 estimated for the repair of the Church.

· St Mary's Church, Acton, near Nantwich, Cheshire. Upper part of the tower was blown into Nave, March 1757. Sandstone. The church must have been extensively re-built and the Medieval entrance has been altered and embellished. Remarkable ornamented west gable to Chancel. Ornamentation to tower below parapet, which has ‘gun slits’ in the crenulations (cf Seigford). Four crocketed corner pinnacles with lower mid-ball pinnacles on tower. Sundial surmounted with Baker's typical ball pinnacle.

· St Chad's Church, Wybunbury, Cheshire. Tower leaning as the result of subsidence. Baker appears to have solved the problem, but the Nave and Chancel had to be demolished in 1970.

· Plans for a Kirk in Gothic style at Kenmore Perthshire 1760.

· Upper Penn church, nr Wolverhampton.1765. Baker cased the tower in brickwork. Crenulations to the parapet of tower with four crocketed corner pinnacles. Ornamented gothic tower window.

Houses

· Ludlow 52 Broad Street.

· Wolverhampton Penn Hall.

· North Claines, Worcestershire. Bevere House 1748–1749.

· Morville Hall, Shropshire. Addition of two wings.

· Liverpool. Houses in Hanover Street.1748. Demolished.

· Mawley Hall, Shropshire. Possible work to stables 1748.

· Ranton Abbey Staffordshire. Surveyed 1748–1742. Gutted c1940.

· Powis Castle Montgomeryshire Unspecified work 1748–1754

· Oakly Park, Bromfield. Alterations 1748–1758

· Wingerworth Hall. Work undertaken by Baker in 1753–1754.

· Enville Staffordshire,"Lady Dorothy's Cottage" For the Earl of Stamford 1748–50

· Morville, Aldenham House, Shropshire. Stable Block 1750–1751

· Tixall Hall Staffordshire. 1750–1751. Demolished c. 1925.

· Darlaston Hall, Staffordshire. Plans for a house. Demolished 1953.

· Acton Burnell Hall, Shropshire 1753–1758.

· Wood Eaton, Staffordshire The Hall Farmhouse. 1753–1756.

· Wingerworth Hall, Derbyshire. Work undertaken 1753–1754. Demolished c.1930.

· Stoke on Tern, Shropshire, Woodhouse Farm, 1754–1758. An example of Baker's smaller brick houses, with central chimney stack. Each face of the house has a forward central bay, with doorway with a castellated or crenelated, pediment or parapet. Mercer E "English Architecture to 1900: The Shropshire Experience" Logaston Press, 2003.

· Swynnerton Hall, Staffordshire. Outbuildings. 1754.

· Patshull House, Staffordshire. 1754–1758. Baker completed the work of James Gibbs, who died in 1754. This included the flanking pavilions, and forecourt, with gateway and stables.

· Hankelow Hall, Cheshire Alterations. 1755–1757.

· Egginton Hall, Derbyshire. Alterations. 1755–1757.

· Terrick Hall, Whitchurch. Plan 1756.

· Whitmore Hall, Staffordshire. Survey 1765.

· Astbury Rectory, Astbury, Cheshire Possibly refronted by Baker 1757-9.

· Brand Hall, Norton in Hales, Shropshire 1756. Minor Alterations.

· Hanmer Hall, Wrexham. Additional building. 1756.

· Astbury Rectory, Cheshire. Alterations 1757–1759. Typical ball pinnacles on parapet.

· Keele Hall, Staffordshire. Alterations 1757–1759.

· Dorfold Hall, Cheshire. Alterations 1757–1759.

· Woodhouse or Wodehouse nr Wombourne, Staffordshire. Stable block. 1758–1759.

· Sidway Hall near Maer, Staffordshire. Altered or rebuilt 1758–1759.

· Teddesley Hall, Penkridge, Staffordshire. Possible wings, c1759, demolished 1954.

· Burnhill Green Farm Patshull.

· Woore The Swan Hotel.

· Sibdon Carwood, Shropshire. Sibdon Castle.