Biography

Baker was the son of Vice-admiral Sir Henry Loraine Baker

Sir Henry Loraine Baker, 2nd Baronet

Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Loraine Baker, 2nd Baronet CB was born in Nancy, France to Sir Robert Baker, 1st Baronet and Dinah Hayley. He participated in the attack on Samana, Santo Domingo in 1807 and fought at the Battle of Anholt on 27 March 1811. He was invested as a Companion, Order of the Bath ...

, C.B.

Order of the Bath

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...

, by his marriage with Louisa Anne, only daughter of William Williams, Esq., of Castle Hall, Dorset. His father served with distinction at Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...

 in 1815. His grandfather was Sir Robert Baker of Dunstable House, Surrey

Surrey

Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

, and of Nicholashayne, Culmstock

Culmstock

thumb|Old stone bridge with pedestrian refuges over River Culm at CulmstockCulmstock is a picturesque parish village in east Devon, about 5 miles from Tiverton and 7 or so miles NE of Cullompton. It is laid out on both sides of the River Culm; the village is joined by a single old narrow stone...

, Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

, on whom a baronetcy

Sherston-Baker Baronets

The Baker, later Sherston-Baker Baronetcy, of Dunstable House in Richmond in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created on 14 May 1796 for Robert Baker, in honour of him raising and maintaining a cavalry regiment of 500 men styled "The Richmond Rangers" for...

 was conferred in 1796. Sir Henry Williams Baker was born in London on Sunday, 27 May 1821, at the house of his maternal grandfather; and after completing his university education at Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

, took his B.A. degree in 1844, and proceeded M.A. in 1847. In 1851 he was presented to the vicarage of Monkland near Leominster

Leominster

Leominster is a market town in Herefordshire, England, located approximately north of the city of Hereford and south of Ludlow, at...

. On the death of his father, on 2 Nov. 1859, he succeeded him as third baronet.

In 1852, while at Monkland, Sir Henry wrote his earliest hymn, 'Oh, what if we are Christ's.' Two others, 'Praise, O praise our Lord and King,' and 'There is a blessed Home,' have been referred to 1861 (Selborne's Book of Praise, pp. 176, 207-8, 288-9). Sir Henry Baker's name is chiefly known as the promoter and editor of 'Hymns Ancient and Modern

Hymns Ancient and Modern

Hymns Ancient and Modern was a hymnal in common use within the Church of England. Over the years it has grown into a large family of hymnals....

,' first published in 1861. To this collection Baker contributed many original hymns, besides several translations of Latin hymns. In 1868 an 'Appendix' to the collection was issued, and in 1875 the work was thoroughly revised. The hymnal was compiled to meet the wants of churchmen of all schools, but strong objections were raised in many quarters to Sir Henry Baker's own hymn addressed to the Virgin Mary, 'Shall we not love thee. Mother dear?'

Sir Henry Baker held the doctrine of the celibacy of the clergy, and at his death the baronetcy devolved on a kinsman. He was the author of 'Daily Prayers for the Use of those who have to work hard,' as well as of a 'Daily Text-book' for the same class, and of some tracts on religious subjects. He died on Monday, 12 Feb. 1877, at the vicarage of Monkland, and was buried in the churchyard of the parish. Stained glass windows have been put up to his memory in his own church and in All Saints Notting Hill

All Saints Notting Hill

All Saints Notting Hill is a Victorian Anglican church in Talbot Road, Notting Hill, London. It is a Grade II* listed building, built of stone with polychrome decoration in the Victorian gothic style. The west tower has five stages with the stump of a spire, and the sanctuary features paintings by...

.