Individual Details

Benjamin BAKER

(1 Feb 1840 - 9 Jan 1900)

Events

Birth	1 Feb 1840	Salehurst, Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Baptism	23 Feb 1840	St Mary the Virgin, Salehurst, Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Census (family)-shared	30 Mar 1851	(Benjamin BAKER and Caroline "baptized Katherine" BAKER) with his occupation given as farm carter - 41 Park St, Bodiam, Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Emigration (fam)-shared	20 May 1857	(Benjamin BAKER and Caroline "baptized Katherine" BAKER) on board the "Zemindar", arriving in Sydney 23 August 1857. The passenger list says Benjamin's father Thomas was already living at the Hunter River NSW & mother Susan was dead - Plymouth, Devonshire, England, United Kingdom
Marriage	9 Oct 1861	Church of St Paul (CofE), Redfern, New South Wales, Australia - Charlotte HARMER
News Pub (ind)	21 Oct 1861	The following announcement appeared in the Family Notices section of the Sydney Morning Herald: "BAKER-HARMER-October 9th, by the Rev. Alfred H. Stephen, at St. Paul's, Redfern, Benjamin, only son of Mr. Benjamin Baker, of Hartley, to Charlotte, third daughter of the late Mr. William Harmer, of Chippendale, late of Sussex."
Occupation	6 Dec 1865	butcher
Note	21 Oct 1867	Benjamin's marriage to Charlotte had obviously taken a turn for the worse when his brother-in-law George Harmer issued a summons against him for bigamy on 21 Oct 1867. At the hearing on 29 Oct 1867 he was charged with "having, at Sydney, about six months since, unlawfully & feloniously married and taken to wife one Maria Smith, his former wife, Charlotte Baker, then being alive. He was remanded until 4 Nov 1867 but since "George Harmer could produce no evidence except hearsay of the second marriage" Benjamin was discharged
Note	11 Nov 1867	However Benjamin was not out of the woods yet because on the 11 Nov 1867 he was found guilty of child desertion and sentenced to 12 months gaol. He was released 9 Nov 1868
Note	20 Jul 1870	On 18 Jul 1870 he was arrested and charged with using threatening language to Gertrude Harmer, younger sister of Charlotte. He was sentenced to 6 months gaol but bailed bound to keep the peace for 6 months
Note	5 Jun 1872	In what appears to be Benjamin's final brush with the law the police Gazette 5 Jun 1872 documented that a warrant had been issued for his arrest, charged with larceny as a bailee of a dray & harness of the value of 11 pounds 15 shillings, the property of William Merry of Barker's Wharf, Bathurst St. in the police Gazette of 12 Jun 1872 it was advised that he had been seen near Tambaroora (near Hill End in the gold fields) with the dray in his possession. Was he meeting up with his father? He was arrested 22 Jul 1872 and tried, convicted and sentenced to 9 months hard labour on 19 Aug 1872. He was released after serving his sentence in May 1873
Death	9 Jan 1900	Blacktown, New South Wales, Australian Colonies
Burial	11 Jan 1900	St Bartholomew Cemetery, Prospect, New South Wales, Australian Colonies

Families

Spouse	Charlotte HARMER (1836 - 1870)
Child	Grace Caroline Eliza BAKER (1863 - 1863)
Child	Ernest Benjamin BAKER (1865 - 1949)

Father	Benjamin BAKER (1819 - 1884)
Mother	Caroline "baptized Katherine" BAKER (1821 - 1871)

Endnotes