James Baker (MP)
Encyclopedia
James Baker was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons
in 1659 and 1660.
Baker was an attorney and by 1636 was living at Shaftesbury. In 1637 he became steward of the manorial court of Abbotsbury. He was constable and churchwarden of Shaftesbury St Peter in 1642. During the Civil War he became prominent as a sequestrator of Royalist estates as solicitor and sequestrator for Dorset from 1646 to 1649. He was mayor of Shaftesbury from 1647 to 1648. In 1648 he was commissioner for assessment for Dorset and in 1650 he was commissioner for administering the engagement. He was also captain of the militia cavalry in 1650. He was commissioner for assessment for Dorset again in 1652 and commissioner for security in 1655. From 1656 to 1657 he was mayor of Shaftesbury again.
In 1659, Baker was elected Member of Parliament
for Shaftesbury
in the Third Protectorate Parliament
. He was lieutenant of militia cavalry in 1659 and was commissioner for assessment for Dorset in January 1660. In April 1660 he was re-elected MP for Shaftesbury in the Convention Parliament and signed the loyal address from Dorset on the Restoration.
Baker died was buried at St. Peter’s Shaftesbury on 21 October 1689.
Baker was married by 1636 and had three sons.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in 1659 and 1660.
Baker was an attorney and by 1636 was living at Shaftesbury. In 1637 he became steward of the manorial court of Abbotsbury. He was constable and churchwarden of Shaftesbury St Peter in 1642. During the Civil War he became prominent as a sequestrator of Royalist estates as solicitor and sequestrator for Dorset from 1646 to 1649. He was mayor of Shaftesbury from 1647 to 1648. In 1648 he was commissioner for assessment for Dorset and in 1650 he was commissioner for administering the engagement. He was also captain of the militia cavalry in 1650. He was commissioner for assessment for Dorset again in 1652 and commissioner for security in 1655. From 1656 to 1657 he was mayor of Shaftesbury again.
In 1659, Baker was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Shaftesbury was a parliamentary constituency in Dorset. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1295 until 1832 and one member until the constituency was abolished in 1885....
in the Third Protectorate Parliament
Third Protectorate Parliament
The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons...
. He was lieutenant of militia cavalry in 1659 and was commissioner for assessment for Dorset in January 1660. In April 1660 he was re-elected MP for Shaftesbury in the Convention Parliament and signed the loyal address from Dorset on the Restoration.
Baker died was buried at St. Peter’s Shaftesbury on 21 October 1689.
Baker was married by 1636 and had three sons.