B. 4 Nov 1730 in Littleton, Massachusetts
M. 15 Jan 1760 in Sudbury, Massachusetts
Wife: Mary Dakin
D. 14 Apr 1810 in Lincoln, Massachusetts
Timothy Baker was one of many New England men who served in the campaign to expel the French settlers of Acadia from their homeland. Although his exact contribution to the effort is unknown, he was definitely there, and played a part as a soldier.
Timothy started out life in Littleton, Massachusetts, born on November 4, 1730 to Joseph Baker and Alice Jefts. He was the second youngest of eight children. His father was the town clerk of Littleton, and when Timothy’s birth was entered into town records, he was the one who wrote it. After Timothy came of age, he became a tailor. He was living in the town of Petersham when he signed up to be a soldier to help England secure Nova Scotia.
England had controlled the territory formerly called Acadia for several decades, allowing the French settlers to live peacefully. This would have continued indefinitely except for that the English demanded total allegiance, and the Acadians would not agree to that. In early 1755, a few key people overseeing the colony made the decision to deport everyone who refused to take the oath.
Two thousand men were recruited in eastern Massachusetts to carry out the task, one of whom was Timothy. Each man who enlisted was paid 30 shillings in bounty, and given “a suit of clothes, a blanket, [and a] haversack.” While the pay was an incentive, New Englanders had strong feelings that were anti-French and anti-Catholic, and this may have also been a factor in why Timothy signed up.
Timothy and the others marched into Boston, boarded ships, and at the end of May, they landed at Annapolis, or what the Acadians called Port-Royal. Timothy was recorded on May 28, 1755 as being a private under the command of Captain Abijah Willard, who had charge of 100 men mostly from near his hometown of Lancaster, Massachusetts. Willard kept a diary of the 1755 campaign that survives, giving a story of where he led his men.
On June 1st, the soldiers took boats to Beaubassin landing, on the isthmus where present-day Nova Scotia joins New Brunswick. In order to control Acadia, the English needed to capture Fort Beauséjour, which the French had built a few years earlier. The force that Timothy served in launched a siege of the fort on June 16th, and forced the Acadians to surrender. The victory meant that the English could now continue their plan for the civilians living in the area.
It seems fairly certain that Timothy was at the Battle of Fort Beauséjour, and it’s also likely that he took part in what followed. Captain Willard wrote that he left the fort (now renamed Fort Cumberland) on August 6th, leading his soldiers across the isthmus to the area around Baie-Verte. The orders were to round up all male settlers for deportation, and burn their farms and villages. This was done with a degree of deception that seemed cruel even for the times. The Acadian men, thinking they would only be imprisoned temporarily, decided to leave their wives and children behind. When everyone was later shipped to faraway places, many families that were separated never saw each other again.
After Timothy’s term of service was over, he returned to Massachusetts, and five years later, he got married. His wife was Mary Dakin, the daughter of a man killed in battle during the French and Indian War. After their wedding in Sudbury on January 15, 1760, they settled in Littleton; between 1762 and 1786, they had ten children. Timothy was said to have served in the American Revolution, but the details of his service aren’t known.
Timothy later moved to Lincoln, Massachusetts where he died on April 14, 1810. His wife Mary survived him, and passed away in 1828.
Children:
1. Mary Baker — B. 23 May 1762, Littleton, Massachusetts; D. 16 Sep 1828, Mount Vernon, New Hampshire; M. Josiah Kittredge (1762-1850)
2. Hannah Baker — B. 21 Jan 1764, Littleton, Massachusetts; D. 16 Feb 1825, Marlborough, New Hampshire; M. Levi Whitcomb (1763-1827), 4 Dec 1786, Templeton, Massachusetts
3. Nancy Baker — B. 29 Sep 1766, Littleton, Massachusetts; M. John Farnsworth (1765-?)
4. Beulah Baker — B. 15 Nov 1768, Littleton, Massachusetts; D. 15 Apr 1827, Nelson, New Hampshire; M. Joshua Kittredge (1761-1834), 10 Jun 1796, Packersfield, New Hampshire
5. Alice Baker — B. 1 Oct 1770, Littleton, Massachusetts
6. Lydia Baker — B. 28 Jun 1773, Littleton, Massachusetts; D. 1844; M. Joshua Blodgett (~1771-?)
7. Samuel Dakin Baker — B. 20 Sep 1775, Littleton, Massachusetts; D. 1844
8. Abel Baker — B. 16 Jun 1778, Littleton, Massachusetts; D. 16 Aug 1867, Roxbury, Massachusetts; M. Sarah Reed (1790-?)
9. Stephen Baker — B. 15 Oct 1781, Littleton, Massachusetts
10. Timothy Minot Baker — B. 7 Mar 1786, Littleton, Massachusetts; M. Elizabeth Wright (1785-1857)
Sources:
WikiTree
An Historical Sketch of the Town of Littleton, Herbert Joseph Harwood, 1890
Acadians in Gray (website)
History of Nova Scotia (website)
A Great and Noble Scheme, John Mack Faragher, 2005
