BAKER, Henry, an ingenious and diligent naturalist, was born in Fleet Street, London, either near the end of the seventeenth, or very early in the beginning of the eighteenth century. His father's profession is not known, but his mother was in her time a midwife of great practice. He was brought up under an eminent bookseller, who preceded the elder Dodsey, to the business of a bookseller; in which, however, he appears not to have engaged at all after his apprenticeship, or if he did, it was soon relinquished by him; for although it was in his power to have drawn away many of his master's customers, he would not set up against him. Mr Baker being of a philosophical turn of mind, and having diligently attended to the methods which might be practicable and useful in the cure of stammering, especially in teaching deaf and dumb persons to speak, made this the employment of his life. In the prosecution of so valuable and difficult an undertaking he was very successful, and several of his pupils have borne testimony to the ability and good effect of his instructions. He married Sophia, youngest daughter of the famous Daniel Defoe, who brought him two sons, both of whom he survived. On the 29th of January 1740 Mr Baker was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and on the 12th of March following the same honour was conferred upon him by the Royal Society. In 1744 Sir Godfrey Copley's gold medal was bestowed upon
Baker. him, for having, by his microscopical experiments on the crystallizations and configuration of saline particles, produced the most extraordinary discovery during that year. Having led a very useful and honourable life, he died at his apartments in the Strand on the 25th of November 1774, being then above seventy years of age. Several of Mr Baker's communications are printed in the Philosophical Transactions; and he was the means, by his extensive correspondence, of conveying to the society much useful intelligence. He was one of the earliest members of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, and contributed in no small degree to its rise and establishment. His principal publications are, The Microscope made Easy, and Employment for the Microscope. The first of these was published in 1742 or 1743. The second edition of the other appeared in 1764. These treatises, especially the latter, contain the most curious and important of the observations and experiments which Mr Baker either laid before the Royal Society or published separately. His memory is perpetuated by the Bakerian Lecture of the Royal Society, for the foundation of which he left by will the sum of L.100.