Samuel Baker, as he came to be known, was the Third Fleet convict ancestor of many people of Tasmanian ancestry. We reproduce here an article by Rhonda Cole, written following extensive research, including in Britain, into his background. We also offer a link to pages showing Fort Cumberland in Hampshire, England, where he worked on its construction before transportation.
The article is substantially exactly as it was originally submitted to the Editor of Tasmanian Ancestry, the Journal of the Genealogical Society of Tasmania, Inc. (now the Tasmanian Family History Society, Inc.). It appeared in Volume 20 Number 2 – September 1999. The article was also reprinted in its entirety in: Annette Banks, The Two Families of Sarah Ann Brennan - Baker, The Author, Claremont, Tasmania, 2000. We are grateful to Rhonda Cole and to the Editor for consent to reproduce it here. The Journal's address is PO Box 1991, Launceston, Tasmania, 7250.
In time, there may be published additions to this article, specifically about where Baker came from, and further references, and perhaps even photographs of images in the National Archives in Britain.
More recent research suggests that some time later on Norfolk Island, Samuel ceased to appear as a sawyer and became a "gardener" or "labourer at the Government Gardens" at Queenborough.