Several Articles & Items of Interest about the Baker Family appear on this page.

 BAKER  UP DATE

(Prepared by William A. Greene 4/27/2015)

     In the early part of 2015, Ron Taylor was looking through the Surrogate Court Records on Wills.  He happened to stumble across the will of Thaddeus Baker, one of the earliest settlers of Andover in Allegany Co.  N.Y.  The will was dated July 8, 1835.

     Thaddeus Baker, Sr. from Poultney, Vt., arrived in Andover June 20^th 1807, accompanied by his wife Elizabeth Ann and six children.  Now I must tell you that I overlooked the part that said “six children” and so did a few other people. Notes that I have on the Baker family only mention two children, not six.  We will bring this up later.

     After arriving, Thaddeus purchased four hundred acres of land, his tract including a portion of the site of the present Village Office of Andover.  He had previously been employed as a surveyor by the Pulteney heirs, and, while acting in that capacity, selected the land on which he afterwards settled.  He became prominent in the affairs of the town, and died in 1845.

     Now this is where the will comes in.  My wife, Ron Taylor, and I sat down and started to decipher what was written in the will.  Some of the writing wasn’t too bad, but some of it was unreadable.  Upon reading the will, we found the four other children that we hadn’t heard of. 

     The names that were mentioned in the Baker History as being children of Thaddeus Baker were Eliza (Elizabeth) Ann and Thaddeus Baker. It never mentioned the other four siblings.  In the will the following other names appeared.  Polly Baker, Sally Baker, Esther Baker and Eunice Baker, all children of Thaddeus Sr. and Elizabeth Anne Baker.  Now we have the whole family.

     Thaddeus Baker Sr. was born in Woodbury, CT. in 1761 and died in Andover, N.Y.  on Jan. 25, 1842.  His wife Elizabeth Anne Castle Baker was born in Woodbury, CT. in 1766 and she died Feb. 2, 1844.  Both she and her husband are buried in Hillside Cemetery, in Andover, N.Y.

INOF ON CHILDREN AND SPOUSES

1)      Polly Baker B: 1791 – D: 1842  Polly married Nathanial Dike son of Nathanial Dike the first settler in Allegany Co.  They had three children and Polly died.  Nathanial remarried  to Unknown and worked the farm across the road from Rockburgers, which was the old Hann farm, the oldest farm in Allegany Co.  All are believed to be buried in the Cole-Dike Cemetery.

2)      Elizabeth Ann Baker B: 1796 – D: 3-4-1876 Elizabeth married a William Y. Henderson.  Unknown children.  Elizabeth died and is buried in Hillside Cemetery, unknown what happened to her husband.

3)      Sally Baker B: 1796 – D: unknown;  Sally married a Jole/Joel Halladay.  Both are believed to be buried in the Cole – Dike Cemetery.  Son, Thaddeus Haliday/Halladay, obituary below; other children unknown.

4)      Esther Baker (twin) B: 1800 – D) unknown  Esther married Willard Adams unknown children and both are believed to be buried in the Cole – Dike Cemetery

5)      Eunice Baker (twin) B: 1800 – 1888 Eunice married Simon Adams.  Unknown children and both are believed to be buried in the Cole – Dike Cemetery

6)      Dr. Thaddeus Baker B: 1806 – D: 6-11-1888 Thaddeus married Sarah Spicer.  They had two children I) Dr. Rollin T. Baker died in the Civil War;    Dwight B. Baker .  Dr. Thaddeus and Sarah are buried in Hillside Cemetery  along with Dr. Rollin T. Baker

 I’m sorry this is so short; you have to realize that there were no newspapers and if families didn’t keep records, all that history was lost.  We are saying that the majority of the people listed above are buried in the Cole – Dike Cemetery as they lived in Elm Valley and you would think that is where they are buried.  They don’t have tombstones as they cost money.  The rich had the money, farmers didn’t.  And the money they had went to buy food for themselves and their animals.  Living meant more than buying a tombstone.

AT A SURROGATES COURT HELD AT ANGELICA

THADDEUS BAKER WILL

TRANSCRIBED April  2015

BY

Bill and Sheila Greene

In the matter of the application of Thaddeus Baker executor for probate and record of the will of Thaddeus Baker deceased late of Andover, in the County of Allegany before William G. Collins Surrogate the 5^th day of August 1842.  Thaddeus Baker named executor in the last will and testament of Thaddeus Baker late of town of Andover in the county of Allegany deceased appeared and offered the said will for probate and record and proved before the Surrogate the following facts.

1. 1.          That the said deceased died on the 25^th day of July 1842 at his residence in said town of Andover.
   2.          That he left a widow by the name of Elizabeth Ann Baker who resides in the town of Andover.)      That the heirs and next of kin to the said deceased are Simon Dyke, place of residence un known.  Isaac Dyke Amity of Allegany County, Nathaniel L. Dyke, Coudersport, Potter County PA.
   3. William Y Henderson and Elizabeth A. Henderson his wife and Esther Adams, Simon Adams and Eunice his wife.   Thaddeus Halladay a minor.  All living in Andover in said county and Harman G. Halladay whose place of residence is unknown.
   4.           That the will relates to both real and historical estate.  It is therefore ordered that Quincy Ford be appointed a Special guardian to superinted the interests of Thaddeus Halladay, a minor heir of said deceased in the matter of the proceedings aforesaid.

12 September 1842, our filing the consent of the said Quincy Ford to be such guardian it also further ordered that a citation issue to the said person above named to appear and attend the probate of said will on the 21^st day of November 1842 before the Surrogate aforesaid in pursuance of an order of this court made the 12^th day of September 1842 in relation to the application of Thaddeus Baker named sole executor in the will of Thaddeus Baker late of the Town of Andover in said county deceased for probate of said will. The said Thaddeus Baker appeared and produced satisfactory evidence of the service of the said citation and of its publication as the law requires, which evidence is filed in the office of this court on motion of said Thaddeus Baker.  It is ordered that the Surrogate proceed to examine the subscribing witnesses to said will and take the proof thereof.  Witnesses to sustain the will are Asa L. Allen of Cuba and William Harday of Andover, Simon Adams appeared on behalf of his wife and_______  Dyke son of Mrs. Dyke of Amity, the absence of the third witness,  Mrs. Hardy was accounted for.

    Whereupon the Surrogate of  said upon the proof of said being satisfied of the guardianship and validity of the said will do therefore order that the same be admitted to probate and  record as a will of real and historical estate and that letters testamentary they are to be granted to Thaddeus Baker Executor in the said will named on his taking the oath of office prescribed by law.

Will of Thaddeus Baker, Sr.

(Transcribed by William & Sheila Greene with Ronald Taylor - April 2015; Copied from Allegany County Courthouse, Surrogate Files) 

     I Thaddeus Baker of the Town of Andover, County of Allegany and State of New York do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following this I give and bequeath to the kins of my oldest daughter Polly, the sum of forty dollars.

     I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth Ann three acres of land be the same more or less known as the lot occupied by William Y. Henderson  and lying near the north east corner of Lot No. 65 in aforesaid town.

     I give and bequeath to my daughter Esther the sum of forty dollars.

     I give and bequeath to my daughter Eunice the sum of forty dollars.

     I give and bequeath to the heirs of my daughter Sally three acres and a half of land known as the lot once occupied by Jole Holladay._____ and lying in the north east corner of lot sixty five and the afore said  Lot of land bequeathed to my daughter Elizabeth Anne.

     I give and bequeath to my only son Thaddeus the remainder of the land Lot no. sixty five being about ninety two acres and be the same more of less on up with all of the buildings improvements and appurtenanced thereunto appertaining _____ being my homestead farm.

     I also give unto my son Thaddeus all my personal property and all notes on accounts and household furniture ______.  I maybe _____ of all my______.

     I also hereby nominate contribute and appoint my son Thaddeus sole executor of this my last will and testament and do hereby order him to support and provoke for my beloved wife Elizabeth Anne in a comfortable manner as she shall desire and to pay the afore said legacies of forty dollars each to my daughters Esther and Eunice and the heirs of my daughter Polly out of the property.  I do hereby will and bequeath to him and also he to pay all my lawful debts.

     And I do hereby revoke all other and former wills by me at anytime here to fore made.  In witness where of I have here set my hand and seal this eighth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty five.

                                          THADDEUS BAKER

 Signed sealed and disclosed and published by the said Thaddeus Baker at and for his last will and testament in the presents of us who have published our names as instructed there to in the presences  of the said testator.                                       

Asa Allen

                                                                                       William Harday

                                                                                        Mary Harday

State of New York

Allegany County     SS  Be it remembered

That at a Surrogates Court held at the town

Of Angelica  in said County of Allegany

On the 21^st day of November 1842 before

John G. Collins

 Below is obituary of Thaddeus Haliday (Halladay), grandson of Thaddeus Baker Sr. from the Staples Word Newspaper, Staples Minnesota

THADDEUS HALIDAY

SON OF JOEL/JOLE and SALLY BAKER HALIDAY

OLD SOLDIER CALLED

Thaddeus  Haliday who has resided in Staples township for a number of years and was well known to many of our readers, died last Saturday night of cancer, at the home of his daughter Mrs. H. F. Hail-a few miles southwest of the city.  He was a native of New York State, and nearly 85 years of age.   

He was born March 1st 1823 and died December 22nd 1907.  Funeral services were held at the house Monday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Lafayette Dodds of this place and the interment was in Evergreen Hill Cemetery north of the city.  The pall bearers were all old members of the G.A.R. 

Placed beside him in the casket was an old musket that had been an heirloom in the family, and that was made before the Revolutionary War.  This was done at his own request. 

He is survived by four sons and three daughters.

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Note:  Although there is no written proof to identify the above mentioned ownership of the "musket", one possibility would have been that it was owned originally by Nathaniel Dike (Dyke), the first permanent settler-pioneer of Allegany County.  Presently I am working on building files for future writings about Nathaniel Dike and several 1800s published histories and articles state that he served during the Revolution and even that he served on the staff of General George Washington.  More original written information may never be found, but, another interesting fact about this theory is that Thaddeus Haliday's Aunt was married to a son of Nathaniel Dike.  Perhaps this is a source of the heirloom?  As stated, this is still a research item and sharing of anything known by others would be appreciated.  Email: alleganychs@gmail.com  )