Richard Baker
Who was Richard Baker?
English politician (1568-1645)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Richard Baker (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Sir Richard Baker (c. 1568 – 18 February 1645) was an English politician, historian, and religious writer, best known for his "Chronicle of the Kings of England," one of the most popular historical texts of the seventeenth century. Born in Kent around 1568, Baker came from a gentry family and received a strong education for his social class, eventually earning a Master of Arts degree. He moved in the upper circles of Elizabethan and Jacobean England, making a name for himself in both literature and public affairs until personal misfortune changed his life's path.
Baker was a Member of Parliament and served as Sheriff of Oxfordshire, showing the civic ambitions common among educated men of his time. His political career was decent if not outstanding, and he was seen as a notable figure in county administration. However, financial troubles mainly from debts related to his wife's family led to his imprisonment in London's Fleet Prison for debtors. He spent his final years there, using writing as both work and comfort.
During his long stay in Fleet, Baker wrote most of his literary works. His "Chronicle of the Kings of England," first published in 1643, covered English history from ancient times through James I's reign. Written in simple language for a wide audience rather than just scholars, the Chronicle was reprinted many times after Baker's death, showing its popularity among seventeenth-century readers looking for an easy-to-read account of their country's history. The work, though not free of mistakes and heavy reliance on earlier sources, met a real need for a clear survey of English royal history.
Besides the Chronicle, Baker also wrote on religious topics, creating works of devotion that showed his deep religious interests shaped by the Protestant culture of late Elizabethan and Jacobean England. His "Meditations and Disquisitions upon several of the Psalms of David" and other devotional writings showed his interests beyond history, delving into scripture and spiritual thought. These works, though less famous than the Chronicle, found readers among the devout.
Baker died on 18 February 1645 in Fleet Prison, where debt had kept him for years. He died without regaining his previous social standing, yet his Chronicle lived on for many generations, continuing to be reprinted and read well into the eighteenth century. His life followed a common pattern of his time: a promising and learned gentleman whose fortunes fell due to financial woes, yet who turned adversity into a legacy that ensured his place in English literary history.
Before Fame
Richard Baker was born around 1568 in Kent, a county in the Elizabethan period with many gentry families tied to London's politics and law. He received an education typical for his class, earning a Master of Arts degree, which provided him with the humanist learning popular among gentlemen in the late sixteenth century. This era was full of intellectual activity, influenced by the Protestant Reformation, the growth of print culture, and a rising interest in national history and religious writings.
Baker's rise to prominence followed the usual paths for an educated English gentleman: taking part in Parliament and serving as Sheriff of Oxfordshire. These roles placed him in the administrative and political class that managed Elizabethan and Jacobean England at the county level. After his financial collapse and imprisonment for debt, he turned to writing in the Fleet Prison, where he used his time to complete the historical and devotional works for which he is now known.
Key Achievements
- Authored the Chronicle of the Kings of England (1643), one of the most widely read historical surveys of the seventeenth century
- Served as Sheriff of Oxfordshire, a leading office of county administration in Jacobean England
- Elected as a Member of Parliament, participating in the governance of early Stuart England
- Produced a substantial body of devotional and theological writing, including Meditations and Disquisitions upon the Psalms of David
- Attained the degree of Master of Arts, reflecting a rigorous humanist education
Did You Know?
- 01.Baker wrote his famous Chronicle of the Kings of England while imprisoned for debt in the Fleet Prison, one of London's most notorious debtors' gaols.
- 02.The Chronicle of the Kings of England went through at least ten editions by the end of the seventeenth century, making it one of the most frequently reprinted historical works of the period.
- 03.Baker's financial ruin was caused not solely by his own spending but significantly by debts connected to his wife's family, a common catastrophe for gentlemen of the era who bore legal responsibility for such obligations.
- 04.Despite dying in poverty and confinement, Baker had earlier served as Sheriff of Oxfordshire, one of the most senior administrative offices available to a county gentleman.
- 05.Samuel Pepys referenced Baker's Chronicle in his famous diary, indicating the work's currency among educated readers of the mid-seventeenth century.
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Arts | — | — |