Family and Education

b. 1532, 2nd s. of John Baber by Agnes, da. of John Willett of Butcombe. educ. L. Inn, called 1560. m. Catherine, 3rd da. of Sir Thomas Leigh of Stoneleigh, Warws., 4s. 3da.

Offices Held

Escheator, L. Inn 1553, bencher 1570, pensioner and steward 1570, Autumn reader 1570, 1571, gov. 1573, treasurer 1569-70, 1574; recorder, Bath by 1571; serjeant-at-law 1577; j.p. Som. by 1570, Mdx. by 1574.

Biography

Baber owed his parliamentary seats at Bath to his position as recorder. In 1571 he served on a committee dealing with vagabonds (23 Apr.) and was appointed to a committee to amend the bill for the respite of homage (25 Apr.). He may have been the Mr. Baker or Barker who was named to the committee discussing fraudulent conveyances on 11 Apr. On 19 May 1572 he served on a legal committee. An active committeeman also in the second session of the 1572 Parliament, he was named to a committee on a private bill (14 Feb. 1576), the subsidy (27 Feb.), benefit of clergy (7 Mar.), searching of cloths and four legal committees (13 Feb., 15 Feb., 24 Feb. and 25 Feb. 1576). In 1576 he was associated with the bishop of Bath and Wells on a commission which inquired into the financing and building of a church and hospital in Bath. He acquired extensive lands in Somerset, including the manors of Aldwick and Regilsbury and several thousand acres bought from Thomas Markham in 1573. He also purchased various properties in St. John’s Lane, Middlesex, and in Bristol. In his will, made a fortnight before his death, which occurred 23 Sept. 1578, he left the manor of Chew to his wife, divided the bulk of his property between his four sons, all of whom were under age, and made some small bequests to the poor. He appointed his mother-in-law and wife executrices, but in the event of the latter’s remarriage, they were to be replaced by Sir George Norton, Sir Henry Portman, Christopher Kenne and John and William Baber, the testator’s brothers. As overseers he appointed Sir William Cordell and Thomas Bromley. The will was proved 16 Feb. 1579.

Rylands Eng. ms 311; CJ, i. 84, 85, 86, 95, 105, 106, 108, 111, 113; D’Ewes, 160, 178, 179, 248, 250; APC, ix. 163; Wards 7/20/74; PCC 8 Bakon.

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: W.J.J.

Notes

• 1. Did not serve for the full duration of the Parliament.