Marty and Karla Grant

!NOTES:I (Marty Grant) don't know how or if I'm related to James Baker, but he could easily be related to my ancestor Jacob Baker (1760/65) who also lived in Ashe County.

James Baker was born ca 1775/80 (per census analysis). I don't know where he was born.

I don't know who James' parents were. There were several Bakers in the area who could be his father. James Baker Sr (who was in Wilkes in 1790 but moved to Jefferson Co, TN afterwards) has a proven son named James, but I don't know if it is this one. Morris Baker was old enough to be this James' father, but I don't know if he is. (I've seen other researchers list him as Morris's son, but I have no idea what proof they used.)

James Baker would probably have been home with his parents for the 1790 census and listed in the "under 16" age group (born ca 1774/90). There were ten Baker households in Wilkes County that year, and all but one of them had at least one apparent son this age, so that doesn't help to narrow down the list of possible parents.

On 8 July 1798, James Baker, Anny Baker and Zachariah Baker witnessed a deed from William Savage to Henry Hardin for land on Cranberry Creek. Anny could be his wife or Zachariah's wife or possibly a sister of theirs. (Wilkes Co, NC Deed Book D page 485 from Wilkes County, North Carolina Deed Books D, F-1 & G-H 1795-1815 by Mrs. W. O. Absher.). (Note: This book can be purchased from Amazon.com)

In 1799, Ashe County was formed from the north western portion of Wilkes County, including the area were most of the Wilkes County Bakers lived.

For the 1800 census, James Baker was listed in Ashe County along with several other Bakers. Unfortunately this census was alphabetical, so I can't tell who his neighbors were, nor where he was living. This record shows him with an apparent wife born and two young children. He probably married in the 1790's in Wilkes, now Ashe County. I don't know his wife's name, but census analysis shows she was born ca 1775/80. Other researchers show her as Ann Cox, but I don't know what the proof is for her name;

!CENSUS:1800 Ashe Co, NC pg 72 James Baker 10100-10100-0-0
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 16-25 (1774-1784) James BAKER (1775/80)
1 Male(s) 0-9 (1790-1800) Son? (1794/1800)
1 Female(s) 16-25 (1774-1784) Wife? (1775/80)
1 Female(s) 0-9 (1790-1800) Daughter (1794/1800)


James is probably still in Ashe County for the 1810 census, but unfortunately the census taker only used initials, so there are three men named "J. Baker" listed, but I think I've identified the right one for James. There is certainly room for error though. He was listed next to A. Dyer and D. Griffith, and just three houses from W. Evans (William Evans).

!CENSUS:1810 Ashe Co, NC pg 5 J. Baker 31010-31010-0-0
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 26-44 (1765-1784) James BAKER (1775/80)
1 Male(s) 10-15 (1794-1800) Son? (1794/1800) –> gone by 1820
3 Male(s) 0-9 (1800-1810) Son? (1800/10) –> gone by 1820
Son? (1802/04)
Son? (1804/10)
1 Female(s) 26-44 (1765-1784) Wife? (1775/80)
1 Female(s) 10-15 (1794-1800) Daughter? (1794/1800) –> gone by 1820
3 Female(s) 0-9 (1800-1810) Daughter? (1800/10) –> gone by 1820
Daughter? (1804/10)
Daughter? (1804/10)

James Baker was listed on the 1815 Ashe County Tax list in Captain Weaver's District on "South Fork" (also listed in that district was Thomas Baker, Morris Baker, John Baker, Elijah Baker and Zechariah Baker, with Zechariah also on South Fork.)

James Baker was listed on the 1820 census in Ashe Co, NC. There were quite a few Baker families in Ashe County, NC. Unfortunately, the 1820 Ashe County census was alphabetical, so we can't determine where anyone lived, nor who their neighbors were.

!CENSUS:1820 Ashe Co, NC pg 4 James Baker 411110-22010
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 26-44 (1775-1794) James BAKER (1775/80)
1 Male(s) 16-25 (1794-1804) Son? (1802/04) –> gone by 1830
1 Male(s) 16-17 (1802-1804) *
1 Male(s) 10-15 (1804-1810) Son? (1804/10) –> gone by 1830
4 Male(s) 0-9 (1810-1820) Son? (1810/20) –> gone by 1830
Son? (1810/15)
Son? (1810/15)
Son? (1815/20)
1 Female(s) 26-44 (1775-1794) Wife? (1775/80)
2 Female(s) 10-15 (1804-1810) Daughter? (1804/10) –> gone by 1830
Daughter? (1804/10) –> gone by 1830
2 Female(s) 0-9 (1810-1820) Daughter? (1815/20)
Daughter? (1815/20)



James Baker was still in Ashe Co, NC for the 1830 census. Fortunately, this one was in the original order, so we can determine (more or less) where each person lived and who their neighbors were. James was listed three houses from Morris Baker (1780/90) and two houses from Zechariah Baker (1770/80).

!CENSUS:1830 Ashe Co, NC pg 5 James Baker Sr 0012000100000-0020000100000
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 50-59 (1770-1780) James BAKER (1775/80)
2 Male(s) 15-19 (1810-1815) Son? (1810/15) –> gone by 1840
Son? (1810/15) –> gone by 1840
1 Male(s) 10-14 (1815-1820) Son? (1815/20) –> gone by 1840
1 Female(s) 50-59 (1770-1780) Wife? (1775/80)
2 Female(s) 10-14 (1815-1820) Daughter? (1815/20) –> gone by 1840
Daughter? (1815/20)

James was still in Ashe for the 1840 census. His wife this year was listed in a younger age group from before, so it is possible that his wife had died and this was a new wife, or it was the same wife and her age was just off which is a common census problem. They were not listed near any other Bakers.

!CENSUS:1840 Ashe Co, NC pg 25 James Baker 1000010010000-0000100100000
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 60-69 (1770-1780) James BAKER (1775/80)
1 Male(s) 30-39 (1800-1810) Son? (1800/10) * not in 1830
1 Male(s) 0-4 (1835-1840) Son? Grandson? (1835/40)
1 Female(s) 50-59 (1780-1790) Wife? (1780/90) * 1770/80 in 1830
1 Female(s) 20-29 (1810-1820) Daughter? (1815/20)

I was unable to find James Baker on the 1850 census in Ashe County. He probably died in the 1840's or else moved away.

!NOTE:I don't know what the proof is that Ann Cox was the name of James Baker's wife;