Portrait
| 1834 | Guisborough, Yorkshire |
| 1836 | Bootham School, York |
| 1846 | Ackworth School, Pontefract |
| 1851 | Market Place, Thirsk |
| 1861 | Market Place, Thirsk |
| 1866 | Surrey |
| 1871 | 25 Sydney-villas, Richmond |
| 1881 | The Herbarium, Kew |
| 1891 | 2 Royal Gardens, Herbarium House, Kew |
| 1901 | 3 Cumberland-row, Kew |
| 1911 | 3 Cumberland-row, Kew |
| 1920 | 3 Cumberland-row, Kew |
John Gilbert Baker was a Yorkshire-born Quaker, closely associated with the Thirsk Natural History Society. From 1857 the latter society organised a system of botanical exchange until a fire in 1864 completely destroyed Baker's house and business premises. This fire not only consumed his own botanical material but much belonging to the Thirsk Society, John Storey and James Backhouse.
After the fire he spent a short period with Borrer in Sussex before being offered a post as Assistant Curator, at the herbarium, Kew by Sir J. D. Hooker. From his new base he acted with H. Trimen both as an organiser of a new London Botanical Exchange Club and editor of the New Journal of Botany. He remained at Kew for the rest of his life, as keeper from 1890 - 99, publishing extensively.
| 1834 January 13 : Birth | Birth of John Gilbert Baker to John Baker and Mary Baker née Gilbert. | |
| 1843 : Ackworth School | He atttended Ackworth School, Pontefract for three years. (DNB) | |
| 1846 : Bootham School | Baker attended the Quaker, Bootham School in York. During some of this time he had charge of the school herbarium. | |
| 1860 July 19 : Marriage | ¹1860 July 19: Shields Daily Gazette - MARRIAGES. NORTH SHIELDS. - At the Friends' Meeting House, on the 19th inst., John Gilbert Baker, of Thirsk, to Hannah, eldest daughter of Mary Unthank, of Spring Terrace, North Shields. |
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| 1863 : Publication | North Yorkshire, studies of its botany, geology, climate and physical geography. (Google Books) |
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| 1864 May 10 : Fire at Thirsk |
¹1864 October 22: The York Herald - THE LATE FIRE. - Our botanists, say the Reader, have done a handsome thing. In May last, the business premises and adjoining dwelling-houses of Mr. J. G. Baker and his brother, at Thirsk, were utterly destroyed by fire, the two families barely escaping with their lives, whilst the whole scientific library and herbarium of Mr. Baker became prey of the rapid conflagration. The amount of insurance being small in comparison with the value of the property destroyed, it might have been a long time ere Mr. Baker could have replaced his lost books. This fact becoming known, his scientific friends have raised a subscription, which, we are glad to learn, has been found more than sufficient for replacing the lost books. |
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| 1866 : Assistant Keeper | John Baker was appointed by Hooker as Assistant Keeper at the Herbarium, Kew. | |
| 1877 : Publication | Flora of Mauritius and the Seychelles. London (Internet Archive) |  |
| 1885 : Publication | A flora of the English Lake District. London. (Internet Archive) | |
| 1887 : Publication | Handbook of the Fern-allies. London (Internet Archive) | |
| 1888 : Publication | Handbook of the Amaryllideae. London. (Internet Archive) | |
| 1889 : Publication | Handbook of Bromiliaceae. London. (Internet Archive) | |
| 1892 : Publication | Handbook of the Irideae. London. (Internet Archive) | |
| 1902 : Publication | 2nd. edition of North Yorkshire produced. | |
| 1920 August 16 : Death | John Gilbert Baker died at Kew. Probate granted to Edmund Gilbert Baker (his son) and John Stansfield Gayner M.D. |
1 Transcription reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive
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