William Baker (British politician)

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| name = William Baker

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| birth_date = 5 November 1705

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| death_date = 23 January 1770

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| occupation = merchant and politician

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File:Bayfordbury Hall, near Hertford, Hertfordshire - geograph.org.uk - 115237.jpg

Sir William Baker (5 November 1705 – 23 January 1770) was an English merchant and politician, a Member of the Parliament of Great Britain and Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company.{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/baker-william-1705-70|title=BAKER, William (1705-70), of Winchester St., London, and Bayfordbury, Herts.|publisher= History of Parliament Online|accessdate= 16 June 2016}}

He was the son of John Baker, a London draper. He became an Alderman of London in 1739 and a director of the East India Company in 1741–5, 1746–50 and 1751–53. He was also deputy chairman (1749, 1751–52), chairman (1749–50, 1752–53), Deputy Governor (1750-60) and the 11th Governor (1760–70) of the Hudson's Bay Company. He was knighted in 1760.

He was MP for Plympton Erle from 1747 to 1768. In 1759 he built a country house in an estate at Bayfordbury in Hertfordshire.{{cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1176752|title=Name: BAYFORDBURY List entry Number: 1176752|publisher= Historic England|accessdate=21 July 2018}}

He died in 1770. He had married Mary, the daughter of Jacob Tonson, publisher, and with her had 6 sons and a daughter. His eldest son, also William Baker, who inherited and improved Bayfordbury, was also an MP.

The community Baker Lake in Nunavut, Canada was named after him.{{cite web|url=http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayEcopies&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3201263&rec_nbr_list=3201263,3409362,3409360&title=Sandy+Lunan%2C+Hudson%27s+Bay+Co.+Factor%2C+baking+his+own+bread%2C+Baker+Lake+%2F+Sandy+Lunan%2C+fait+du+pain+au+lac+Baker.+&ecopy=a141736&back_url=|title=Sandy Lunan, Hudson's Bay Co. Factor, baking his own bread, Baker Lake, Northwest Territories, 1946|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|accessdate=2008-03-17}}[http://www.hbc.com/hbcheritage/history/people/governors/ Governors][http://mailhub.edu.nu.ca/kivalliq/orientation/BakerLake.html Baker Lake history]