A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Baker, William Henry
BAKER. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 27; h-p., 14.)
William Henry Baker entered the Navy 6 Aug. 1806, on board the Bristol, Lieut.-Commander Joseph Coxwell; and, in Oct. 1807, joined the Proserpine 40, Capt. Chas. Otter, under whom he escorted Lord Lcveson Gower, the British Ambassador at St. Petersburg, from Gottenborg to England. In Dec. 1808, after having been nearly lost during an attachment of a few months to the Cygnet sloop, Capt. Edw. Dix, he became Midshipman of the Rochester prison-ship, Lieut.Commander John Hindes Sparkes; but early in the following year was transfered to the Sceptre 74, Capt. Joseph Bingham, bearing the broad pendant afterwards of Commodore Sam. Jas. Ballard. Subsequently to the fall of Flushing, Mr. Baker proceeded to the West Indies, where, in 1809-10, he witnessed the destruction of the two French frigates Loire and Seine, and the capture of the island of Guadeloupe. Between March, 1812, and the receipt of his commission, which bears date 18 Feb. 1815, we next find this officer serving on board the Montagu, Stirling Castle, Venerable, and Majestic 74’s, Capts. Manley Hall Dickson, Sir Jahleel Brenton, Augustus Brine, Sir Home Popham, David Milne, and John Hayes. While in the last-mentioned ship, he assisted at the blockade of Boston, when the Constitution was lying in that port ready for sea; wm also present at the capture, 3 Feb. 1814, after a running fight of two hours and a half, of the French frigate Terpsichore, of 44 guns and 320 men; and, on 15 Jan. 1815, was in company with the Endymion at the taking of the United States 44-gun frigate President. From 13 Dec. 1823, until 1827, he was further employed on the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies 4, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Hugh Pigot; and since 14 Oct. 1833, with the exception of one interval, from 18 Nov. 1839, to Jan. 1845, when he commanded the Ranger Revenue-cruizer, has been in the Coast Guard.