Joseph Allen Baker (10 April 1852 – 3 July 1918) was a

British North America British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestown, ...

-born British engineer, specialising in machinery for the confectionery and bakery industries and later in transportation systems, who was also a

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

politician in London.

Family and education

Joseph Allen Baker was born at Maple Ridge Farm in

Trenton, Ontario Trenton (2001 population 16,770) is a large community in Central Ontario in the municipality of Quinte West, Ontario, Canada. Located on the Bay of Quinte, it is the starting point for the Trent-Severn Waterway, which continues northwest to Pe ...

the son of Joseph Baker, an engineer. The Baker family were

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

by religion. Baker was educated at Trenton High School. In 1878 he married Elizabeth Moscrip of Morebattle, Kelso, Roxburghshire. They had three sons and four daughters, including the politician

Philip Noel-Baker Philip John Noel-Baker, Baron Noel-Baker, (1 November 1889 – 8 October 1982), born Philip John Baker, was a British politician, diplomat, academic, athlete, and renowned campaigner for disarmament. He carried the British team flag and won a s ...

Career

Baker followed his father's professional footsteps and entered the family engineering business. He left Canada for London in 1878 and established a firm, Baker & Sons, with his brothers, of which he became chairman in 1892 on the death of his father. In 1879 they set up business in

Finsbury Finsbury is a district of Central London, forming the southeastern part of the London Borough of Islington. It borders the City of London. The Manorialism, Manor of Finsbury is first recorded as ''Vinisbir'' (1231) and means "manor of a man c ...

but the trade expanded and, in 1890 a move was made to a large, newly built engineering works in Hythe Road,

Willesden Willesden () is an area of north-west London, situated 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Charing Cross. It is historically a parish in the county of Middlesex that was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Willesden in 1933; it has formed ...

, where it remained for the next 43 years. As Quakers, the Baker family tried to run a model business taking a paternal interest in the welfare of their workforce and introducing schemes such as shorter working days, encouraging employees to participate in health and insurance plans and fostering a relaxed approach on the shop floor, perhaps to the detriment of profits. The company had interests in Britain, Canada, Australia and the USA. Baker was prominently connected with the tramways in London and the extension of the tramway system in the

London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...

area. He published special reports on tramway traction and recommended the

conduit Conduit may refer to: Engineering systems * Conduit (fluid conveyance), a pipe suitable for carrying either open-channel or pressurized liquids * Electrical conduit, a protective cover, tube or piping system for electric cables * Conduit cur ...

system for London. Baker and Sons also had connections to the

motor car A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one bil ...

industry and in around 1902, the company held an agency for the American car manufacturers Stevens-Duryea. They later designed and built their own lorry for deliveries to the London docks. Baker & Sons merged with Perkins Engineers Ltd in 1919 to form

Baker Perkins Baker Perkins Ltd is a British engineering company for food processing equipment headquartered in Peterborough, England. Its product portfolio offers different technologies and applications for the bread, biscuit, confectionery, snack, and break ...

Ltd.

Politics

Baker represented Finsbury East on the

(LCC) as a Progressive from 1895 to 1906. During his time on the LCC he acted as Chairman of the Highways Committee. At the general election of 1900 Baker contested the East Finsbury constituency for the Liberal Party but could not unseat the sitting Unionist MP, Henry Charles Richards. Richards died in 1905 causing a by-election and Baker was selected to fight the division again. He won the by-election, which was held on 29 June 1905, with a majority of 768 votes He held his seat at each subsequent general election until his death.

Peace and religious work

As a Quaker, Baker was committed to peace and religious harmony. He initiated and organised an interchange of visits between representatives of the Christian churches of Great Britain and Germany in the interests of international peace and closer friendship. He was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the British Council of the Associated Councils of Churches in the British and German Empires for Fostering Friendly Relations and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the British Group of the World Alliance of Churches for Promoting International Friendship. He was also sometime President of the London Adult Schools' Union and was a strong supporter of temperance.

Death

Baker died in

Westminster Hospital Westminster Hospital was a hospital in London, England, founded in 1719. In 1834 a medical school attached to the hospital was formally founded. In 1939 a newly built hospital and medical school opened in Horseferry Road, Westminster. In 1994 the ...

in the early hours of 3 July 1918, aged 66, following a seizure in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

two days before. He was succeeded as Chairman of Baker and Sons by his eldest son, Allan R. Baker. His death caused a by-election in East Finsbury which was won for the Liberal Party by H.E.A.Cotton, who, like Baker was a former Progressive member of the LCC although he stood for election as a Government candidate.The Times, 17 July 1918 p6

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Allen 1852 births 1918 deaths Engineers from London British Quakers Members of London County Council Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1900–1906 UK MPs 1906–1910 Politics of the London Borough of Islington Progressive Party (London) politicians Canadian Quakers Canadian emigrants to the United Kingdom