Richard Langton Baker (May 15, 1870 – January 3, 1951) was a

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Early life

Richard Langton Baker was born on May 15, 1870, in Strathroy, Ontario, Canada, to Sarah Helena (née Wheaton) and Richard Baker. His paternal grandparents were of

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descent and his maternal grandparents were of

United Empire Loyalist United Empire Loyalist (UEL; or simply Loyalist) is an honorific title which was first given by the 1st Lord Dorchester, the governor of Quebec and governor general of the Canadas, to American Loyalists who resettled in British North Ameri ...

descent. At the age of 15, Baker swept floors at a store in Strathroy.

Career

Baker established the Richard L. Baker Company in 1897 and served as its president. He was elected to the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

1925 Events January * January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...

as a Member of the historical Conservative Party in the riding of Toronto Northeast. He was defeated in the same riding in

1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...

, but, won again in

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be on J ...

. He was elected in the riding of Eglinton in

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

and defeated in

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as a member of the National Government coalition. Baker was active in the dry goods manufacturing business for 60 years. He was president of St. Catharines Silk Mills and the London Hosiery Mills. He was president of the North Toronto Conservative Association, the South York Conservative Association and the North Toronto Ratepayers Association.

Personal life

Baker married Susan McLellan, daughter of professor James A. McLellan, in 1892. They had three daughters, Beatrice, Victoria and Dorothy. Baker lived in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

and spent summers at Silver Island on

Lake Rosseau Lake Rosseau is located in Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The south end of the lake is in the Township of Muskoka Lakes, and the north end is in Seguin Township. The lake is surrounded by many cottages, some dating back to the late ...

in Muskoka. Baker died at

Toronto General Hospital The Toronto General Hospital (TGH) is a major teaching hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the flagship campus of University Health Network (UHN). It is located in the Discovery District of Downtown Toronto along University Avenue (Toronto), ...

on January 3, 1951.

References

1870 births 1951 deaths People from Strathroy-Caradoc Politicians from Toronto People from the District Municipality of Muskoka Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario 20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada 20th-century Canadian businesspeople {{HistoricalConservative-Ontario-MP-stub