SARAH BAILY, eighth child of Jacob and Elizabeth, was born 2, 22, 1814. Entered Westtown Boarding School 9th. month, 1832, and on 12, 15, 1834, became a teacher in the primary department of that institution. Her natural ability and scholary accomplishments were such that she soon became the principal mathematical teacher of its female department, and "Teacher Sarah", as she was familiarly called, will be remembered by many. She labored in that seminary for a period of thirty-five years, retiring 10, 1, 1869.
JACOB BAILY, eleventh child of Jacob and Elizabeth, was born 3, 12, 1819. In early life he was apprenticed to Isaac Morris, of Philadelphia, to learn the foundry and machine busines. He subsequently established for himself a large foundry near Broad and Callowhill Streets, in that city. He had extensive contracts for iron fronts, and at one time did much work for the Baldwin & Co., locomotive builders. The cast-iron fronts in the Everhart stores, Borough of West Chester, were made at his foundry in Philadelphia. By dint of business energy and correct habits he accumulated quite an estate. He died, unmarried, 1, 10, 1871.
DR. ABRAHAM BAILY, son of Joel and Elizabeth (Marshall) Baily, was born in West Bradford Township, Chester County, about one and a half miles south of Marshallton, Sept. 5, 1760. He received an English and Classical education from teachers employed in the family. He studied medicine under Dr. Nicholas Way, of Wilmington, DE, and was a fellow-student with his cousin, Dr. Moses Marshall. While a student he had an opportunity of becoming practically familiar with surgery immediately after the disastrous battle of Brandywine, in 1777. He attended lectures at the medical school of Philadelphia, but took no degree. Shortly after leaving lectures Dr. Baily went as surgeon in a privateer vessel-of-war, and during the cruise visited France. On his return he engaged in the practice of medicine at his native place, until about the year 1789, when, in company with Humphrey Hill and Cadwallader Evans (under the firm name of Baily, Hill & Evans), he engaged in the iron business. They rented the Andover Works, in Sussex County, N. J., where they continued five or six years, but the enterprise resulted unfortunately. While in Jersey he was chosen captain of a troop of horse, and in 1794 marched with his troop over the Alleghany Mountains in the expedition to quell the so-called Whisky Rebellion. Soon after this he returned to Chester County and resumed the practice of medicine, until the year 1800, when he opened a store in Marshallton and continued a limited medical practice for a number of years. While the seat of government was at Lancaster he was elected a member of the House of Representatives, after its removal to Harrisburg he was elected to the Senate. Some time after his term in the Senate he was appointed a justice of the peace, which appointment he held until his death. Dr. Baily was twice married. His first wife was Phebe Carpenter, and his second marriage, Oct. 22, 1802, to Rachel Carpenter, both daughters of John and Hannah Carpenter, of West Bradford. By his first wife he had six children, and four by his second. Eliza A. Baily, the eldest child by his second wife, married Jonathan Gause; Margaretta (now Harlan), theh second daughter by the second wife, married Joel Harlan, of Newlin Township.
When General Lafayette visited the Brandywine battlefield and West Chester, July 26, 1825, Dr. Baily was one of the committee appointed to escort him, and being on horseback nearly all day, occasioned an irritation of the neck of the bladder, which produced a painful and obstinate retention of urine and inflammation of the parts, that resulted in his death, Aug. 13, 1825, at the age of nearly sixty-five years. Dr. Baily was a respectable physician, an upright magistrate, an enlightened public citizen, and an honest man.
BAIRD, DR. ABSALOM, is said to have been the son of John Baird, an English officer in Braddock's army, who married, in Philadelphia, Catherine McLean (or McClean), and lost his life at Grant's Fort, near Pittsburgh, after Braddock's defeat. His wodow, who is supposed to have had relatives in that neighborhood, made her home near Kennet Square, and (it is believed) supported herself by teaching school while her son grew up and studied medicine. Absalom married Susan, daughter of George Brown, of Kennet, and several children were born to them at that place. After the Revolution, during which he served as a physician, he removed to and settled in Washington, PA., where he died. On one occasion Dr. Baird fell into the hands of Indians, who were about to take his life, but he, suspecting that one of them was a white man in disguise, made the Masonic sign, which was recognized, and he was spared.
Among the descendants of Dr.Baird were Rev. Alex. Reed, of Parkesburg, and Dr. Thomas B. Reed, of Philadelphia.
BAKER, JOHN, of Edgmond, in Shropshire, England, came to Philadelphia and died soon after, in the year 1685, leaving four daughters, --Rebecca, Mary, Dorothy, and Sarah. The records of the Chester Monthly Meeting show that a Mary Baker married William Coebourne in 1686; a Dorothy Baker married Philip Yarnall in 1694; and a Sarah Baker married Charles Whitacre in 1687.
JOSEPH BAKER, a brother of John, settled in Edgmont township, and probably gave it the name in memory of his former home, He was an influential citizen and a member if Assembly; died 1716. The name of his wife was Mary, and his children were Joseph, m. Susanna Packer; John, b. 1686, who inherited his father's lands in Edgmont; Sarah, m. Thomas Smedley, 1710.
Joseph Baker, Jr., settled in Thornbruy, at the present site of the Glen Mills Station, where he died early in 1717, leaving two daughters and a son, Joseph, was born after his death. The widow married Dr. John Taylor, who became the owner of the Baker farm. Of the daughters, Sarah married Isaac Strode, and Hannah married Joseph Talbot.
Joseph Baker (3rd) married, 2, 30, 1740, at Concord
Meeting, Mary Chamberlin, daughter of John and Lettice, of Aston, and
settled in Goshen, where he died a few years later, His children were
John, who went to Price Edward Island; Lettice, m. Richard Barnard; Mary,
unmarried; and Elizabeth, m. Thomas Brown. The widow married Andrew McCoy.