Shubael Baker b. 1741 and Rebecca Chase b. 1747, of Yarmouth (now Dennis), and Harwich Mass.

Update, May 28, 2022: Thanks to fellow descendant Debbie for bringing Shubael Baker's will to my attention. He names his wife Rebecca, so he did not marry, second, Elizabeth Chase, as I had previously thought was a possibility. I have updated my sketch below to reflect this new (to me) information. 

Shubael Baker was born 11 November 1741 in Yarmouth, Mass., the son of Shubael and Lydia (Stewart/Stuart) Baker. Shubael is my fifth great-grandfather on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side of the family.

I am always intrigued by the names of my ancestors. Shubael is a Biblical name meaning “captive of God” and is pronounced sheb-oo-ale. He must have always had to spell his first name throughout his life and the spellings are quite varied. I guess he was lucky his last name was Baker!

On 15 November 1764 Shubael married Rebecca Chase in Harwich. Their marriage was the first performed by Rev. Nathan Stone.

Rebecca was born 24 August 1747, the daughter of Richard and Thankful (Berry) Chase. I wrote about Richard and Thankful here. I also descend from Richard and Thankful’s son Samuel Chase who married Zilpha Burgess.

Shubael and Rebecca had 11 children:

1. Hepsibah born 15 October 1765, m. Zenas Chase
2. Archelaus born 26 Nov 1767, m. Mehitable Chase
3. Rebecca/Rebecah  b. 18 Dec 1770, m. David Howes
4. Shubael born 10 July 1772, m. Mercy Smalley
5. Ezra born 5 Sept 1775, m. Susanna Gage
6. Michael, born 6 Nov 1776, d. 7 April 1796
7. Ensign, born 3 July 1779, married Sally Nickerson  
8. Temperance, b. 15 Oct 1781, m. Henry Kelly
9. Abigail b. 22 Nov 1783 m. Edward Sears
10. Silvanus, b. 24 August 1786, m. Bethia Crowell
11. Halsey/Halsa, born 27 Feb 1790, m. Mercy Allen. 

I descend from Rebecca/Rebecah. I wrote about her here. Six of Shubael and Rebecca’s sons settled at South Dartmouth in Bristol County, where the family were mariners. They were so prevalent the area they lived in was called Bakersville.

Rev. Nathan Stone’s diary has an entry about the death of Shubael Baker’s wife on 5 March 1786 at age 77. Some researchers assume this is Rebecca, but the age is not correct so I believe this is Shubael senior’s wife Lydia. Because of this,  some descendants attributed son Halsey to a proposed second wife Elizabeth Chase, daughter of Abner and Deborah (Baker) Chase. I now believe that is not the case and that Shubael only married once and that Halsey was the son of that wife, Rebecca.

This Elizabeth married David Bassett with whom she was still having children when the marriage to a Shubael Baker took place. Elizabeth and David had children named Abner and Deborah. There is a Yarmouth marriage record of a Shubael Baker marrying Elizabeth Chase on 5 July 1787, but if this was Elizabeth who first married David Bassett her name would be Bassett at the time of her marriage. Maybe Shubael Senior remarried as his wife had died the year prior. Something to investigate further. 

Shubael Baker was a lieutenant in 1777 from Barnstable. Oct . 21 [1777], Regimental Orders: Lt. Baker to take command of Capt. Lewis' company, he being dismissed unfit for service; ..." Oct. 25 [1777], Capt. Higgins, who had command of Capt. Lewis' company, being also sick, Lt. Baker was directed to take command of the company from Barnstable; and Capt. Higgins' company, consisting of men from Chatham, Wellfleet and Eastham were joined to Capt. Bang's company." I have not applied to DAR using Shubael's service, but others have successfully done so. 

"Shubeal" Baker of Harwich, being weak body but sound of mind, wrote his will on 20 October 1814. He names his wife Rebecca and his six sons (Michael had predeceased him) and four daughters. His son Archelaus was named executor. 

I have not found death information on Shubael and Rebecca, but it is likely Shubael died close to October 1814 in Harwich. 

Sources Not Listed Above:

Nancy Thacher Reid, Dennis, Cape Cod from Firstcomers to Newcomers, 1639 – 1993, 1996

CW Swift, Library of Cape Cod History and Genealogy, "The Baker Family of Yarmouth, Descendants of Francis," No. 73, 1912

Burton N. Derick, Dennis Source Records, Volume 1: Church Records, 2004, Diaries of Rev. Nathan Stone

Shubael's will: Ancestry “Massachusetts, US, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991,” image 91, citing Probate Court, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Probate Records 1686-1894