History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield ...

1
Biographical Sketches. Baker. Barker. Bassett. 1 1
with portrait, page 151 Centennial Memorial. He died in New
Orleans, La., July 19, 1863, aged 46. A fac-simile of his signature
follows.
Baker, Edward — ancestor of the numerous family of the
name hereabout. His autograph appears on the Armitage Petition.
See Annals, 1630.
Barker, Dr. Charles O. — a reputable physician. He died
January 8, 1843, aged 41. His wife was a daughter of Rembrandt
Peale, the celebrated painter. He left no children. See
Annals 1843. His residence was on Western avenue, near Mall
street. An amusing anecdote about his introduction to Dr.
Hazeltine may be found in our notice of the latter.
Bassett, William. Mr. Bassett died very suddenly on the
night of June 21, 1871, aged 68 years. He was a native of Lynn,
and well-known from having been much in public life. And for
his many virtues and kindly sympathies he was as widely respected
as known. At the time of his death he was cashier
of the First National Bank, and had filled that office for eighteen
years. He was quite aftive and efficient in the labor of putting
the new municipal machinery into successful operation when the
City Charter was adopted, and for the first three years was City
Clerk. He was a zealous and intelligent laborer in the cause
of education and the moral and social reforms of the day, and in
early manhood sought by a61:ual experience and observation to
determine the value of various "community" systems then existing
; for he was well convinced that the condition of our social
life might be greatly improved by some radical changes in the
domestic economy. Yet he did not appear to have had his
hopes verified, and returned to the home of his youth to remain
till the close of his life. Although bred in the orthodox Quaker
faith he became a Unitarian, and for a long period was a faithful
and useful member of the society here. Indeed he was faithful