Alfred E. Baker
Alfred E. Baker (c. 1856-1924) was born in Pennsylvania and died in
Meredith, New Hampshire. His family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when he was 12
years old, and he was raised as a Quaker. He graduated from Hahnemann Medical College in
Philadelphia in 1877 and was appointed visiting physician at the Homeopathic Hospital
for Children in Philadelphia. Baker gave up his medical practice after a few years and
bought a farm in East Bradford, Pennsylvania. In 1889, he married Anna B. White Baker
(b. Bradley), in Chester, Pennsylvania, and he became a stepfather to Rebecca M. White.
The family lived on the farm in the early 1890s. The Bakers were first introduced to
Christian Science through Baker's aunt, Dr. Rachel T. Speakman, who had been a physician
before becoming a Christian Scientist in the late 1890s. Baker began reading Mary Baker
Eddy's Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and became
a Christian Scientist after his mother, Hannah P. Baker, was healed by Christian Science
treatment through prayer. In 1896, the Bakers had Primary class instruction with Flavia
Stickney Knapp, a student of Eddy. Soon after, the couple moved to Boston,
Massachusetts, to practice and teach Christian Science. Alfred joined The First Church
of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 2, 1897, and he was elected a
First Member of the church on January 1, 1898. The Bakers became students of Eddy,
attending her Normal class in November 1898. Eddy was impressed with the couple and
asked them to come to Concord, New Hampshire, in 1899. She asked Alfred to serve as a
practitioner there, while Anna served on and off on Eddy's staff at her Pleasant View
household from 1899 through 1902. During this time, Baker also taught classes in
Obstetrics in the Board of Education of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. In 1902,
the Bakers moved to Brookline, Massachusetts, and continued their Christian Science
practice. They moved to Philadelphia in 1906 and returned to Massachusetts in the 1910s.
By 1920, they were living in the village of Auburndale in Newton, Massachusetts. Baker
was listed in the directory of The Christian Science Journal as
a Christian Science practitioner in Boston from 1897-1898, Concord from 1899-1901,
Brookline from 1902-1903, Boston from 1904-1905, Philadelphia from 1906-1912, and as a
teacher in Brookline from 1913-1919 and in Auburndale in 1921.
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Alfred E. Baker
Alfred E. Baker (c. 1856-1924) was born in Pennsylvania and died in
Meredith, New Hampshire. His family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when he was 12
years old, and he was raised as a Quaker. He graduated from Hahnemann Medical College in
Philadelphia in 1877 and was appointed visiting physician at the Homeopathic Hospital
for Children in Philadelphia. Baker gave up his medical practice after a few years and
bought a farm in East Bradford, Pennsylvania. In 1889, he married Anna B. White Baker
(b. Bradley), in Chester, Pennsylvania, and he became a stepfather to Rebecca M. White.
The family lived on the farm in the early 1890s. The Bakers were first introduced to
Christian Science through Baker's aunt, Dr. Rachel T. Speakman, who had been a physician
before becoming a Christian Scientist in the late 1890s. Baker began reading Mary Baker
Eddy's Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and became
a Christian Scientist after his mother, Hannah P. Baker, was healed by Christian Science
treatment through prayer. In 1896, the Bakers had Primary class instruction with Flavia
Stickney Knapp, a student of Eddy. Soon after, the couple moved to Boston,
Massachusetts, to practice and teach Christian Science. Alfred joined The First Church
of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 2, 1897, and he was elected a
First Member of the church on January 1, 1898. The Bakers became students of Eddy,
attending her Normal class in November 1898. Eddy was impressed with the couple and
asked them to come to Concord, New Hampshire, in 1899. She asked Alfred to serve as a
practitioner there, while Anna served on and off on Eddy's staff at her Pleasant View
household from 1899 through 1902. During this time, Baker also taught classes in
Obstetrics in the Board of Education of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. In 1902,
the Bakers moved to Brookline, Massachusetts, and continued their Christian Science
practice. They moved to Philadelphia in 1906 and returned to Massachusetts in the 1910s.
By 1920, they were living in the village of Auburndale in Newton, Massachusetts. Baker
was listed in the directory of The Christian Science Journal as
a Christian Science practitioner in Boston from 1897-1898, Concord from 1899-1901,
Brookline from 1902-1903, Boston from 1904-1905, Philadelphia from 1906-1912, and as a
teacher in Brookline from 1913-1919 and in Auburndale in 1921.
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