(387) Barker of Sonning Deanery, Hurst Lodge, and Grove House, Chiswick

Barker of Sonning

Around 1500, William Barker, with whom the genealogy below begins, was a merchant in London and was the first of the family to acquire property in Berkshire (at Wokingham). His younger son, Anthony, who was destined for the church, was already 'of Berkshire' when he went up to Oxford in 1517. William's eldest son, William Barker (d. 1549), probably had legal training and became the steward of the Bishop of Salisbury's manor of Sonning, which included a medieval bishop's palace of considerable size. William acquired leases of the bishop's parks at Sonning and also of the Rectory Manor, which had by custom become attached to the post of Dean of Salisbury Cathedral. These properties, which continued to be leased by the family throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, formed the nucleus of the family's property in Berkshire, and the rectory house at Sonning became their principal residence. William also acquired a property at Chiswick (Middx), which was probably part of the later Grove House estate. William had no sons, and he left his house in Chiswick to his brother, John Barker (d. c.1552) of Wokingham; and his property at Sonning to John's son, William Barker (c.1530-73), who was the first of many members of the family known to have been a lawyer at the Middle Temple. Regrettably, William (d. 1573) died relatively young, and his eldest son, another William, apparently died soon afterwards, so the family property devolved on Sir Anthony Barker (c.1558-1630). At this point the descent of the Sonning and Chiswick properties separates, for William (d. 1573) left the house at Chiswick to his widow, and she bequeathed it to their son Thomas Barker (c.1569-1630). The Sonning property descended to Sir Anthony's eldest son, William Barker (c.1596-1675), for whom a property at Stoke Talmage (Oxon) had previously been bought in 1623. William (d. 1675) was a barrister, who supported the Parliamentarian side during the Civil War and became a member of the Berkshire County Committee. He and his two wives were exceptionally unlucky with their children, almost all of whom died in his lifetime if not in infancy, and when he died his property at Stoke Talmage passed to his only surviving son by his second wife, William Barker, who died of smallpox in 1694, while the Sonning estate was divided between the two surviving daughters of his first marriage, Frances (fl. 1597), wife of Francis Woodward, and Anne (1648-1718), wife of Sir Pope Danvers, 2nd bt. The Sonning estate remained in two moieties until both were purchased by Robert Palmer in the mid 18th century and merged with his larger Sonning estate.

John Barker (d. c.1552) of Wokingham left his property in that parish to his second son, John Barker (c.1540-1621), who was Gentleman Usher to Queen Elizabeth for thirty-four years. It was probably he who acquired Hurst Lodge in the parish of Hurst (between Sonning and Wokingham), which was then an exclave of Wiltshire in the middle of Berkshire. This became the centre of the family's second Berkshire estate, and passed to John's eldest son, Henry Barker (c.1574-1651), who took the Royalist side in the Civil War, and whose estate had been sequestered by 1644. He must have recovered it, however, for he was succeeded in turn by his surviving sons, John Barker (1604-61) and William Barker (1609-85), who were both lawyers. William, who was a senior official of the court of Chancery and twice MP for Berkshire, became quite wealthy, and in 1664 he established a set of almshouses at Hurst which are still standing today. He married, but had no children, so at his death in 1685 the Hurst Lodge estate descended to his nephew, Henry Fairfax (1639-94), who married Anne, the daughter of the physician and philosopher Sir Thomas Browne of Norwich. Henry Fairfax had no surviving sons, so at his death his property passed to his widow and then to their surviving daughter, Frances Fairfax (1680-1719), who was a considerable heiress. She subsequently married David Erskine (d. 1745), 4th Lord Cardross and 9th Earl of Buchan, who sold the estate in c. 1742 to the ubiquitous Robert Palmer (1713-87), who also acquired the family's Sonning estate.

The third branch of the family was that which settled at Chiswick. Anne, the widow of William Barker (c.1530-73) lived there until her death in 1607, and was succeeded by her son Thomas Barker (c.1569-1630), who was yet another Middle Temple barrister. In 1611 he also bought the manor of Buckhurst in Wokingham (now a Victorian house forming the core of a large hotel known as St Annes Manor; nothing is known of its predecessor), although he seems to have lived at Grove House in Chiswick or in his chambers at the Middle Temple. When he died in 1630, his Buckhurst property passed to his eldest son, William Barker, and the Chiswick estate to his second son, Thomas Barker (d. 1643). Thomas joined the Royalist army in the Civil War and was killed at the Battle of Lansdown near Bath in July 1643, and William must also have died for their brother Henry (or Harry) Barker (d. 1695) was in possession of both estates by 1660. Henry was another lawyer, and held the senior and lucrative post of Clerk of the Crown in Chancery from 1660-92, and the combination of his profession and his inheritances made him quite rich. He augmented his estate by buying further lands at Chiswick and also the manor of Clapcot near Wallingford (Berks). His only recorded child seems to have been his son, Scorey Barker (c.1652-1713), whose unusual forename was his maternal grandmother's maiden name. Scorey Barker, who was again a Middle Temple lawyer, inherited all his father's property and became an MP, first for Wallingford in 1679-81 and later for Middlesex, 1705-10. It was probably he who rebuilt or remodelled Grove House at Chiswick. He had a large family of sixteen children, most of whom were still alive at his death, although few of their careers can be traced with any confidence. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Henry Barker (1680-1745), who attended the Middle Temple but does not seem to have qualified as a barrister. He tried four times to be elected as MP for Middlesex and failed every time. The expense of these contested elections, together with the portions of his siblings, the costs of his own large family, and the fact that he did not have a professional income, led him quickly into debt. In 1727 he sold Buckhurst at Wokingham, and his will left the Chiswick estate to trustees who sold it for the benefit of his creditors and his family. Grove House itself went to the Earl of Grantham, who remodelled the house, while some of the land was sold to the Duke of Devonshire, whose Chiswick House property adjoined the Grove. His eldest son, Henry Barker (1711-75) managed to hang on to the manor of Clapcot, and moved to Wallingford, but most of his siblings continued to live, unmarried, in and around the Chiswick area until their deaths. Clapcot seems to have passed to a nephew, Henry Thomas Barker, who held it in 1813, but it was sold soon afterwards to the Lybbe-Powys family.

The Deanery alias Deanery Garden, Sonning, Berkshire

Rather little can be said with any confidence about the original house on this site. It was the manor house of the Rectory Manor in Sonning, which was included among the foundation endowments of Salisbury Cathedral in 1091, and by 1220 the Deans of Salisbury were rectors ex officio and were appointing a vicar to undertake the services in the parish church. At about that time a plot of land between the church and the river was granted for the purpose of building a vicarage, and it remained in use for this purpose into the 20th century; the present building has 17th century origins but has been much modernised. The rectory, the building under consideration here, which became known as The Deanery through being held by successive Deans of Salisbury, stood a little further west, occupying a large site between the church and Thames Street, the road which runs down to Sonning Bridge. 

The Deanery, Sonning: the house as depicted on an estate map of 1752.
Image: © Berkshire Archaeological Society.

The Deanery thus clearly had medieval origins, and was probably used from time to time by the medieval Deans of Salisbury, but by 1535 the rectory manor was on a long lease to William Barker, the steward of the Bishop of Salisbury's manor of Sonning, and it seems likely that he rebuilt the property at about this time. The site is still enclosed on three sides by a 16th century brick boundary wall which was no doubt part of the same campaign. Our only view of the house is a miniature sketch, possibly somewhat formalised, on an estate plan of 1752. This appears to show a house of modest scale with a central hall and projecting cross-wings at either end, which is consistent with the standard arrangement of manor houses at this time. Only the end elevation can be seen clearly, and this appears to be of three bays, with a central doorway on the ground floor; the regularity of the facade is suggestive of later alterations to the house in the 17th or 18th century.

The house shown on the estate map is said to have been demolished in 1780 and replaced by a new house, which appears not to have been recorded at all. If it ever existed, it had been demolished by 1872-75, when the 1st edition Ordnance Survey 6" map was surveyed. In 1900-01, by which time  the Thames-side village of Sonning had become popular as a picturesque weekend retreat for wealthy Londoners, it became the site of the famous house designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Edward Hudson, the founder-proprietor of Country Life magazine. For John Piper, the house which Lutyens built 'is very much in character with the village, and in its picturesque solidity and in its feeling of comfort in rich simplicity it was a revolutionary and influential essay'. Christopher Hussey called it 'a perfect architectural sonnet... Its theme, a romantic bachelor's idyllic afternoons beside a Thames backwater'.

The house is of red brick and consisted originally of a main block on or near the site of the medieval rectory and the Barkers' house. It looks south towards the churchyard, with wings projecting back to the ancient garden wall along the street, which Lutyens carefully preserved. The entrance was through a very small arched doorway in this wall into a low arcaded space with a clever groin vault in chalk with brick stripes. Straight ahead is the front door of the house proper, to the left an access into the garden, while on the right there is an inner courtyard with a small pool that seems to magnify the impact of the changing seasons and weather outside.

Deanery Garden: the house from the south-east.

The main front of the house faces south but where most houses would be so arranged as to have a flat terrace on the garden side, the south front here looks out over split levels, and this is an important part of the way the house keeps you guessing and jolts your expectations. The south front is of two storeys, with a long red tiled roof and a strip of narrow windows on the first floor. The principal feature is the huge bay window of the hall, which in scale is reminiscent of the 16th century one at Stanway Manor (Glos), having forty-eight lights set in wooden mullions and transoms. This window is axially placed in the centre of the facade, but the strength of the massive chimneystack and the arched garden door to its right creates a visual tension that stops this being readily apparent. Around the corner, the east wing has a gable-end with much exposed timber over a canted bay (which it is hard not to read as a face) and to the right, over the round-arched opening to the courtyard, is a second much plainer gable. A bay was added west of the main front in c.1912, to Lutyens' designs, for C.W. Christie-Miller, who bought the house when Edward Hudson moved on to Lindisfarne Castle and other projects. West of this again is another large brick extension of c.1927, emphatically not by Lutyens, but placed so as not to spoil the visual integrity of the original house.

Deanery Garden: plan of the house in 1921.

Deanery Garden: the hall in 1921.

Inside, Hudson's house was not large by Edwardian standards: there were only three reception rooms (the dining room, living hall and sitting room) in the main block. Of these the hall, occupying the full height of house and dominated by the great bay window, is the most impressive. It has an open timber roof and curved wind-braces on the east and west walls. In the east wing, next to the entrance passage, is a wooden staircase with heavy balusters and carved newels, and a complex timber roof. It leads to a gallery, cantilevered over the inner courtyard and roofed with roughly-cut timbers which flanks the hall on the north and allows views into it.

The garden was designed by Lutyens in combination with Gertrude Jekyll; his immensely architectural hard landscaping being softened by her herbaceous planting. From the clever connection of the little internal courtyard to the garden, to the way the axial layout in aligned on the relatively insignificant garden door rather than the central bay window of the south front, the garden like the house never does quite what is expected. And all the familiar Lutyens garden tropes are worked in: the paved courtyard, the circular pool, the narrow canal. The house's celebrity is due partly to Edward Hudson's assiduous publication of it in Country Life and other magazines as part of his campaign to promote Lutyens as an architect. It came to be recognised as one of Lutyens' great houses (it is one of my favourites), and it has attracted a string of celebrity owners, most recently Jimmy Page, the Led Zeppelin guitarist. In the 1980s the interior timbers were painted white (prompting Country Life to thunder "All white is not all right") and the garden was restored by Marian Thompson.

Descent: Dean & Chapter of Salisbury leased 1535 to William Barker (d. 1549); to nephew, William Barker (c.1530-73); to son, Sir Anthony Barker (c.1558-1630); to son, William Barker (c.1596-1675), who renewed the lease; to daughters, Anne (1644-1718), wife of Sir Pope Danvers (1644-1712), 2nd bt. and Frances (b. 1639), wife of Richard Howse (1629-68) and later of Francis Woodward. The Danvers moiety passed to Anne's second son, Daniel Danvers and to his daughter Martha, wife of Daniel Rich, from whom it was bought in 1762 by Robert Palmer (1713-87). The Howse/Woodward moiety passed to Frances' daughter Mary, wife of Sir William Kenrick, by whose daughters and their husbands it was ultimately sold to Palmer. It subsequently passed to his son, Richard Palmer (1765-1806) and then to his son, Robert Palmer (d. 1872); to brother, Rev. Richard Palmer; to sister, Susanna Caroline Palmer (d. 1880); to nephew, Rev. Henry Golding (later Golding Palmer) (d. 1897); to cousin, Mrs. Ruth Wade, wife of Fairfax Wade, architect, who sold c.1900 to Edward Hudson; sold c.1909 to Charles W. Christie-Miller; sold to Hon. Mrs. Thorne (fl. 1939)... sold before 1958 to Lt.-Col. S. D. H. Pollen (d. 1970); to widow; sold 1974 to Sir Nigel Broakes (c.1934-99); sold c.1988 to Stanley J. Seeger (1930-2011); sold c.1994... sold to Jimmy Page (b. 1944).

Hurst Lodge, St Nicholas Hurst, Berkshire

Hurst Lodge: the house from the east in the mid 20th century, showing the brick gable-ends of the 17th century part of the house.

The earliest part of the present building is probably represented by the two brick gable-ends of different profiles which are visible on the south-east flank of the house, which undoubtedly belong to the time of the Barkers. The look of the brickwork suggests they are early 17th century rather than earlier, and so they may represent a rebuilding of the house by John Barker (d. 1620) after his retirement from office as Gentleman Usher to Queen Elizabeth, or by his son and successor, Henry Barker (c.1574-1651). They are likely to represent the cross-wings of a small hall house, but later alterations have now obscured all trace of the original internal arrangement. 

Hurst Lodge: the mid 18th century front, perhaps added for Robert Palmer (1713-87).

In the mid 18th century, a new five bay brick front with a three-bay pediment was built onto the south-west of the earlier house. This was probably built for Robert Palmer (1713-87), a lawyer who later became land agent to the Dukes of Bedford after he bought the property in 1742. The house was further altered in the 1920s for Sir Philip Martineau, when the interior was remodelled to create a large entertaining room with a very fine late 17th century-style chimneypiece. This occupies the gabled single-storeyed block between the 17th century gables, which is often stated to have been built in the 1920s, but it is in fact earlier as it clearly appears in a 19th century sketch of the house. In the early 21st century the house was thoroughly internally refitted and redecorated in a contemporary style.

Descent: John Barker (c.1540-1621); to son, Henry Barker (1574-1651); to son, John Barker (1604-61); to brother, William Barker (1609-85); to nephew, Henry Fairfax (1639-94); to daughter, Frances (1680-1719), wife of David Erskine (d. 1745), 4th Lord Cardross and later 9th  Earl of Buchan, who sold c.1742 to Robert Palmer (1713-87); to son, Richard Palmer (1765-1806) and then to his son, Robert Palmer (d. 1872); to brother, Rev. Richard Palmer; to sister, Susanna Caroline Palmer (d. 1880); to nephew, Rev. Henry Golding (later Golding Palmer) (d. 1897); to cousin, Mrs. Ruth Wade, wife of Fairfax Wade, architect, who sold c. 1908 to Sir Philip Hubert Martineau (1862-1944), kt.; sold c.1939 to James Edward Palmer-Tomkinson (né Tomkinson) (1879-1961); to daughter, Jane Lindsay (1913-89), wife of Sir Herbert Ingram (1912-80), 3rd bt.; sold after her death; sold 2002; sold 2018.

Grove House, Chiswick, Middlesex

The early history of this property is fairly obscure, but it may have existed as an identifiable unit as early as 1202, and there was a house of some sort here by 1412. By 1597 it belonged to St Paul's Cathedral and was let on a long lease to the Barker family, but since William Barker, in his will of 1549, mentions 'my house in Chiswick', it is likely that he already held the estate at that date. What was described as 'Tudor oak panelling' was found behind later plasterwork when the house was demolished in the 1920s, so it seems very probable that the later Grove House was a result of progressive remodelling of a Tudor house first built by the Barkers. Our first definite record of there being a mansion house at The Grove comes, however, from a survey of 1658 among the Chiswick parish records; and a few years later, in 1664, it was taxed on 15 hearths, confirming that it was already a substantial building. John Bowack, writing in 1705, describes the house as a 'spacious regular modern building... behind it gardens, said by some to be the finest in England', and the earliest visual record of the house, an engraving of c.1787, strongly suggests that there was a major remodelling in the late 17th century, perhaps after Scorey Barker (c.1652-1713) inherited it in 1695. John Rocque's plan of the area shows a formal landscape of some complexity attached to the house, and Daniel Lysons, writing in 1810 tells us that the paddock of Grove House 'abounds with a great number of old walnut trees and Spanish chestnuts', which perhaps dated from this time, and a few of the ancient chestnuts still survive today.

Grove House, Chiswick: the house in about 1787.

The late 17th century remodelling of the house produced a three-storey brick house with projecting wings, between which a pedimented portico in antis was inserted later. This is unlikely to have happened as early as 1711, when it is known that there were further works in progress (a datestone for that year was let into the floor in one of the rooms), and it was probably part of the alterations carried out for Lord Grantham after he bought the estate in about 1747.

Grove House, Chiswick: the library chimneypiece in 1923.
Image: Chiswick Local Studies Library.

The work of the 1740s very probably also included the redecoration of the library, as a photograph of 1923 shows an extremely fine carved chimneypiece of that period in a room with matching plasterwork cornice and elaborately moulded plaster drops on the walls. It seems likely that Lord Grantham's alterations also account for the Venetian window on the west front of the house (which lit the staircase) and the boldly rusticated arched doorway on the south front. It has been suggested that an increase in the rating valuation of the house in 1749 may be linked to the completion of Lord Grantham's alterations, although such revaluations are generally a poor marker of architectural changes.

Daniel Lysons records that 'considerable additions' were made to the house by Humphry Morice, who had previously installed rich Rococo interiors at Werrington House in Devon (now Cornwall), so he must be an alternative candidate for the mid 18th century alterations, although their Rococo style would have been distinctly dated in metropolitan Middlesex by the time that he acquired the estate in 1776. He also built the large stables (designed to accommodate 30 horses) to accommodate the old horses and dogs he collected, who were cared for and allowed to live out their natural lives at Grove House, and not treated with the casual cruelty that was the lot of most animals at this time. He made provision in his will for his heiress, Mrs. Lavinia Luther, to continue to look after these animals, as a condition of her inheritance, which she did faithfully, even though there was only one old horse left by 1806.

Grove House, Chiswick: the north (entrance) front of the house shortly before demolition in the 1920s.

The next changes were made after the estate was purchased by the 6th Duke of Devonshire in 1831. The Duke owned the adjoining Chiswick House estate and was presumably more interested in the land attached to Grove House than in the house itself. He brought in Decimus Burton, who was engaged on other projects for him at the time, and Burton removed the top storey of the 17th century house and stuccoed over the brick walls of the older part of the building, considerably changing its appearance. The house was subsequently let out (the first tenant being Decimus Burton's brother Septimus) until it was sold in 1872. By then, successive dukes had developed much of the land attached to Grove House as the Grove Park estate. After the death of the last private owner in 1928 the house was demolished, and Kinnaird Avenue now stands on its site. The contractors for the demolition of the house were Messrs. Crowthers Ltd., key players in the architectural salvage business, and there are persistent rumours that the building was dismantled brick by brick and re-erected in the USA. This seems unlikely, not least because the library chimneypiece found its way into the composite 'Quinn Room' acquired by the Huntington Library at San Marino, California, which sold it only a few years ago. The rebuild story was, however, given some tantalising support about thirty years ago, when a local resident is said to have been told by an American friend that she had tracked the house down and to have been sent a photograph of it. Unfortunately the man concerned died, and his papers were destroyed, before local historians could learn more.

Descent: William Barker (d. 1549); to brother, John Barker (d. c.1552); to son, William Barker (c.1530-73); to widow, Anne Barker (d. 1607); to son, Thomas Barker (c.1569-1630); to son, Thomas Barker (d. 1643); to brother, Henry Barker (d. 1695); to son, Scorey Barker (c.1652-1713); to son, Henry Barker (1680-1745); sold c.1747 to Henry d'Auverquerque (d. 1754), Earl of Grantham; to daughter Frances (d. 1772), wife of Col. William Eliott; sold as freehold in 1776 to Humphry Morice (1723-85); to Mrs. Lavinia Luther; sold c.1810 to Canon Robert Lowth (d. 1822); to widow; sold c.1831 to 6th Duke of Devonshire who leased it to tenants including Septimus Burton, Richard Gurney (fl. 1844-53), Joseph Gurney (fl. 1855), Dr. Cowan (fl. 1856-61), Robert Prowett (fl. 1861-70) and John Pullman (fl. 1870-72); sold 1872 to John Pullman; sold 1898 to Lt-Col. Robert Shipway (d. 1928) after which is was demolished for house building. 

Barker family of Sonning

Barker, William. Parentage unknown. Merchant in London. Married Anne, daughter and co-heir of William Burley, and had issue including:
(1) William Barker (d. 1549) (q.v.);
(2) John Barker (d. c.1552) (q.v.);
(3) Rev. Anthony Barker (d. 1553); educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford (admitted 1517; Fellow, 1519; MA 1523), vicar of Binfield and Sonning; will proved 20 June 1553;
(4) Ambrose Barker (d. 1560) of London and Chignal (Essex), merchant; married Mary Carter and had issue nineteen children; buried at Barking (Essex), 28 December 1560;
(5) Leonard Barker (d. 1551), merchant in London; married Elizabeth [surname unknown] (d. 1594) (who m2, 1552, John Isham of Lamport Hall and had further issue six or seven sons and one or two daughters) and had issue two sons; buried at St Martin Pomeroy, London, 6 December 1551; will proved 4 February 1551/2.
He lived at Wokingham (Berks).
His date of death is unknown. His wife's date of death is unknown.

Barker, William (d. 1549). Eldest son of William Barker of Wokingham. Steward of the Bishop of Salisbury's manor of Sonning. He married Anne Throckmorton, and had issue:
(1) Anne Barker (d. 1585); married 1st, before 1549, William Brydges, with whom she eloped while betrothed to Simon Cornthwaite, resulting in a legal dispute; married 2nd, c.1555, William Stafferton or Staverton (d. 1585) of Wokingham (Berks) and had issue four sons; died 21 September 1585 and was buried at Sonning, where she is commemorated by a monument;
He acquired leases of the Rectory Manor and the Holme Park and East Park at Sonning from the Bishop of Salisbury. He also owned a house at Chiswick (Middx), which he left to his brother John.
He died 18 September 1549 and was buried at Sonning, where he is commemorated by a brass; his will was proved 4 June 1551. His widow was living in 1551 but her date of death is unknown.

Barker, John (d. c.1552). Second son of William Barker of Wokingham. He married Anne/Agnes, daughter of William Martin of Wokingham (Berks) and had issue:
(1) William Barker (c.1530-73) (q.v.);
(2) Anne Barker (fl. 1552);
(3) Bridget Barker (fl. 1552);
(4) John Barker (c.1540-1621) [for whom see below, Barker family of Hurst]
(5) Thomas Barker (fl. 1552).
(6) Anthony Barker (d. 1615?); possibly the man of this name buried at Sonning, 3 August 1615;
(7) Elizabeth Barker (fl. 1561); married, before 1551, Thomas Hide (d. 1562) of Hurst, second son of William Hyde of Denchworth (Berks), and had issue at least three sons.
He lived at Wokingham (Berks) and inherited a house at Chiswick from his brother William.
He died between 25 August 1551 and 11 May 1552 and was buried at Sonning; his will was proved 11 May 1552. His widow survived him but her date of death is unknown.

Barker, William (c.1530-73). Eldest son of John Barker (d. c.1552) of Wokingham and his wife Anne/Agnes, daughter of Edward Martin of Shinfield (Berks), born about 1530. Educated at Middle Temple (Fellow). He married, c.1552, Anne (d. 1607), daughter of Lawrence Stoughton of Stoughton (Surrey), and had issue:
(1) Anne Barker (fl. 1573); married Henry Samborne (d. 1623) of Moulsford (Berks) and had issue;
(2) Katherine Barker (c.1554-1630); married 1st, William Yonge (d. 1584) of Basildon (Berks), and had issue one son (Sir William Yonge (d. 1618), 1st bt.); married 2nd, her cousin, Sir Christopher Litcott (d. 1599), kt. but had no further issue; died 17 January 1630 and was buried at Sonning, where she is commemorated by a monument;
(3) William Barker; died young before 1588 and probably c.1576 as his father's will stipulated he should be sent to the Middle Temple but he was never admitted;
(4) Elizabeth Barker (fl. 1573); probably died unmarried;
(5) Sir Anthony Barker (c.1558-1630) (q.v.);
(6) John Barker (c.1564-95); educated at Broadgates Hall, Oxford (matriculated 1581) and Middle Temple (admitted 1582); buried at Godalming, 15 August 1595, where he is commemorated by a brass;
(7) Mary Barker (d. 1600); married, before 1587, Lawrence Elliot (c.1550-1619) of Busbridge (Surrey), and had issue seven sons and one daughter; buried at Godalming (Surrey), 16 November 1600;
(8) Jane Barker (fl. 1573); probably died unmarried;
(9) Richard Barker (b. c.1567; fl. 1634); probably the man of this name who was educated at Broadgates Hall (matriculated 1581/2); married Mary (d. 1599), daughter of John Litcott esq., and had issue five children of whom one son and one daughter were living in 1599; living in 1634;
(10) Thomas Barker (c.1569-1630) [for whom see Barker of Grove House, below];
(11) Edward Barker (c.1571-1636); educated at New Inn, London and Middle Temple (admitted 1591); married, but had no surviving issue; will proved 4 February 1636/7.
He inherited his uncle's leases of Sonning Rectory and the Holme and East Parks at Sonning in 1549. He inherited the house at Chiswick from his father c.1552, and left this to his widow, who appears to have bequeathed it to their son Thomas.
He died 25 August 1573 and was buried at Sonning; his will was proved 17 November 1573. His widow was buried at Chiswick in 1607; her will was proved 2 July 1607.

Barker, Sir Anthony (c.1558-1630). Eldest surviving son of William Barker (c.1530-73) and his wife Anne Stoughton, born about 1558. Escheator for Oxfordshire and Berkshire, 1598; commissioner for swans, Oxford circuit, 1606-15; knighted by King James I at Whitehall, 30 March 1608; High Sheriff of Berkshire, 1609-10; JP (from 1614) and DL (from 1623) for Berkshire; MP for Reading, 1621. He married 1st, c.1594, Jane (1570-1610), daughter of Edward Eldrington of Birch Hall, Theydon Bois (Essex) and 2nd, 13 February 1625/6 at St Dunstan-in-the-East or Christ Church, Newgate*, London, Anne Inglishe (d. 1657), and had issue:
(1.1) William Barker (c.1596-1675) (q.v.);
(1.2) Dorothy Barker (c.1597-1602); died aged five and was buried at Sonning, 1 May 1602;
(1.3) Henry Barker (1598-1633), baptised at Sonning, 13 August 1598; educated at Broadgates Hall, Oxford (matriculated 1615); died in his 37th year and was buried at Sonning, 4 October 1633;
(1.4) Rev. Nathaniel Barker (1600-65), baptised at Sonning, April 1600; educated at Trinity College, Oxford (matriculated 1618; BA 1621) and Hart Hall, Oxford (MA 1624); rector of Stoke Talmage (Oxon), 1630-47 and c.1664-death; his relations with his parishioners were troubled before the Civil War and he became an ardent Royalist; after the parliamentary victory he was sequestered in 1647 for scandal of life, superstition, and delinquency, being charged with enlisting in the Royalist army and living as a soldier in Oxford, ordering Royalist soldiers to plunder some of his Parliamentarian parishioners and of having them removed to Boarstall House until he had extracted £200 from them; he was also said to have vexed his parishioners with tithe prosecutions; to have read out in church a 'book of curses against Parliament'; to have read 'Royal proclamations clearly but Parliament's unintelligibly'; and to have 'frequently entertayned lewd roguish fellows from Wallingford Garrison' in ale-houses with his wife and daughter; he was obliged to borrow £400 from his brother-in-law, the Rev. Bartholomew Price, rector of Holton (Oxon), who in 1652 petitioned to be given Barker's estate as security for the debt; in 1655, however, the County Committee denied ever having had the management of his estate; he did not immediately recover his living at the Restoration but was again in possession by 1664; he married, 2 November 1631 at Stadhampton (Oxon), Mary Franklin, and had issue at least one son and one daughter; buried at St Paul, Covent Garden, London, 9 December 1665;
(1.5) Frances Barker (1601-49), baptised at Sonning, 25 October 1601; died unmarried, 1649;
(1.6) Theophilus Barker (1603-18), baptised at Sonning, 1 May 1603; died unmarried and was buried at Sonning, 24 May 1618;
(1.7) Anthony Barker (1604-67), baptised at Sonning, 15 April 1604; educated at Trinity College, Oxford (matriculated 1623; BA 1625/6) and Middle Temple (admitted 1625/6; called 1633; bencher 1654; reader, 1662; treasurer, 1666); JP for Berkshire; Recorder of Wallingford, 1640; elected MP for Wallingford, 1640, but the election was declared void, 1641; married Frances Knight (d. 1640) of Chawton (Hants), and had issue one son and two daughters; buried at Sonning, 25 January 1666/7;
(1.8) Jane Barker (1605-40), baptised at Sonning, 12 May 1605; married, 14 October 1630 at Sonning, Edward Fowell alias Vowell (1598-1664), lawyer and later MP (who m2, before 1647, Alice, daughter of Sir Francis Glanville and widow of John Connock of Harewood, Calstock (Cornw.) and had further issue), son of John Fowell of Plymouth, and had issue two sons and one daughter; died 1640;
(1.9) Lettice Barker (1606-73), baptised at Sonning, 7 September 1606; married, 24 October 1647 at Sonning, Capt. Thomas Crosse; buried at Sonning, 31 March 1673;
(1.10) Lawrence Barker (b. 1608), baptised at Sonning, 24 April 1608; died before 1649;
(1.11) Anne Barker (1610-34), baptised at Sonning, 3 February 1609/10; died 22 August 1634 and was buried at Sonning.
He inherited his father's leases of Sonning Rectory and the Holme and East Parks at Sonning.
He died in his 72nd year and was buried at Sonning, 2 April 1630, where he is commemorated by a large brass erected by his son; his will was proved 15 April 1630. His first wife was buried at Sonning, 16 February 1609/10. His widow was buried at Sonning, 20 July 1657.
* The event is registered at both churches.

Barker, William (c.1596-1675). Eldest son of Sir Anthony Barker (c.1558-1630) and his first wife Jane, daughter of Edward Eldrington of Birch Hall, Theydon Bois (Essex), born about 1596. Educated at Broadgates Hall, Oxford (matriculated 1615) and Middle Temple (admitted 1614/5; called to bar; bencher, 1650; treasurer, 1656). Barrister-at-law; JP for Berkshire; High Sheriff of Berkshire, 1635. He was a member of the County Committee for Berkshire, 1647-60. He married 1st, probably 27 July 1630 at St Nicholas, Ipswich (Suffk), Mary (d. 1662), daughter and co-heir of William Briden of Ipswich (Suffk), and 2nd, 1668 (licence 2 June), Frances Tedman (c.1628-89), and had issue:
(1.1) William Barker (1631-34); died young and was buried at Sonning, 24 April 1634;
(1.2) Henry Barker (1633-35), baptised at Sonning, 8 August 1733; died in infancy, and was buried at Sonning, 28 March 1635;
(1.3) John Barker (c.1634-64); educated at Exeter College, Oxford (matriculated 1652) and Middle Temple (admitted 1651/2; called 1659); barrister-at-law; buried at Sonning, 20 September 1664;
(1.4) Anthony Barker (1636-47), baptised at Sonning, 16 August 1636; died young, 16 September, and was buried at Sonning, 26 September 1647;
(1.5) Mary Barker (1637-49), baptised at Sonning, 13 August 1637; died young and was buried at Sonning, 17 June 1649;
(1.6) Thomas Barker (b. 1638), baptised at Sonning, 2 September 1638; died young;
(1.7) Frances Barker (b. 1639; fl. 1697), baptised at Sonning, 11 September 1639; ultimately co-heiress of her father; married 1st, 1 January 1663 at Sonning, Richard Howse (c.1629-68) of Whitley (Berks) and had issue one son and one daughter; married 2nd, 1674 at Binfield, Francis Woodward (d. 1692) of Reading;
(1.8) William Barker (1640-45), baptised at Sonning, 1 September 1640; died young and was buried at Sonning, 21 March 1644/5;
(1.9) Anne Barker (1644-1718), baptised at Sonning, 29 March 1644; ultimately co-heiress of her father; married, 14 January 1668/9 at Sonning, Sir Pope Danvers (1644-1712), 2nd bt., of Culworth (Northants) and had issue five sons and five daughters; buried at Culworth, 16 May 1718; will proved 20 May 1718;
(1.10) Elizabeth Barker (1646-60), baptised at Sonning, 14 January 1645/6; died young and was buried at Sonning, 9 February 1659/60;
(1.11) Robert Barker (1648-68), baptised at Sonning, 30 August 1648; died unmarried and was buried at Sonning, 18 May 1668;
(1.12) Thomas Barker (b. & d. 1650), baptised at Sonning, 3 May 1650; died in infancy and was buried at Sonning, 3 August 1650;
(2.1) Anthony Barker (1669-70), baptised at Sonning, 9 September 1669; died in infancy and was buried at Sonning, 26 March 1670;
(2.2) William Barker (1671-94), baptised at Sonning, 11 January 1671/2; inherited his father's manor of Stoke Talmage in 1675 and came of age in 1692; educated at Middle Temple (admitted 1690); died of smallpox and was buried at Sonning, 25 August 1694;
(2.3) Anthony Barker (1673-74), baptised at Sonning, 22 May 1673; died in infancy and was buried at Sonning, 14 March 1673/4.
He inherited his father's leases of Sonning Rectory and the Holme and East Parks at Sonning; at his death this property passed to his two surviving daughters by his first marriage as co-heiresses and remained in two moieties until both halves were purchased by Robert Palmer in the mid 18th century. In 1623 he bought the manor and advowson of Stoke Talmage which he settled on his surviving son by his second marriage; when the latter died without issue this also passed to his half-sisters and passed out of the family in the 18th century.
He was buried at Sonning, 9 December 1675, where he is commemorated on his father's monument (now hidden by the organ); his will was proved 1 February 1675/6. His first wife was buried at Sonning, 9 April 1662. His widow was buried at Sonning, 4 November 1689.

Barker family of Hurst

Barker, John (c.1540-1621). Second son of John Barker (d. c.1552) of Wokingham and his wife Anne/Agnes, daughter of Edward Martin of Shinfield (Berks), born about 1540. Gentleman Usher to Queen Elizabeth for 34 years. He married, c.1568, Frances, daughter of Henry Manfield of Amerden House, Taplow (Bucks) and had issue:
(1) Henry Barker (c.1574-1651) (q.v.);
(2) John Barker (d. 1639); married, 18 December 1608 at Shottesbrooke (Berks), Mary, daughter of Henry Powle MP of Cirencester (Glos) and had issue two sons; buried at Hurst, 2 March 1638/9;
(3) Thomas Barker; died before 1617;
(4) Frances Barker; married [forename unknown] Wells and had issue two daughters; died before 1617;
(5) Jane Barker; married, 3 June 1605 at Ealing (Middx), Richard Rolls of Lewknor (Oxon); living in 1617;
(6) Ann Barker (d. 1589); died young;
(7) Mary Barker (1580-98), baptised at Hurst, 26 March 1580; died unmarried and was buried at Hurst, 5 January 1598/9;
(8) Elizabeth Barker (1581-1638), baptised at Hurst, 13 August 1581; married Bartholomew Tipping (d. 1656/8) of Chequers, Stokenchurch (Oxon) and had issue two sons and three daughters; died 16 September 1638.
He inherited his father's property at Wokingham and probably acquired the Hurst Lodge estate.
He died 23 January 1620/1 and was buried at Hurst; his will was proved 5 February 1620/1. His widow survived him but her date of death is unknown.

Barker, Henry (c.1574-1651). Eldest son of John Barker (c.1540-1621) of Hurst, and his wife Frances, daughter of Henry Manfield of Amerden House, Taplow (Bucks), born about 1574. He was a Royalist in the Civil War and his estate was sequestrated in or before 1644. He married Magdalen (d. 1632), daughter of William Cade esq. of Romford (Essex), and had issue:
(1) John Barker (1604-61), baptised at St James, Clerkenwell (Middx), 11 May 1604; educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (matriculated 1624) and Middle Temple (admitted 1624); married Elizabeth [surname unknown] (d. 1677) and had issue; buried at Hurst, 19 September 1661; will proved 1 October 1661;
(2) Frances Barker (1605-69) (q.v.).

(3) Henry Barker (b. & d. 1607), baptised at Hurst, 26 March 1607; died in infancy;

(4) Henry Barker (b. 1608), baptised at Hurst, 3 October 1608; educated at Trinity College, Oxford (matriculated 1623; BA 1625/6; MA 1628); incorporated at Cambridge, 1634; Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford 1631-48 (when expelled by the Parliamentarian government);
(5) William Barker (1609-85), baptised at Hurst, 26 October 1609; a clerk in the court of Chancery from c.1629 and Cursitor there, 1638-53, 1654-85; JP for Middlesex, 1667-70, 1674-76 and for Norfolk, 1676-82; MP for Berkshire, 1679, 1681; he lived at New Prison Walk, Clerkenwell and at Hurst, and in 1664 he built and endowed a set of almshouses at Hurst which are still standing; married, 26 July 1660 at St Margaret Pattens, London, Frances (d. 1689), daughter and co-heir of William Hobart of Metton (Norfk) and widow of James Davey of Southampton, but had no issue; died 25 March and was buried at Hurst, 4 April 1685;
He inherited Hurst Lodge from his father in 1621, and was succeeded in turn by his oldest and youngest sons, and then by his grandson, Henry Fairfax.
He died 27 June, and was buried at Hurst, 4 July 1651, where he is commemorated by a monument; his will was proved 11 August 1651. His wife was buried at Hurst, 25 July 1632.

Barker, Frances (1605-69). Only recorded daughter of Henry Barker (c.1574-1651) and his wife Magdalen, daughter of William Cade, baptised at Hurst, 4 July 1605. She married, 1637/8 (settlement 21 January), probably as his second wife, Henry Fairfax (c.1601-50) of Bridlington (Yorks ER), second son of Thomas Fairfax, 1st Viscount Fairfax, and had issue:
(1) John Fairfax (b. c.1638); mentioned in his father's will but evidently died young;
(2) Henry Fairfax (1639-94) (q.v.);
(3) Frances Fairfax (1640-1703), baptised at Hurst, 1640; married, 1662 (licence 29 July), Clement Herne (d. 1721) of Haveringland (Norfk), and had issue one son; buried at Haveringland, 16 May 1703.
Her husband owned the rectory estate at Bridlington and also had homes in London, at Clerkenwell and later at Hammersmith (Middx). She lived latterly at Hurst.
She was buried at Hurst, 25 March 1669. Her husband died 4 July 1650 and was buried at Hurst, 12 July 1650, where he is commemorated by a monument; his will was proved 7 August 1650, and mentions an older son (Thomas), who was probably born to a previous marriage.

Fairfax, Henry (1639-94). Son of Henry Fairfax (d. 1650) of Bridlington (Yorks) and his wife Frances, only recorded daughter of Henry Barker (1574-1650/1), baptised at Hurst, 2 September 1639. Educated at Christ Church, Oxford (matriculated 1655) and Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1656). His father-in-law noted that he was 'one who must have drinck and company'. He married, c.1669, Ann (d. 1698), daughter of Sir Thomas Browne (1605-82), physician and author of Religio Medici, and had issue, reputedly with two further children, who died young:
(1) Barker Fairfax (b. & d. 1670), baptised at St Peter Mancroft, Norwich, 30 August 1670; died in infancy and was buried at the same church, 5 September 1670;
(2) Frances Fairfax (c.1673-78); died young, 15 September 1678 and was buried at Hurst, 16 September 1678, where she is commemorated on a monument.
(3) Ann Alethea Fairfax (b. & d. 1679), baptised at Shiplake (Oxon), 19 March 1678/9; died young and was buried at Hurst, 31 December 1679
(4) Frances Fairfax (1680-1719), baptised at Hurst, 26 November 1680; married, 11 February 1697, David Erskine (d. 1745), 4th Lord Cardross and later 9th  Earl of Buchan (who m2, 15 September 1743, Isabella (d. 1763), daughter of Sir William Blackett, 1st bt. of Wallington (Northbld.)) and had issue seven sons and two daughters;
(5) William Fairfax (1682-84), baptised at Hurst, 20 June 1682; died in infancy, 27 July 1684 and was buried at Hurst, 28 July 1684, where he is commemorated by a monument;
(6) Alethea Fairfax (1685-1704), baptised at Hurst, 16 July 1685; married at the age of 12/13*, 17 April 1698 at Northfleet (Kent), Dr. Thomas Browne MD (1673-1710), son of Edward Browne MD and grandson of Sir Thomas Browne; buried at Hurst, 30 March 1704.
He inherited Hurst Lodge from his uncle, William Barker, in 1685. At his death it passed to his daughter and her husband, and was sold.
He was buried at Hurst, 16 June 1694. His wife died 2 April and was buried at Hurst, 4 April 1698.
* Since the marriage took place just a fortnight after Alethea was orphaned, it may have been protective in intent.

Barker of Grove House, Chiswick 

Barker, Thomas (c.1569-1630). Fifth son of William Barker (c.1530-73) and his wife Anne, daughter of Lawrence Stoughton of Stoughton (Surrey), born about 1569. Educated at Broadgates Hall, Oxford (matriculated 1581; BA 1584) and Middle Temple (admitted 1587; called 1594; bencher, 1614; reader, 1614; treasurer, 1623). Barrister-at-law; JP for Middlesex. He was active in parish government at Chiswick in the 1620s. He married Mary, daughter of Valentine Saunders, one of the six Clerks in Chancery, and had issue:
(1) William Barker (fl. 1629-49); educated at Middle Temple (admitted 1629; called 1649); inherited his father's property at Wokingham (Berks) in 1630; 
(2) Thomas Barker (d. 1643) (q.v.);
(3) Henry (k/a Harry) Barker (c.1624-95) (q.v.);
(4) Anne Barker (fl. 1643);
(5) Mary Barker (fl. 1643); married Edward Woodcock (1617-59) and had issue two daughters;
(6) Jane Baker (fl. 1634);
(7) Katherine Barker (fl. 1634);
(8) Elizabeth Barker (d. 1688); married, as his third wife, James Clitherow (1618-82) of Boston Manor, Brentford (Middx) and had issue one son and two daughters; died 24 April 1688 and was buried at Brentford, where she was commemorated on her husband's monument.
He inherited Grove House, Chiswick from his mother in 1607, and purchased the manor of Buckhhurst at Wokingham (Berks).
He died 3 April 1630 and was buried at Chiswick (Middx), where he is commemorated by a monument (there was formerly another in St Pancras Old Church, Middx); his will was proved 10 April 1630 and an inquisition post mortem was held later that year. His widow married 2nd, 23 May 1633 at St Andrew, Holborn (Middx), Thomas Willis (c.1576-1656) of Fen Ditton (Cambs), Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, and had further issue; she was living in 1643.

Barker, Thomas (d. 1643). Second son of Thomas Barker (c.1569-1630) and his wife Mary Saunders. Educated at Trinity College, Oxford (matriculated 1634/5) and Middle Temple (admitted 1636). A Royalist; said to have been killed at the Battle of Lansdown, 5 July 1643. He was unmarried and without issue.
He inherited the Grove House estate from his father in 1630.
He died on or about 5 July 1643; his will was proved 3 October 1643 in the Royalist prerogative court of Canterbury at Oxford.

Barker, Henry (k/a Harry) (c.1624-95). Third son of Thomas Barker (c.1569-1630) and his wife Mary Saunders. Educated at Oriel College, Oxford (matriculated 1641) and Middle Temple (admitted 1644; called of grace, 1656; associate bencher, 1663). Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, 1660-92. He married Anne, daughter of Chaloner Chute of Sutton Court, Chiswick and the Middle Temple, and had issue:
(1) Scorey Barker (c.1652-1713) (q.v.);
He inherited the Grove House estate from his brother in 1643 and acquired further land in 1655; he inherited Buckhurst, Wokingham, from his brother William. He purchased the manor of Clapcot, Wallingford (Berks) in 1675.
He was buried at Chiswick, 1 August 1695. His wife's date of death is unknown.

Barker, Scorey (c.1652-1713). Only recorded son of Henry Barker (d. 1695) and his wife Anne, daughter of Chaloner Chute of Sutton Court, Chiswick and the Middle Temple, born about 1652. Educated at Middle Temple (admitted 1662; called 1675; bencher, 1691; reader, 1693; treasurer, 1702-03) and Oriel College, Oxford (matriculated 1667 aged 15). Freeman of Wallingford, 1679; MP for Wallingford, 1679-81 and for Middlesex, 1705-10, when he was classed as a Whig. He married, 1679 (licence 19 May), Anne, daughter of Sir John Robinson, 1st bt., of London and Nuneham Courtenay (Oxon), and had issue:
(1) Henry Barker (1680-1745) (q.v.);
(2) William Barker (b. 1681), baptised at Chiswick, 2 December 1681; living in 1713;
(3) Elizabeth Barker (b. 1683), born 25 February and baptised at Chiswick, 9 March 1683; living in 1686;
(4) Ann Barker (b. 1684), born 24 July and baptised at Chiswick, 1 August 1684; living in 1686;
(5) Mary Barker (1685-c.1720?), born 25 August and baptised at Chiswick, 4 September 1685; living in 1695; married, 17 December 1709 at St Mary-le-Bow, London, James Glyde of Exeter (Devon) and had issue one son and three daughters; living in 1715;
(6) Thomas Barker (b. 1687), born 11 July and baptised at Chiswick, 21 July 1687; educated at Middle Temple (admitted 1697; called 1712; bencher 1733; reader 1735; treasurer, 1746); barrister-at-law; married, 1732 at Kings Langley (Herts), Mary, daughter of Henry Smith of Inner Temple, London; died after 1746;
(7) Sarah Barker (b. 1689), born 30 August and baptised at Chiswick, 27 September 1689; living in 1713;
(8) John Barker (1690-1755), born 21 August and baptised at Chiswick, 7 September 1690; buried at Chiswick, 13 October 1755;
(9) Jane Barker (b. 1691), born 20 November and baptised at Chiswick, 12 December 1691; living in 1713;
(10) Edward Barker (b. 1692), born 9 December and baptised at Chiswick, 21 December 1692; living in 1695;
(11) George Barker (1694-1750), born 15 May and baptised at Chiswick, 25 May 1694; buried at Chiswick, 1750, where he is commemorated by a monument;
(12) Catherine Barker (b. 1695), born 26 September and baptised at Chiswick, 23 October 1695; living in 1713;
(13) Benjamin Barker (b. 1698), born 9 December and baptised at Chiswick, 13 December 1698; living in 1713;
(14) Henrietta Barker (b. 1700), born 12 May and baptised at Chiswick, 15 May 1700; living in 1713;
(15) Charles Barker (b. 1702), born 31 July and baptised at Chiswick, 9 August 1702; living in 1713;
(16) James Barker (b. & d. 1704); died in infancy and was buried at Chiswick, 17 June 1704.
He inherited Grove House, Chiswick; Buckhurst, Wokingham and the manor of Clapcot, Wallingford from his father in 1695, and probably remodelled Grove House soon afterwards. He also further enlarged the estate there.
He was buried at Chiswick, 22 August 1713; his will was proved 11 September 1713. His wife was buried at Chiswick, 3 February 1710/11.

Barker, Henry (1680-1745). Eldest son of Scorey Barker (c.1652-1713) and his wife Anne, daughter of Sir John Robinson, 1st bt., of London and Nuneham Courtenay (Oxon), born at Essex Court, London and baptised at St Clement Danes, London, 19 December 1680. Educated privately and at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (matriculated 1697) and Middle Temple (admitted 1697). He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in Middlesex on four occasions and was led into debt by his expenditure on these campaigns. He married 1st, 14 April 1705 at Lincoln's Inn Chapel, London, Elizabeth Lister (d. 1720), widow, of Bromley (Kent); 2nd, 17 April 1721 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster (Middx), Barbara Minell (d. 1739), and 3rd, 20 December 1739 at St George, Hanover Sq., Westminster (Middx), Mary (1719-77), eldest daughter of Thomas Coventry esq., and had issue:
(1.1) Elizabeth Barker (b. c.1706; fl. 1745), eldest daughter, born c.1706; living, unmarried, in 1745;
(1.2) Anne Barker (1707-85), born 25 March and baptised at St Ann, Soho (Middx), 13 April 1707; married, 6 April 1738 at Kew (Surrey), Rev. Dr. Thomas Morell FSA FRS (1703-84), then curate of Kew and later non-resident rector of Buckland (Herts), librettist, classical scholar and printer, but had no issue; lived at Kew and later Turnham Green (Middx); buried at Chiswick, 19 November 1785;
(1.3) Sophia Barker; (b. c.1709; fl. 1745);
(1.4) Mary Barker (b. 1710), born 28 August and baptised at St Ann, Soho, 17 September 1710; died before 1722;
(1.5) Henry Barker (1711-75), born 7 December and baptised at St Ann, Soho, 26 December 1711; he inherited the manor of Clapcot, Wallingford from his father in 1745 and lived at Wallingford (Berks); married, 1752 (licence 17 July), Catherine (d. 1777), daughter of Sir John Statham of Tideswell (Derbys) and widow of Benjamin Bagshawe of Ridge (Derbys) and Lt-Gen. Richard Phillips, but had no issue; buried at Chiswick, 5 June 1775; will proved 30 June 1775;
(1.6) Cordelia (k/a Delia) Barker (1713-83), born 14 April and baptised at St Ann, Soho (Middx), 25 April 1713; died unmarried; will proved 25 February 1783;
(1.7) Charlotte Barker (1715-97), born 7 April and baptised at St Ann, Soho, 23 April 1715; died unmarried and was buried at Chiswick, 29 December 1797; will proved 2 January 1798;
(1.8) John Barker (b. 1716), born 2 May and baptised at St Ann, Soho, 20 May 1716; not mentioned in his father's will of 1745 and was probably dead by then;
(1.9) Harriet Barker (1717-91), born 2 May and baptised at St Ann, Soho, 22 May 1717; died unmarried, 1791; will proved 5 May 1791;
(1.10) William Barker (b. 1718; fl. 1745), born 22 October and baptised at St Ann, Soho, 11 November 1718; living in 1745;
(1.11) Frances Barker (d. 1719), buried at Chiswick, 25 June 1719;
(2.1) Mary Barker (b. 1722), born 6 June and baptised at Chiswick, 27 June 1722; married by 1745;
(2.2) Barbara Barker (b. & d. 1723), born 21 July and baptised at Chiswick, 20 August 1723; died in infancy and was buried at Chiswick, 14 October 1723;
(3.1) A daughter (b. 1740), born 13 September 1740; probably died in infancy.
He inherited Grove House, Chiswick; Buckhurst, Wokingham and the manor of Clapcot, Wallingford from his father in in 1713. He sold Buckhurst in 1727. Clapcot passed to his eldest son, but Grove House was left to trustees who broke up the property by sales in 1750, 1761 and 1762.
He died in 1745 and was buried at Chiswick; his will was proved 17 February 1745/6. His first wife was buried at Chiswick, 13 June 1720. His second wife was buried at Chiswick, 16 February 1738/9. His widow married 2nd, 18 October 1755 at Chiswick, as his second wife, Rev. Dr. Philip Bearcroft DD (1695-1761), Master of the Charterhouse; she was buried at Chiswick, 14 October 1777 and her will was proved 3 November 1777.

Sources

E. Ashmole, The antiquities of Berkshire, 1723; W.H. Rylands, The four visitations of Berkshire, 1532-1666, Harleian Soc., 1907; L. Weaver, Houses and Gardens by E.L. Lutyens, 1913, pp. 53-61; VCH Berkshire, vol. 3, 1923, pp. 210-36, 247-60; P.S. Spokes, 'Coats of arms in Berkshire churches: the hundred of Sonning', Trans. Berkshire Archaeological Society, vol. 40, 1936, pp. 71-78; VCH Oxfordshire, vol. 8, 1964, pp. 198-210; VCH Middlesex, vol. 7, 1982, pp. 74-78; C. Aslet, The last country houses, 1982, p. 315; C. Aslet, ‘All white is not all right’, Country Life, 5 November 1987, p. 83; J. Harris, Moving Rooms, 2007, pp. 191, 245; G. Tyack, S. Bradley & Sir N. Pevsner, The buildings of England: Berkshire, 2nd edn., 2010, pp. 338, 521; P. & C. Hammond, Life in an English country house, 2012;

Location of archives

No significant accumulation is known to survive.

Coat of arms

Party per chevron engrailed or and sable, a lion rampant counterchanged

Can you help?

• Does anyone know of any views of either the Tudor or Georgian Deanery or Parsonage House at Sonning apart from the view on an estate map reproduced above? The Georgian house appears to be unrecorded.
• Can anyone supply information about the later 20th century ownership of Deanery Garden or Hurst Lodge?
• Is anyone in a position to substantiate or refute the rumour that Grove House was re-erected in America after its demolition in 1929?
• It has not been possible with the resources available to me at present to provide full genealogical details for many of the younger sons and daughters of the people who appear in this account, and I hope to improve the account in future as new information comes to hand. In the meantime, if anyone can provide further details I should be most grateful if they would get in touch.
• I should be most grateful if anyone can provide photographs or portraits of people whose names appear in bold above, and who are not already illustrated.
• As always, any additions or corrections to the account given above will be gratefully received and incorporated.

Revision and acknowledgements

This post was first published 16 August 2019 and was updated 19 August, 2 September and 22 September 2019, 10 January and 2 August 2024. I am grateful to David Ford and Matthew Jones for helpful comments and corrections.