A KNICKERBOCKER LEGACY: The Baker Family and The Edgar Family of Rahway N.J. and N.Y.C. (Hardcover with Dust Jacket) 1972, 2024
By John Milnes Baker
Jacobus Backer and Margaret Stuyvesant were married in New Amsterdam in 1655. They were the progenitors of the families traced in this book.
The term Knickerbocker derives from Washington Irving’s 1809 A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty and of course signifies a connection to “Old New York.”
Fifty years ago there was no such thing as the Internet. There certainly was no ancestry.com and the nation’s fascination with family history and genealogy was unimagined.
There have long been numerous historical and genealogical organizations which usually require a “qualifying ancestor” to join. But the current popular interest in family history was generally considered rather esoteric. All that has changed in recent years, however, and I believe the timing of this updated publication is propitious.
One’s surname doesn’t have to be Baker or Edgar to find this book relevant. There are well over three hundred names other than Baker and Edgar in the index alone, and many of these families are also represented in the book, many with individual genealogical charts.
(470p., Illus., Index, 2024)
Hardcover only, includes dust jacket.
Comment from the Author:
The Holland Society of New York reviewed the original edition of this book over fifty years ago. Here are three excerpts from the review that still resonate today: 1) "One suspects that it may have come as a surprise to some of John Bakers relatives to find that they trace their descent from a Dutch merchant trader, Jacobus Backer, who came to New Amsterdam in 1653." 2) "The author / genealogist replaces considerable family lore with factual data based on his research." 3) "Baker has made a valuable contribution to increase our knowledge of New Netherland families and their descendants."
I hope this is helpful. - John Milnes Baker
I’m so grateful to have a copy of A Knickerbocker Legacy. Growing up, I always admired my Great Uncle John. I enjoyed listening to him sing folk songs and was lucky enough to grow up in a beautiful home that he designed. With even our two-year-old daughter making the book, we’ll always cherish this book of our genealogy.
What a fantastic family heirloom and historical work John has written. A Knickerbocker Legacy has so much detail and history going back hundreds of years. It is especially important to me as John Milnes Baker is my great uncle and it’s clear he didn’t just compile names and dates—he preserved a piece of our family’s identity. Thanks Uncle John for giving us this tangible connection to where we came from.
Having A Knickerbocker Legacy is such a gift for our family. As a descendant of the Baker family, and as the son of John Baker’s niece, this book feels deeply personal especially considering both my son Hugo and my middle name(s) are also Baker (See Attached Image). It’s not just a record of names and dates, but a thoughtful and carefully researched account of the people and stories that shaped our family.
What stands out most is the dedication behind the work. The detail, historical context, and preservation of family connections reflect a genuine commitment to honoring our shared legacy. It’s rare to see family history documented with such care and clarity.
I’m grateful for the time and effort that went into creating this book. It’s a lasting gift to our family and something future generations will be able to learn from and take pride in.
John Milnes Baker, author of "A Knickerbocker Legacy," has compiled an in-depth and intriguing history of his Dutch forebears who immigrated to America over 350 years ago.
The Scottish Edgars, the second family included in the Baker publication, likewise immigrated over 300 years ago to the Woodbridge area of NJ.
By 1766, a 4th generation American Baker (Matthias) became the first family member to marry the first Scottish-American Edgar member, Catherine.
In great part, the Edgar family's ancestral research, both its Scottish and American branches, began over 100 years ago.
More recently, I also wish to acknowledge my son, Ian H. Edgar, whose research talents have proved invaluable, both in their scope and detail. Of course, only John Milnes Baker's passionate research efforts coupled with his organizational talents have been able to produce this ancestral gem.