An Introduction by Joe Baber
Dear Visitor,
We long thought that all Baber and Babers were related. Recent DNA testing shows two distinct and varied profiles that show the ancestor would not be common in the families in the last 64,000 years.
While visiting this site you will discover fascinating information. For example, the Baber name appears as early as 1080 in England. Other Baber names appear in the 1300 and 1400's although we do not know our relationship. Ann Baber appeared in a document in 1380. Henry Baber is mentioned as a leader of the Peasant's Revolt in 1381.
William Baber born possibly in the early 1400's and his Will probated in 1458 and rich enough to leave property to a local Guild and to pay for a service each year on his anniversary. He could be of Somerset as the family had connections with the parliament in London and he was doing a responsible job as a Toll Collector.
A.D. 1467 William Baber, Citizen & Tolysoure (Toll Collector)
To the Master or Wardens of the Fraternity or Guild of St.Mary & St. Giles without Crepulgate and brethren and sisters of the same he leaves all his lands and tenements in White Crouchestrete in the Parish of St. Giles without Crepulgate, charged with observance of the Obit or anniversary of the testator and of Robert Warmyngton once a year on 20th December, with charitable gifts to thirteen poor parishioners in manner directed. dated London 27 AD 1458 . (Roll 197) (Presumably the date at which the Will was made, with 1467 being the probate date.)John Baber, our first connected ancestor, died in England before 1527. Edward Baber married Catherine Leigh and that her father, Sir Thomas Leigh, was Lord Mayor of London in 1558. Sir John Baber (1625-1704) was a Physician to King Charles II. Baber's Field appears on maps in the 1650's under the present site of Bloomsbury and the British Museum in the center of modern day London.
Francis, James, & Edward Baber were in Virginia as early as 1614-1615. Edward Baber was a subscriber of the third Charter of the Virginia Company of London. It founded the Jamestown colony in 1607. Francis Baber, a chandler, emigrated to Massachusetts in 1636. He has no living descendants in America to our knowledge. William Baber is named on a deed in Boston about 1634. Robert Baber emigrated to Virginia in 1679. He is the common ancestor of many American Babers although DNA testing now shows that many have completely different ancestors.
Jakob Baber of Saulheim is mentioned on his red sandstone gravestone in St. Stephan Parish, Mainz, Germany. He was a Vicar from at least 1470. He was the son of Jeckel Baber and his wife Anna. He died on March 26, 1501.
Other families from Austria and related countries came to America as miners and changed their family name to Baber.
I started this web site to make information about our heritage available to future generations as well as to ourselves. The best guidance for the future is to be able to see where we have been.
What child or what individual couldn't be inspired by knowing of the lives of our ancestors and to know that anything in life is indeed possible? And, who among us hasn't wondered what life in other times would be like? With help from many, I hope to make this an excellent place to learn from our various pasts and point the next generations to futures without limits.
Folks, I am just the storyteller. The guy that puts it online. The information that you can find at your fingertips represents thousands of hours of research of old Books, Bibles, Courthouses, and Libraries all over the place.
People like Vera Baber, one of the most knowledgeable contributors, have been compiling this information for over Forty-Four years. Sandy Ruppell helps on an almost daily basis. Many others have contributed greatly from their own tree information. We happen to be fortunate that so many people are willing to share their efforts with us here and across the Internet.
Many dozens of people contribute to this site. You can help by sending us all of the information that you have about your Baber relatives, no matter how much or little it may be.
Enjoy your visit. Please add what you can.
Joe Baber