Harold Trevor Baker

Harold Trevor Baker was born on 22 January 1877 on Portsea Island, England. His parents were Louisa Baker and Sir John Baker, who served as the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth.

For his education, Baker attended Winchester College before enrolling at New College, Oxford. During his time at Oxford, he was awarded the Gaisford Prize in 1899 and held multiple scholarships, including the Craven Scholarship, Hertford Scholarship, and Eldon Scholarship. In the Michaelmas term of 1900, he served as President of the Oxford Union.

Baker was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1903. He also served as Secretary to the Royal Commission on War Stores in South Africa.

His political career included election to the House of Commons as the Member for Accrington in the January 1910 general election. During his tenure in Parliament, he served in the Liberal government of H. H. Asquith as the Financial Secretary to the War Office from 1912 to 1914. In 1915, he was admitted to the Privy Council.

During the First World War, which began in 1914, Baker was a member of His Majesty's Army Council. In 1916, he became the Inspector of Quartermaster-General Services.

Baker held a stance against granting women the vote, which distinguished him from many of his contemporaries among Liberal MPs. He was defeated in the 1918 general election, facing a challenge from both a Labour candidate and a Unionist supported by the Coalition government. He made an unsuccessful attempt to regain his seat in the 1922 election, finishing in third place. After this, he did not stand for parliamentary office again.

Throughout his career, whether in or out of Parliament, Baker continued his work as a barrister. In 1933, he was made a Fellow of Winchester College and served as its Warden from 1936 to 1946.

In his personal life, Baker did not marry. He had an extramarital affair with Lady Gwendoline Bertie, the wife of Jack Churchill, resulting in the birth of Clarissa Spencer-Churchill, who later married British Prime Minister Anthony Eden.

Harold Trevor Baker passed away on 12 July 1960 in Winchester at the age of 83.