David Erskine Baker facts for kids

David Erskine Baker (born January 30, 1730 – died February 16, 1767) was an English writer who loved plays and wrote books about them. He is best known for his work on the history of theater.

A Talented Young Man

David Erskine Baker was born in London on January 30, 1730. His father was Henry Baker, a famous scientist. His mother was the youngest daughter of Daniel Defoe, the writer who wrote Robinson Crusoe. David was named after his godfather, David Erskine, 9th Earl of Buchan.

From a young age, David showed a great interest in math. Because of this, a powerful man named John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu helped him. David was sent to the Tower of London to train as a royal engineer. This job involved designing and building things for the army.

David was also very good at languages. His father wrote in 1747 that by age 12, David had translated a whole book called "Telemachus" from French. Before he was 15, he translated a medical book from Italian. And before he turned 17, he translated a book about Isaac Newton's ideas from French.

Life and Writings

David Erskine Baker wrote articles that were printed in a science magazine called Philosophical Transactions. However, he decided to follow a different path. On August 6, 1752, he married an actress named Elizabeth Clendon. After that, he joined a group of actors and started working in the theater.

In 1764, he published his most famous book, Companion to the Play House. This book was a guide to plays and actors. A new version of this book, called Biographia Dramatica, came out in 1782. It was updated by Isaac Reed.

The second edition of his book mentions that David was adopted by an uncle. This uncle owned a silk business in Spitalfields. David took over the business, but he wasn't very good at managing money or paying attention to the details. Because of this, his business soon failed.

David's Companion book used a lot of information from an earlier writer named Gerard Langbaine. David didn't add much new information about very old plays. But his book is very helpful for understanding the history of the theater in the early 1700s.

He also wrote a short play called 'The Muse of Ossian' in 1763. He translated an Italian comedy called 'The Maid the Mistress' (La Serva Padrona). This play was performed in Edinburgh in 1763 and printed that same year.

There are different ideas about when David Erskine Baker died. Stephen Jones, who edited a later version of his book, said David died around 1770 in Edinburgh. However, John Nichols, another writer, stated that David died on February 16, 1767.