George Baker

George Baker (1825–1910) was a British industrialist and Liberal politician and philanthropist. He was born in Birmingham on 11 May 1825, from a long-established Quaker family.

He was educated at the Friends' School, Ackworth, West Yorkshire, but started work at his father's blacking factory aged 15. This land, including Atholgarth and St George's Farm, became the nucleus of what is now the Guild's Ruskin Land project.

Between 1875 and 1877 he commissioned the construction of Beaucastle, a major country house in the Arts and Crafts style near Bewdley. The house's architect Richard Doubleday corresponded closely with Ruskin on design and construction of the house. The house features four stained-glass windows by Edward Burne-Jones, thought to have been made in William Morris's factory, although this cannot be verified. He served as mayor of Bewdley in 1888–9.

Death Baker was twice married. He died on 15 January 1910, and is buried at Birmingham city cemetery, Witton.