Julian Levett Baker

Born: 24 February 1873 in Camberwell, South London, England.

Died: 29 January 1958 in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.

Julian Levett Baker born in Camberwell. His father was George Nathaniel Levett Baker, a banker’s clerk, born 1843, Newington, Surrey [died 1922 at 16 Slaithwaite Road, Lewisham] and his mother was Bessie Helen Baker nee Buckman, born 1845, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire [died 1932, Lewisham]. George and Bessie were married in Cheltenham in the summer of 1871 and following Julian’s birth, they had two more children: Ethel Melinda Baker, born 1874 in Camberwell [Ethel married George Cecil Jones] and Muriel Albinia Baker, born 1876 also in Camberwell [Muriel remained unmarried and died in1955]

He was educated at the City of London School. During the 1881 census for England and Wales the family was living at 15 Windsor Road, Camberwell.

Easter 1888: Julian contracts scarlet fever and does not return to the City of London School. Julian’s father arranged for him to have academic coaching and Julian passes the entrance exam to Finsbury Technical College where he studied chemistry for three years.

In 1891 the Baker’s were living at 57 Hendham Road, Wandsworth. Also in 1891 Julian became assistant chemist (later chief chemist) to the London Beetroot Sugar Association under Arthur Robert Ling (1861-1937) the future professor of brewing at Birmingham with whom he collaborated.

Saturday 16 June 1894: Julian becomes a member of the Golden Dawn at the Isis Urania Temple taking the magical motto Frater Causa Scientiae [for the sake of knowledge]

Wednesday 18 March 1896: Julian becomes a member of the Golden Dawn’s Second Order taking the magical motto Frater D.A.

August 1898: Julian Baker meets Aleister Crowley in Zermatt, Switzerland, below the Matterhorn in a beer hall where Crowley is discussing alchemy. Baker introduces himself and they talk as they walk back to their hotel. Crowley wondered if Baker was the ‘master’ he had been seeking and decided to ask him the following morning. But early the next day Baker had left the hotel and Crowley telegraphed and searched the local hotels and the train stations for him. Crowley says he went up the Gornergrat, an Alpine ridge south of Zermatt and not seeing Baker there must have just missed him as Baker was walking down the mountain valley to Brig. Crowley pursued his ‘master’ and eventually caught up with him ten miles below Zermatt and he asks Baker if he is the ‘master’. Baker smiled and said ‘no’ but agreed that when they get back to London he would introduce Crowley to a man who is ‘much more of a magician than I am’.

September 1898: Crowley is staying at the Hotel Cecil in London and most definitely corresponding with Baker.

October 1898: Baker introduces Crowley to George Cecil Jones (1873-1960). Baker and Jones teach Crowley the technique of astral projection and in two months Crowley undertook 18 such visions which he part includes in The Equinox, volume I, number II.

Friday 18 November 1898: Crowley becomes a member of the Golden Dawn.

December 1898: Crowley dedicates his Songs of the Spirit to Julian Levett Baker.

April 1899: Baker becomes a Fellow of the Society of Public Analysts. He is also made a fellow of Imperial College (FIC) and a Fellow of the Chemical Society (FCS).

1900: Julian became the first chemist to be appointed to the London Brewery [The Stag Brewery at Pimlico, operated by Watney, Comb, Reid and Co Ltd]. He remained there until he retired in 1946 [in 1947 Watney, Comb, Reid and Co Ltd were bought by Crowley & Co]

Tuesday 3 April 1900: Crowley is in London and he talks to Julian about concerns within the Golden Dawn and Julian replies that he is sick of the politics in the order.

Thursday 24 May 1900: Crowley and Baker talk at a Holborn Restaurant concerning what was written about Elaine Simpson and Baker calms Crowley who is eager for court action.

Summer 1901: In Islington, Julian marries Eveleen Daniels, born 1877 in County Cork, Ireland, the daughter of H. A. Daniels of Fermoy, County Cork. Eveleen died in 1945.

1904: Julian and Eveleen’s first child is born named Sheila Baker, in Chiswick, London.

1905: Baker became Honorary Secretary (of the London section) of the Society of Chemical Industry. Also in 1905 Baker published his book The Brewing Industry.

1907: A son is born to Julian and Eveleen whom they name Patrick Aeroux Julian Baker, in Staines, Middlesex. [He married Helen Gardner in 1940]

1907-1920: Baker is made Editor of The Analyst.

1908-1911: Julian becomes an examiner for the City and Guilds London Institute.

1908-1918: Being a founder member, Baker is appointed Honorary Secretary of the Institute of Brewing.

1909: Julian’s article on ‘Malt and malt liquors’ is given a chapter in Allan’s Commercial Organic Analysis.

During the 1911 census Julian, an ‘analytical and consulting chemist’, Eveleen and their children are living at a house called Stainsesbury Holt, Kingston Road, Staines, Middlesex. Also in 1911, Julian’s article on ‘Fermentation’ appears in the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

1913: Another son is born to Julian and Eveleen named Desmond H Baker, in Staines, Middlesex.

1918-1958: Baker is appointed Vice President of the Institute of Brewing.

1920-1949: Baker is made Editor of the Journal of the Institute of Brewing.

Thursday 6 November 1924: Julian delivered the Streatfield Memorial Lecture at Finsbury Technical College, London.

1928-1931: Julian becomes an examiner at the University of Birmingham.

1944: Julian became elected to the City and Guilds of London Institute.

Tuesday 15 May 1945: Death of Julian’s wife Eveleen. She is buried at Cookham Parish Cemetery.

1948: Julian, aged 75, marries 72 year old Catherine Lucy Paul. She was born Catherine Lucy Pearson in Clifton, Gloucestershire in 1876. The daughter of a civil engineer, she married Arthur Clifford Saint Paul in 1904 in Bristol. Arthur had worked for Bristol City Council’s finance department until his death in 1924. Julian and Catherine Lucy Baker lived in Dial Cottage. Also in 1948 Julian received the Horace Brown Medal, the highest award from the Institute of Brewing.

1956: Catherine Lucy Baker died.

Wednesday 29 January 1958: Death of Julian Levett Baker at Maidenhead Hospital, Berkshire. He is buried with his first wife Eveleen at Cookham Parish Cemetery.