General Notes

[JOHNBWALKER.FTW]

Thomas was an immigrant who came from England in 1734. The following info. has come from the DAR: Naturalized 1756 in Orange County Va, Will dated Jan 29, 1767 probated Jan 25, 1770....The parents of Thomas have not been proven but it appears he may have a brother Charles. From info found in a handwritten note it is POSSIBLE that Thomas was the son of Thomas and Lydia Hardwick Walkerfrom Westmoreland C.Va., grandson of Thomas and Maryh Sanders Walker, and g grandson of Thomas and & Miss Baylor who immigrated From Staffordshire England.
in 1758 a Thomas Walker and a Charles Walker were members of Hogg's Rangers during the French and Indian War.
Notes on Elizabeth Walker. We do not know for sure who her parents were, it is felt that James Taylor was the first in that line to arrive in Va. in 1667. He is a descendent of the Earl of Hare , from Kent County in England..His first wife was Frances Walker (no known relation to Thomas)his second wife was Mary Gregory. She died at age 101. May have been related to President Zachary Taylor, Her family was from the same parish.

Source:
"Historical Genealogy of the Basham, Ellison, Hatcher, Lilly, Meadows, Pack, Walker, and Other Families" pg. 85 ----Compiled by Charles Silas Hatcher

The ancestor of this branch of Walkers was Thomas Walker, the immigrant, who came from ENGLAND to America in 1734. He located in Orange County, Virginia, where he became a large land and slave owner.

The records or naturalization of foreigners show that Thomas Walker was naturalized in 1756, by the Court of Orange County. Thomas married Elizabeth Taylor, who lived to be 102 years of age. Tradition states that Elizabeth was related to President Taylor, but no record has been found to prove this connection. Thomas Walker died in 1770, and his will was proved January 25, 1770. His will names his wife, Elizabeth, three sons, James, Thomas, and Charles; four grandchildren, Thomas, Joyce, James, and Thomas.

Source: "The History of the Walker Family 1734-1990 & Their Kindred With Related
Incidents" ---Glennis R. Walker, pg. 6

Thomas Walker married Elizabeth Taylor about 1738 in Orange County, Virginia, her family residing in Orange County were neighbors of and according to tradition were related to the Taylor family from which came Zachary Taylor, the 12th U.S. President, who served from March 4, 1849 to July 9, 1850, at which time he died in office from acute gastroenteritis after over indulging in iced milk and cherries.

Elizabeth Walker died at age 101Y-6M-3D at the home of Thomas & Eleanor Stuart Walker in Monroe County, VA (now WV). This was the grandson who was to inherit the Walker homeplace in Orange County, VA at the death of Elizabeth, pursuant with the will of his grandfather Thomas dated Jan. 29, 1767 and produced in Orange County Jan. 25, 1770.

Thomas Walker who settled in Orange County in 1734 swore an Oath of Allegiance in Orange County in 1736 and repeated the oath in 1756. He was a large planter, and enjoyed a well organized plantation proprietor's life, having ownership to widespread tracts of land in Orange and surrounding counties, and many Negro slaves, holdings and improvements.

By the late 1760's Thomas began to curtail his activity to the point where much of his properties were liquidated, and the large number of slaves required to suitably maintain his spacious estate began to diminish quite noticeably. At the time of his demise, Thomas owned about 700 acres of land in Orange County and master of about a dozen slaves.

A young energetic member of The Walker Family while serving with the U.S. armed forces in ENGLAND in recent years made an attempt to trace our ancestor, Thomas Walker in the archives of that country, and found the name of Thomas Walker so numerous to the extent of being difficult to properly distinguish one Thomas from another, Shelby W. Lewis told me he made this search in June 1977.

Source:
"The History of the Walker Family 1734-1990 & Their Kindred With Related Incidents" ---Glennis R. Walker, pgs. 7-9

In the name of God Aman. I, Thomas Walker of the County of Orange and Colony of Virginia being in good health, and of sound and disposing mind and memory for which I bless God, do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following.
That is to say, I will that all such debts as I shall justly owe at the time of my death, and my funeral expenses and charges be in the first place paid by my executor herein after named. And as for my estate, both real and personal I dispose thereof as follows.
Imprimis I tend unto my wife, Elizabeth the tract of land whereon I now live, containing about 290 acres during her natural life, and after her death I give and devise the said tract of land to my grandson Thomas Walker, the son of Thomas Walker and Joyce his wife, to him and his heirs forever.
Also unto my said wife during her natural life, three Negroes To-Wit: Jack, Joe and Lucy, and after her death I give and bequeath the said three Negroes To-Wit:, I give the Negro Jack to James Walker, my grandson, the son of Thomas Walker my son. And I give the said Negro Joe to my grandson Thomas Walker, the son of James Walker. And I give the Negro Lucy and her future increase to my son Charles.
Then I give and bequeath to my grandson James Walker, the son of Thomas Walker two Negro children named Barbary and Dinah. I also give and bequeath to my grandson Thomas Walker, the son of Thomas Walker one mulatto boy, have named Lewis.
Then I give and bequeath unto my grandson Thomas Walker, the son of James Walker, two Negroes, Barbary and her daughter Rachel. Also I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Joyce Walker, one Negro girl named Milley.
Then I give to my son Charles Walker, three Negro Boys named Ben, Pitts, and Duquesne, alias Duncan. Also I give and devise to my son Charles one tract of land containing about one hundred & eight acres (upon the consideration of his having already paid the sum of Thirty Pounds current money to my son, Thomas Walker for the said land) to him and his heirs forever. I also give and devise unto my said son, Charles my land that lies on Pretty Creek, containing about 320 acres to him and his heirs forever.
I also give unto my grandson Thomas, the son of James my copper still and it's furniture. Lastly, I give and bequeath all the rest and residue of my estate of what kind or quality soever not before bequeathed or devised to be equally divided between my wife, my two sons Thomas and Charles, and my grandson Thomas Walker, the son of James Walker, to be their sole property forever.
And do hereby constitute and appoint my son Charles Walker my sole executor to this my last will and testament. And do also direct, and it is my will and desire that my son Charles shall have and enjoy the several legacies which I have bequeathed to my grandchildren to his own proper use until my grandsons shall attain the age of 21 years, and my grand daughter the age of 18 years, upon condition he, the said Charles do maintain and educate my two grandchildren, Thomas & Joyce Walker suitably to their condition and fortune.
And I do hereby revoke, make null and void all and every will and wills by me heretofore made, declaring this only to be my last will and testament. in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this twenty ninth day of January, one thousand, seven hundred and sixty seven.
Thomas Walker
(LS)
Signed, Sealed, Published & Declared
By the said Thomas Walker, the testator as and for his last will and testament---In the presence of:- Richard Waugh, Charles Beale, John Isbell and Benoni Hansford.

At a court held for Orange County on Thursday, the 25th. day of January 1770, the last will and testament of Thomas Walker, the executor therein named and proved by the oaths of Richard Waugh and John Isbell, two of the witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded, and ordered that the sheriff make proclamation of the said will according to law. Disposed by Teste--George Taylor Coc. Jonathan Cowhard and Joseph Eddins entered security for Charles Walker's faithful administration of Thomas Walker, deceased.


----------------For the Purpose of Taxation------------------------
At a court held for Orange County, VA May 24, 1753 in the 26th. year of the reign of our sovereign Lord George the second, by the grace of God of Great Britain, FRANCE and Ireland, King in the announced domain--M.D.C.C.S.I.Y. before his majesty's trustees of the peace for said county to-wit: "Glasgow"--A Negro boy, property of Thomas Walker is adjudged to be ten years old. Suggested Next Step:
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Walker, Thomas "Thundering Tom"


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He swore an oath of allegiance to the United States in Orange County in 1734 and 1756.  He owned about 700 acres of land and had many slaves and holdings.
His will appears in the Silas Bell book, dated January 29, 1767, Orange County, Colony of Virginia.

Orange County, Colony of Virginia
Headrights list a Thomas Walker, from Great Britain or Ireland, on February 2, 1737, in Orange County, Colony of Virginia.  Headrights were grants of 50 acres of land per "head" -or per white male over the age of 16 who transported himself to the colonies. They appear in the Court of Common Pleas in the county in which the land was granted.