John Walker II (c1682-1734)

OVERVIEW
This is a stub that needs to be filled in more completely.

VITA
(White 1902:3) The death of John II seems rather sudden, coming as it does just after he has returned from Virginia, getting ready to relocate his family. This does not sound like the circumstances of a man who knows he's nearing the end of his life. Rather, it sounds like a sudden illness, or perhaps an accident resulted in his death. We will probably never know the cause of death, especially if its accidental, but one possibility that comes to mind is that he died in an epidemic. Perhaps he contracted something while at home in Old Chester Co, or perhaps it was something contracted during his travels to Virginia. Linda Parsons (September 11, 2006) has drawn our attention to the fact that an epidmeic of yellow fever ravaged Virginia in 1734. It is possible that John II was one of its victims. Further research as to where this epidemic struck may be helpful.


 * Burial: Nottingham Presbyterian Meeting House Cemetery. White 1902 tells us that this Meeting House was located in Chester Co, Pennsylvania.  The exact location of the cemetery has been confused by the border dispute between Pennsylvania and Maryland.  At the time the family came to America the Nottingham MH was within the area claimed by Pennsylvania.  When the boundary dispute was finally resolved (need date, and Wikipedia reference to Mason Dixon line) the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland was a few miles further north of the MH.  Examination of the records of the Presybterian Hiostorical Society in Philadelphia has led to the conclusion that MH the Walkers attended was that in Rising Sun, Cecil County Maryland.

Ancestry
John II is identified as the son of John Walker I = Jane McKnight, of Wigton, Scotland (White 1902:2). White based her early family history on a document commonly referred to as the "Joel Walker Record". White 1902(2) states:


 * "Joel Walker, of Ohio...kept a record of the Walker family, and from this Andrew Walker of McDonough Co, Ill, made a copy in 1856. This record covered a period of one hundred and fifty years, and furnished the foundation for the present work.  The Joel Walker record states that "in the Walker ancestry the name extend back only three generations, when it looses itself in the Rutherford family then farther back than we have any authentic inforamtion of the Rutherfords in the line of ancestry are the Alleines."

Spouse

 * Katherine Rutherford (c1682-138). White 1902 identifies Katherine as the wife of John Walker II.  No confirming evidence of that statement has been identified.

Child List

 * Elizabeth Walker (1703- ?) = John Campbell
 * John Walker III (c1705-c1776) = Ann Houston (c1705-c1765)
 * James Walker (1707- ) = Mary Guffy
 * Thomas Walker (died young)
 * William Walker (died young)
 * Jane Walker (1712-1796) = James Moore (1711-1795)
 * Samuel Walker (1714-1793) = Jane Patterson (?-?)
 * Alexander Walker = Jane Hammer (?-?) [Note:  an alternative spelling (Jeannette Hummer) of the spouse has been provided by an anonymous editor.  Phil Rhoton observs on the discussion page that  In his 1784 will, Alexander refers to his wife as Janet (Rockbridge Co., VA, Will Book 1, p. 214). She signs her name as "Jennet Walker" on the 22 Jul 1793 consent for their daughter Jean to marry Andrew McMahon (Rockbridge County, Virginia, Marrriage Bonds &c.). She again signs her name as Jennet Walker when she and her son Joseph and daughter-in-law sell the "home place" on 7 Jul 1795 (Rockbridge County, VA Deed Book C, p. 178). The only source for the first name of 'Jane' is White and that is not born out by the documents.   See discussion page. Bill 01:55, 11 October 2006 (UTC)]
 * Esther Walker (died young)
 * Joseph = 1) Nancy McLung  2) Grizelda McCrosky
 * Mary Walker

Family History
White's history of the family states that John Walker "moved his family [from Wigton] and settled near the town of Newry, Ireland. He and family with three of his brother Alexander's children left Strangford bay in May, 1726...on board a vessel commanded by Richard Walker, and landed in Maryland August 2.  He transported his family and settled in Chester Co., PA, where he died in September 1734.  His wife died in 1738.  Both are buried at Nottingham Meeting House in Chester Co, PA.

Most of the family left Pennsylvania and settled in Rockbridge and adjoining counties in Virginia. John Walker [II] contemplated such a move and had been to Virginia a short time previous to his death and selected a farm upon which he erected a small building."

Our understanding of this family is based almost entirely upon the information contained in White 1902, who in turn based her information on the early history of the Wigton Walker family on the Joel Walker Record (JWR). Joel is identified as the son of Samuel Walker (1714- 1793), and grandson of John II. White does not tell us specifically what information in her family history came from the JWR. No copy of this document has been located as far as is known. Little information on the family prior to their appearance on Borden's Grant in Virginia, has been confirmed independently of White 1902.

There are a number of specific facts given by White 1902. The following lists key data for the family of John II and Katherine Rutherford for which independent confirmation is needed. Also shown is what is known to support (or refute) information in White 1902.


 * Marriage of John II to Katherine Rutherford in Wigton 7 January of 1702.
 * Marriage records for this period either do not survive, or do not include a marriage between John Walker II and Katherine Rutherford. In part, this may be because the Walkers and Rutherfords were Presbyterians, and did not conform to the State approved Church of England. Several researchers have reported having searched records in Wigtonshire, and have not reported finding any record related to this marriage, or the children of John II and Katherine.
 * Records have been located that may relate to the marriage(s) of John II's brother Alexander, and the birth of some of his children (see Alexander I (c1682- ?). These data are accepted by some researchers as confirmation of some of the information in White, but other researchers do not consider the information defiitive.


 * Relocation of the family from Wigton, Scotland to Newry, Ireland sometime after 1705.
 * Irish records have been searched a limited extent by various Walker researchers. Definitive data on the family in Newry has not be identified.  [Need summary of what has been found.]
 * Some idea of the date of the relocation from Wigton to Newry can be obtained by looking at the pattern of DOB/POB records in White 1902 for the children of John II and Katherine, as well as his nephews and niece who came to America with him
 * Elizabeth Walker b. 1703
 * John Walker III b 1705
 * James Walker b 1707
 * Thomas Walker (died young)
 * William Walker (died young)
 * Jane Walker b. 1712 County Down, Ireland]].
 * Samuel Walker b. 1714
 * Alexander Walker b. 1716
 * Esther Walker (died young)
 * Joseph b. 1722 near Londonderry, Ireland
 * Mary Walker (died young?)

Children of Alexander 1
 * Emigration from Ireland to America in May 1726, departing from Stranford Bay on a ship "commanded by Richard Walker".
 * Samuel Walker b. 1714, came with father from Newry about 1734
 * Alexander
 * John
 * Eleanor


 * Arrival of the family in Maryland on 2 August, 1726.


 * Settlement in Chester County, Pennsylvania


 * Establsihment of a farm in Virginia in 1734


 * Death of John II in September 1734, and burial in the graveyard of the Nottingham Meetng House in Chester Co. MD.


 * Death of Katherine Rutherford in 1738, and burial in the graveyard of the Nottingham Meetng House in Chester Co. MD.

Working back 150 years from the date of the Andrew Walker copy of the JWR, takes us to the early 1700's, consistent with the marriage of John II in 1702, and the birth of John III in 1705. It is likely that these events, the identity of John II's parents, and the identity of his wife, were preserved in the JWR. No information has been recovered that confirms most of what is in White 1902 regarding this family.

Records
No records have been identified that relate to John Walker II or his wife Katherine Rutherford

Links

 * The Wigton Walker Portal
 * The White Descendancy
 * Wigton's on the Wiki

Contributors
--Bill 13:12, 8 August 2006 (UTC) 22:37, 26 August 2006 (UTC)