Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. IV, Part 39

Author: Stearns, Ezra S; Whitcher, William F. (William Frederick), 1845-1918; Parker, Edward E. (Edward Everett), 1842-1923
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 878

USA > New Hampshire > Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. IV > Part 39

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he served to January 20, 1777, on the committee of safety. From December of that year until Decem- ber, 1779, he was a member of the council, and 011 March 26, 1777, he was chosen by the legislature as a delegate to the continental congress, and again in 1778, 1782 and 1785, though he never attended. He was delegate from Concord to the constitutional conventions of 1778 and 1781, and on constitutional revision in 1791. In 1777 he became associate justice of the court of common pleas, and continued upon the bench until retired by reason of the age limit, being chief justice from 1804 to 1809, when lie retired. He was three times a candidate for gover- nor, being the first Democratic candidate, but was defeated by the overwhelming strength of the Federal party in the state. While participating in the larger concerns of state, he did not despise the affairs of his native town, and was moderator twenty-one years between 1769 and 1809. For nine years beginning with 1769 he was town clerk and was selectman twenty-five years, being chairman of the board all except four. He was instrumental in bringing the legislature, of which he was a mem- ber, to meet in Concord in 1782, and was ever ready to advance his home town in every way. He felt an especial interest in the young men of the town, and was wont to aid them with counsel or pecuniary assistance, as the case demanded. His long public service testifies to his ability, powerful character and uprightness, without further comment. He passed away at his home in Concord May 5, 1822, in his eighty-fifth year.

He was married, previous to 1764, to Susannah Burbeen, who was born April 11, 1746, in Woburn, Massachusetts, daughter of Rev. Joseph Burbeen. She died at Concord September 28, 1828, in her eighty-third year. Of her fourteen children, ten grew to maturity, and are accounted for as follows : Sarah, born January 21, 1764, married Major Daniel Livermore; she was a widow fifty years, and died in 1843 at Cambridge, Massachusetts. Charles, born September 25, 1765, was a lawyer and lived in Concord. Timothy, born February 2, 1767, was a farmer in Concord. Esther, the ninth, died un- married at the age of twenty-five years. Betsey, born April 15, 1780, was the wife of Eliphalet Emery of Concord, and died in 1825. Joseph, born January 12, 1782, resided in Concord. Bridget, born January 1, 1784, married Jotham Stone, and died in Brunswick, Maine, in 1805. Polly, born March 22, 1786, became the wife of Charles Emery of Con- cord, and after his death of Hon. Francis N. Fiske, of the same place, where she died. Clarissa, born July 27, 1788, married Levi Bartlett, and died in 1845 in Boston.

(IV) Isaac, fifth son of Samuel (2) and Sarah (Reed) Walker, was born November 1, 1677, in Woburn, and was one of the original grantees of what is now Concord, New Hampshire. He was married February 20, 1704, to Margery, daughter of George Bruce, and their children were: Abigail, Isaac, Ezekiel, Timothy, Anne, William, Elizabeth. Mary and Samuel.

(V) Samuel, youngest child of Isaac and Margery (Bruce) Walker, was born August 10, 1723, in Woburn, and lived in Amesbury, Massa- chusetts. He was among the twenty-one pro- prietors of "No. I," now the town of Warner, New Hampshire, who agreed at a meeting in Amesbury, August 9, 1763, to settle in that town. Like many others, he fulfilled this agreement by proxy, and his son Isaac is found among the first settlers of the town.

(VI) Isaac (2), son of Samuel Walker, settled in that part of Warner known as "Schoodac," but

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soon moved to another location, within half a mile of the first. The Schoodac cemetery is on part of his first farm. He was a soldier of the revolution, going from Warner, in which town he passed his life after that struggle, engaged in agriculture.

(VII) Philip, son of Isaac (2) Walker, was born in 1763 and died in 1848, in Warner, on the paternal homestead. His eldest son, William B., born 1791, dicd 1872. He had several children, all of whom, except Mary E. Walker, of Concord, are deceased, leaving no issue. Jane, the third child, died unmarried. Sarah, the fourth, married Wil- liam Trussell, of Boscawen, and died childless.

(VIII) Isaac (3), second son and child of Philip Walker, was born June 6, 1794, in Warner, where he passed his life, and died January 31, 1872. He was a farmer, and always lived on the ancient homestead. He married Mittie Clough, of Warner, and had two sons, Abiel and Reuben. The latter died when about fifteen years of age.

(IX) Abiel, elder son of Isaac (3) and Mittie ( Clough) Walker, was born January 15, 1824, on the paternal homestead, where most of his life was passed. When a young man he went to Lowell, Massachusetts, and was employed there some years as a house painter. There he was married May I, 1850, to Mary Powers, daughter of a Methodist minister of Maine. About 1855 they settled on the old Walker place in Warner, and continued to re- side there until the death of Mr. Walker, in De- cember, 1893. His widow subsequently resided with her son in Concord, where she passed away in June, 1903. Mr. Walker was liberal in religious views, and was a firm Republican in politics.

(X) Reuben Eugene, only child of Abiel and Mary (Powers) Walker, now justice of the su- preme court of New Hampshire, was born Febru- ary 15, 1851, in Lowell, Massachusetts, and was a child when his parents removed to Warner. In the common schools of that town he received his primary education, and was subsequently a student at the New London Literary and Scientific Institu- tion (now Colby Academy) and Brown University, graduating from the latter in the class of 1875. He immediately entered upon the study of law with Sargent & Chase, of Concord, and was admitted to the bar in 1878. It is worthy of note that he is now a colleague of one of his preceptors on the supreme bench of the state (see Chase). He formed a partnership with Robert A. Ray, now of Keene, this state, under the style of Ray & Walker, and continued to practice under this arrangement for about five years, after which he practiced alone about eight years, all in Concord. On April 1, 1891. he became associated with Frank S. Streeter, of that city, and this arrangement continued ten years, being ended by the appointment of Mr. Walker as justice of the supreme court, in which capacity he has since served. This is not the first recognition of his worth and legal ability, as he was county solicitor of Merrimack county from 1889 to 1891. and a member of the legislature in 1895, represent- ing Ward Six of Concord. He is one of the au- thors of "Ray & Walker's Citations," a legal refer- ence work of standard merit. Always an indus- trious worker, Judge Walker brought to the public service a trained mind, and is still a steady worker, giving undivided attention to the duties of his re- sponsible position and serving his state acceptably and well. In religious faith he is a Unitarian, and he gives unfaltering support to the principles of public policy which seem to him just and best for the general welfare, as promulgated by the Repub- lican party. He was married, in 1875, to Miss Mary E., daughter of Lowell Brown, of Concord. She

was born July 22, 1848, and died July 21, 1903. Their only child, Bertha May, born June 18, 1879, resides with her father.

(III) Israel, third son and fourth child of Samuel (1) Walker (twin of Hannah), was born June 28, 1648, in Woburn, where he lived and died. By his wife, Susannah, he had four sons, Israel (died young), Henry, Nathaniel and Israel.

(IV) Lieutenant Henry Walker appears in Hop- kinton, Massachusetts, in 1725, when he was one of the selectmen, and also served in that office in 1726, 1727-28-29-30. He was moderator in 1727-28- 29-30, and clerk in 1727-28 and 1730. Among those from Hopkinton in the expedition against the West Indies, in 1741, were Henry Walker and Henry Walker, Junior. The latter was the only one from Hopkinton that came back, the rest having perished. There were brobably other sons of Lieutenant Henry Walker, as the records show Thomas, Jason, Israel and Joseph to have been active and prominent citizens, all holding responsible offices repeatedly. With the exception of four years, the first of these was selectman continuously from 1736 to 1749. In 1725 he was on the committee to raise the meeting house. He was town treasurer from 1736 to 1738 and from 1741 to 1752. From 1750 to 1755 he was town.clerk. From 1761 to 1768 Jason Walker was treasurer. It is probable that Jason, Israel and Joseph were sons of Thomas, as they succeeded him in turn as selectman and in other town offices. One of these was probably the father of Jacob Walker, noticed below.

(VII) Jacob Walker was among the proprietors of Morristown, Vermont, which was settled by peo- ple from Hopkinton and Winchendon, Massachu- setts. Heminway's "Historical Gazetteer of Ver- mont" says that he came from Bennington, Ver- mont, but the records of that town give no account of him. This makes it. appear that he was only a transient resident of Bennington. There can be little doubt that he came originally from Hop- kinton. He was the first to locate in Morristown, coming there in 1790. During the first season he boarded with a family located in the adjoining town of Hyde Park, and started out every Monday morn- ing with a week's provisions, spending the time in camp on his land, engaged in clearing away the forest. He returned to Bennington for the winter, and brought his family in the spring. That season was spent upon the land and in the fall they re- turned to Bennington for the winter. He made a permanent settlement in 1792, and became one of the prosperous farmers of the town. He built a brick house which is still in use, on the west side of the road from Morristown to Morrisville, and cleared up and tilled a large farm.

(VIII) William, son of Jacob Walker, was born July 1, 1814, in Morristown, and died March 20, 1902, in Manchester, this state. He grew up on the paternal farm, attending the local school, and en- gaged in farming until he was incapacitated for hard labor, being located upon a part of his father's original homestead. By the kick of a horse, several of his ribs were broken, affecting his heart, and he was obliged to abandon farming. He built and operated for several years a mill for extracting the oil of flaxseed. About 1860 he moved to East Andover. New Hampshire, and was employed some time as wheelwright and carpenter. After living a short time in Concord he passed the last thirty- two years of his life in Manchester, where he died as above noted. He was a firm believer in the doctrines of the Advent Church, and a staunch Republican from the organization of that party. His wife, Rhoda Story, was a native of Vermont,

Reuben E. Walker

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daughter of Jacob (?) Story. They had only one child.

(IX) Stilman DeWitt, only child of William and Rhoda ( Story) Walker, was born July 10, 1847, in Morristown, and was about thirteen years old when the family moved to Andover, this state. He attended the public schools of Vermont and New Hampshire, and was a student at Andover Academy. At the age of seventeen years he began his railroading career as brakeman on a freight train on the Concord railroad, and continued in this service thirty-five years, resigning in January, 1900. For three years he was conductor of a freight train, and was passenger train conductor fifteen years. Having retired from the road, Mr. Walker invested his savings in real estate, and spends his time chiefly in the care of his tenements on South State street, Concord. While in the. railroad service he kept up membership in the Order of Railway Con- ductors, and was for several years a member of the Knights of Pythias. He was among the or- ganizers of the Christian Science Church of Con- cord, and is one of its most faithful adherents. In politics he is a Republican, but has never given any time to public matters, beyond registering his sup- port of his principles.

Mr. Walker was married, October 7, 1873, to Nettie S. Virgin, daughter of William Virgin, of Concord. She died March 20, 1882, and Mr. Walker was married, in October, 1882, to Mrs. Alma B. Buz- zell, widow of Charles S. Buzzell, and daughter of Porter and Lorinda (Reed) Dow, of Walden, Ver- mont. Charles S. Buzzell was a son of Gilbert Buzzell, one of the oldest residents of Concord. Mrs. Walker's daughter, Genevieve Buzzell, is now the wife of Jesse C. Danforth, of Braintree, Massa- chusetts. She is a native of Concord, where she is known and appreciated as a talented singer.

(Second Family.)

(I) A line of Walker ancestry not WALKER hereinbefore traced begins, as far as now known, with Archibald Walker, a tailor, who immigrated from Scotland and settled in Province, Rhode Island, where he was as late as 1700. He is reported by tradition to have been a very worthy man. He married Mary Gardner, and had the following children: Charles, Susanna. Abi- gail, Hezekiah, Nathaniel and Anın.

(II) Nathaniel, third son and fifth child of Archibald and Mary (Gardner) Walker, was born 1708, in Providence, and settled when a young man in Weston, Massachusetts. He was admitted to the church in Weston, 1728. He was a captain and an active man in town affairs. In 1748 he removed to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, where he died February 8, 1783. He was married, March 8, 1732, to Submit Brewer, born July 18, 1709, died in Sturbridge, No- vember 22, 1791, daughter of Lieutenant John and Mary (Jones) Brewer, of Weston. Lieutenant John was a son of John Brewer, of Sudbury, Massachu- setts. Nathaniel and Submit Walker were the parents of James, Nathaniel, Phineas, Lydia, Josiah, Submit, Asa, Joel, Mary, Benjamin, Lucy, Benjamin and Beulah. Ten children were born in Weston and three in Sturbridge. Eleven of these children lived to an average age of over eighty-three years. The rec- ords of Weston show that the north precinct of the town voted November 10, 1747, to pay two pounds, fifteen shillings and six pence to Nathaniel Walker for work on the meeting house. From this it may be inferred that he was a carpenter.

(III) James, eldest child of Nathaniel and Submit ( Brewer) Walker, was born November 15, 1732, in Weston, and was among the first settlers

of Belchertown, Massachusetts, where he located in 1755. He served in the French and Indian war in 1757, and was captain of the ninth company of the Fourth New Hampshire Regiment in the Revolution. He was selectman of the town in 1783 and 1786-87. He died in 1806, in his seventy-fourth year. He was married twice, and had eight sons, five of whom re- sided in Belchertown.

(IV) Nathaniel (2), sixth son of James and Esther (Shummy) Walker, was born April 30, 1770, in Belchertown, where he passed his life, engaged in farming, and reached a great age. He was married, March 4, 1799, to Thankful Morse, and they had children named : Morse, Orimel, Nathaniel B., Appleton, Wayne, Eliza (Blackman), James and Emeline (Chapman).

(V) Nathaniel Brewer, son of Nathaniel ( 2) and Thankful ( Morse) Walker, was born March 13, 1812, in Belchertown, and died in Concord, New Hampshire, January, 1887. He was educated in the common schools of his native town, and afterward learned the trade of silver plater, at which he worked in Albany, New York, and other places, finally com- ing to Concord from Boston, Massachusetts, about 1843. He bought the interest of Mr. Chandler, of the firm of Blackman & Chandler, the former being a brother-in-law of Mr. Walker, and the new firm took the name of Blackman & Walker, silver platers. Later Leland A. Smith purchased an interest in the firm which then took the name of Jason Black- man & Company. On the retirement of Mr. Black- man in January, 1855, the firm name became Smithi & Walker. From that time the firm remained un- changed until the death of Mr. Walker. The busi- ness, which at first was confined to silver plating, subsequently included saddlery hardware, which in a few years became the principal feature of the business. During the last year of the firm's existence the business was almost exclusively wholesale. The firm of Smith & Walker was prosperous, and each of the partners possessed a competency before the death of Mr. Walker. He was a Republican and a member of the city council two years. In religious faith he was a Universalist. The only social organ- ization of which he was a member was the Webster Club. . His character as a business man was very high, and he was noted for his honesty and in- tegrity.

He married (first) Abby Ellinwood, of Antrim, who died about 1867, by whom he had two children : Edward, who died in Boston about 1901, and Charles H., a graduate of Harvard College, now a physician in Pasadena, California. He married (second), June 2, 1873, Lorinda A. Adams, daughter of Nathaniel and Betsy S. (Kimball) Patch, widow of Stephen D. Adams. She was born in Henniker, September 20, 1834, and had one child by her first marriage : Eugene P. Adams, born in Concord, December 10, 1864. Lorinda A. Patch is a granddaughter of Reuben Patch, a Revolutionary soldier, who resided in New Boston, and soon after 1797 removed to Henniker (see Patch, V).

The thickening mill has left us sev-

WALKER eral words of familiar import. among which is Walker. Claiming as it does an almost unrivalled position in the rolls of our nomenclature, it reminds us of the early fashion of treading out the cloth before the adaptations of machinery were brought to bear on this phase of the craft. Walker has disappeared as a term of trade, and it is in the directories alone that the name declaring the forgotten mysteries of early English cloth manufacture can be found.

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(I) George Walker was born in England. He received a common school education, and by occu- pation was a gardener. In later life by diligence and skill he became a head gardener. He was a member of the Church of England. His wife's baptismal name was Martha, and they had four children : Hannah, Isaac, William, Betty and George.

(II) Isaac, eldest son and second child of George and Martha Walker, was born in Warwick- shire, England, November 22, 1801. After getting such education as he could in the common schools, he worked in coal mines and cotton mills for years. In his later life he accompanied Dinah Murray in preaching tours about the country. He married (first), June 4, 1823, Mary Part; and ( second) Maria Anthony. By the first wife he had three chil- dren: Samuel, Mary and William; and by the second, six children : Sarah, Martha, Isaac, Anna, George and Lydia.

(11I) Isaac (2), third child and eldest son of Isaac (I) and Maria (Anthony) Walker, was born in Derbyshire, England, May 5, 1838. After getting a common school education he worked in a tape factory at Worksworth until he was sixteen years old. In 1856 he left England, and came to America via Liverpool and Boston on the "Wilderforley," landing at the latter place in 1856. In Boston he learned the trade of carriage smith, and later be- came master mechanic in the rope factory of Soule & Day, where he was employed twenty-five years. In 1903 he removed to Merrimack, New Hampshire, and bought a farm of eleven acres, where he has since resided. Mr. Walker is a member of the Episcopal Church, and has always devoted much of his time and attention to religion and religious subjects. He was licensed as a local preacher in England, and as such preached there. He continued this after settling in Boston, and was the principal assistant of the evangelist Henry Morgan. Since settling in Merrimack he has continued to preach, though now retired. It was through his efforts that the Sunday school at Merrimack was revived. In politics he is a Republican.

He married, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, March 17, 1859, Hannah Ball, who was born in Holland March 14, 1839, daughter of Cornelius and Wil- helmina (Warner) Ball. She is one of thirteen chil- dren, only two of whom are now living. They have had six children : Samuel; Willie, died young ; Isaac, died young; Charles L .; Anna Marie; and Mary, died young. Mrs. Walker is a member of the Baptist Advent Church.

The earliest known ancestor of this WALKER line was Charles Walker, of Brad- ford (now Groveland ) Massachu- setts, who was married August 29, 1773, to a Miss Mary Atwood, of that town. She was born April 15, 1752, daughter of John and Mary Atwood. Their children were: James, David and Jonathan ( twins), Betsey and William. No record of his re- moval has been found, and it is presumed that he lived and died there.

(II) William, youngest child of Charles Walker, was born August 25, 1786, in Bradford, and was married February 25, 1808, at Haverhill, Massa- chusetts, to Betsey Gay. She was the daughter of a sea captain, and is supposed to have been born in Salem, Massachusetts, tradition giving that as her birthplace. After his marriage William Walker resided for a time in Chester, New Hampshire, whence he removed about 1824 to Amoskeag. Dur- ing the first year of his residence there he kept a

hotel, and later was landlord of a tavern some years at "'Squag," now a part of West Manchester. He was the first landlord of the Amoskeag House, which is still standing at Amoskeag, also now a part of Manchester. In 1830 he moved to Andover Center, where he conducted a tavern until 1835, when he removed to Concord and became the pro- prietor of the Washington Tavern, and a year later of the Eagle Coffee House, situated on the site now occupied by the Eagle Hotel. This tavern was the most noted establishment of its kind in New Hampshire, and was patronized by the representa- tive people who visited the state capital. He died August 2, 1858, in Concord. Mr. Walker was a capable business man, and fond of good horses. A fine black horse owned by him was bought and presented to General (afterwards President) Pierce, by his admirers in 1847, in the time of the Mexican war. William Walker and Betsey Gay, who was born January 16, 1790, and died March 22, 1862, in Concord, were the parents of Sarah Bradley (died in infancy), William, James Parsons, Nancy Long, born December 19, 1819, who married Cyrus Hill, November 26, 1838, and died October 13, 1897, at Lancaster; and Gustavus.

(III) Gustavus, third son of William and Bet- sey (Gay) Walker, was born at Amoskeag, May 7, 1830, and died May 5, 1902, aged almost seventy- two years. Before he was a year old his father removed his family to Andover Center, where the next five years of the boy's life were spent. In De- cember, 1835, the family removed to Concord, where William Walker became proprietor of the Wash- ington Tavern, and a year later of the famous Eagle Coffee House, which he conducted until 1849. Gus- tavus was educated in the schools of Concord, at Hopkinton under the tuition of John O. Ballard, at Portsmouth under Master Harris, at Phillips An- dover Academy, under "Uncle Sam" Taylor, and at Northfield Seminary. His familiarity from the age of five to nineteen years with the guests at his father's hotels gave him an extensive acquaintance which proved of much value to him in after years. in 1846 he became messenger for Cheney & Com- pany, who were the successors of his brother Wil- liam Walker in the express business, continuing in this capacity till the latter part of the year 1849. In the season of 1850 and 1851 he was clerk of the steamer "Lady of the Lake," on Lake Winnipiseo- gee, built and commanded by William Walker.

March 1, 1852, Gustavus Walker and Hon. David A. Warde formed a partnership and engaged in the hardware business in Concord under the firm name of Warde & Walker. Three years later (1855) Mr. Walker embarked in the same business in the Phoenix block, under his own name, and for thirty- eight years thereafter, was one of Concord's most honored and active merchants. Retiring in 1883 with a competency, he devoted himself to the care of his own property and the estate of his brother William, who had died without issue the year previously. The two properties were extensive and embraced some of the most desirable pieces of real estate in Concord. In his early years Mr. Walker became deeply interested in the question of trans- portation, and this interest remained through life. To the matter of obtaining for Concord the best possible railway connections he gave his earnest attention. He was largely instrumental in securing the construction of the Peterborough and Hills- borough railroad, and was an ardent advocate of the building of the Concord and Rochester railroad, of which he was president. He was long an active member of the Concord fire department. Mr.

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Walker was full of activity and energy; he knew what labor is and delighted to perform it, and en- joy the fruits of his toil. He knew the results of industry ; and never forgot that energy and industry directed by good judgment, must win. His life record is an epitome and an illustration of what the exercise of these virtues brings to him who avails himself of them. Naturally honorable, he ever kept in view the fact that an untarnished record is a man's highest recommendation. His life was one of honor and usefulness to the com- munity in which he lived. He married, January 30, 1865, Mary Clintina Butler, born January 31, 1844, in Greenfield, New Hampshire, eldest daugh- ter of John D. and Mary Colby (Burnham) Butler, of Bennington, who survives him. Two children of this marriage died before their majority.

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Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. IV, Part 39

Author: Stearns, Ezra S; Whitcher, William F. (William Frederick), 1845-1918; Parker, Edward E. (Edward Everett), 1842-1923 Publication date: 1908 Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 878

Author: Stearns, Ezra S; Whitcher, William F. (William Frederick), 1845-1918; Parker, Edward E. (Edward Everett), 1842-1923
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 878