Robert Walker III

Robert Walker Jr., III
Born	1738 Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania
Died	Jun 11, 1812
Resting place	Portage County, Ohio
Spouse	Elizabeth Brice
Children	John Walker Samuel Walker James Walker William Walker Sarah Walker George Walker Lucinda Walker Margaret Walker
Parents	Robert Walker II Jean ____

To do: See Researching Eighteenth Century Pennsylvania

To do: See Descendants of ROBERT WALKER for more details...

To do: See Walker Family Land in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio

"Robert married Jean 1735 in Donegal, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She was born 1719 in Ireland, and died Abt. 1791."

Robert's Family Life

"Robert Walker Jr. (1738-1812), yeoman, was a first generation American of Scotch-Irish extraction."

"Likewise, a first generation American, the oldest Walker son, Robert Jr. quickly engaged Elizabeth, the middle daughter [of the Walkers' neighbor, Samuel Brice]. It appears that the Brice daughters had been taught how to read and write, possibly because he didn't have sons, as education of females was somewhat unusual for the frontier settlers. It would appear that while Walker Jr. lived at the Brices, to assist with the work, Brice had earlier purchased, with a deed poll, from James Scot, who had warranted some northerly land, in Milford Twp., now located in Juniata County."

"When a second Walker, Samuel, married another one of Brice's daughters, Isabelle, Robert Jr. was asked to take his little family and develop a mill on this northern tract, even though he had warranted and patented 'Walker's Lot' a 100 acre piece immediately north of his father's estate in West Pennsborough."

"After what appears to have been a short time, 4 years in Milford on the Tuscarora Creek, which dumps into the Juniata River north of Milford, and after warranting and patenting another 100 acres in his own name at that place, he and Brice sold their interests, purchasing an operating mill further upstream in Lack Twp. near the present town of East Waterford, PA. These activities are substantiated by court house records, and described in the History of Juniata County. Robert is described as a yeoman in tax records, but obviously skilled at farming, husbandry as well as milling. A surveyor's chain, mentioned in his 1812 will, is in existence, and is on display at the Heritage House Museum, Silver Springs, in Stow, Ohio. Apparently, his skill as a surveyor was needed in making his land claims, using meets and bounds, and getting them recorded; and in assisting neighbors."

Robert in the Revolutionary War

"In 1780, Robert Walker, Jr. is found enlisting in the Virginia Militia, with Col. George Rogers Clark, who had led a successful raid on the British encampment at Vincennes, on the Wabash River, in 'Ohio Territory.' Additionally, his sixteen year old son, John was also uniformed, and put to work guarding the women and children left behind in Ft. Garrison, at The Falls of the Ohio R., in Kentucky, then Virginia's western region. Clark was pursuing a British Army, by moving his troops up the Little Miami River, from the Scioto R., in Kentucky, to a place that Indians had settled as a southern town years before. They decided to engage, nearly surrounding the camp in a surprise attack and completely routed the inhabitants. The British force was never located, and is believed to have gotten lost in the Ohio hinterland, never attacking the colonial's forts along the Ohio, many of which had been evacuated because of the rumors."

"John Walker was discharged with papers, and paid for his one month of service, the details are explained in the 1832 Pension Papers filed by John Walker. In 1782, the father, Robert Walker, Jr. was listed in the first Virginia Census, with a family of seven."

After the Revolutionary War

"The elder Walker having purchased, in 1778, additionally, two tracts farther west, but still in Hampshire, from the sheriff, land which had been abandoned by Brian Bruin, a loyalist landowner."

"They were joined by a sister, Elizabeth Savage, who had settled on one of these new tracts, and Robert, with his family, now 8, according to the 1784 census, had settled on the larger of the two."

"In Lack Township, the mill property had gone into default during the war. The new owner, Andrew Farrier, failed to meet obligations Robert had signed in 1774, to pay off bonds, each year, In 1783, Robert McGaw purchased from the Cumberland Sheriff, the mill and an adjoining 500 acres, and a judgment of PA 2000 dollars, was entered against the Walkers. Much of the history of the Morris/Walker mill and its owners, can be found in "Juniata and Susquehanna Valleys in Pennsylvania." (Note: this mill has been rebuilt several times, but may be visited on the outskirts of East Waterford, PA)"

"Meanwhile, in Virginia, Robert Jr. executed a deed turning over all his personal property and livestock to of his sons, John and Samuel, though the latter was still under legal age. Two years later he would be charged, for false utterance, for his 1885 declaration of insolvency, as he had not mentioned specifically his bedstead. As well, he failed to disclose his wife, Elizabeth's, inheritance from the death of her father, that year, which was in the form of a note, and which was not paid until his own father's death in 1792, when the funds showed up in that year in a Franklin Co., PA, estate's inventory. Franklin Co., where Peters Twp. was located, had been erected from Cumberland in 1784."

"Back in Peters Twp. things had not gone well, and we will stop to review those families."

"In about 1783 James was killed from a fall off a horse on his Town Hill land in Virginia, his wife Mary, relocated to the Walker homestead in Peters. The land was sold, and Mary was chosen in 1789, to inherit the half of the Barr plantation not owned by Samuel. Elizabeth was given a deed at the same time to half of her farm in Hampshire, and Andrew in Adams County, found himself out of luck, when his father in law, James Thorn, died, leaving that estate to his own sons, one of whom was married to Andrew's sister."

"To solve the overcrowding in PA, the Walkers engineered a switch."

"Andrew and his family would relocate from Peters, where they appeared in the 1800 census, his three sons having been given in 1789 a deed for half of the larger 800 acre piece. Robert Jr. would sell the half of this tract (400 acres for $800) that were deeded to his six sons in 1792, for cash. Mary would inherit from Robert's 1792 will half of the Peter's 600 acres, with the eldest son, Abraham, her other three sons being given half of the smaller 302 acre Hampshire tract, where Elizabeth lived, but resold in 1802, to Robert Jr.'s son Samuel, for his portion of the cash received from the sale. The end result was that Robert Jr. his remaining five sons and two daughters, two of whom had married, took their 5/6ths of the cash to Portage County, Ohio, looking for land."

Time in Ohio

"In the year Ohio obtained statehood, Hudson also organized itself around the proprietor, David Hudson, who was appointed Justice of the Peace. Soon elections were held, and Robert Walker was made Justice as well, attending court in Ravenna on a monthly or weekly schedule."

"Additionally, his third son, James, then unmarried, was elected ensign, a position he had formerly held in Hampshire Co. The family legend has it that he carried the flag for George Washington, but his duties were carried out after the time of the earlier conflict, and probably occurred during one of the visits the General made up the Potomac to visit properties Gen. Crawford, who was killed in 1795, had selected for him. As Justice Robert married numerous of the young settlers, numbering Joshua Stewart and Margaret Walker in 1804, another daughter, Rachel and Reuben Parker later, and James to Sarah Burnet in 1807. These were all recorded in the first Quarter Sessions book of Portage. In 1808, as Justice, Robert Walker and his wife witnessed the deed presented to the citizens of Hudson, for the Hudson Green, three 2 & ½ acre parcels in the center, which comprised the common, to be reserved for its people in perpetuity. The Walkers are recorded on the tax rolls and in the election books in early days, and some deeds were recorded, after the death of Robert Jr. on June 11, 1812. His wife dying in 1818, and both were buried in a 4 x 5 rod plot on the family farm on Lot 9, where William's baby, Betsey was buried some years earlier."

Account in "Recollections of an old Settler"

Robert Walker was one of the original inhabitants of Hudson, Ohio

"[Hudson] township was organized April 5, 1802. A public meeting was called for the purpose of electing the township officers, at which eighteen votes were polled. The names of the voters were [...] Robert Walker [...]."

"Robert Walker came in 1801, with four sons--John, James, Robert and George. [...] In the spring of 1803 Robert Walker and David Hudson were elected Justices of the Peace, and were the first Justices elected by the people. Mr. Walker was kept in that office up to his death, June 11, 1812, age 74. Elizabeth, his wife, died April 24, 1818."

Other Notes

• Robert and Elizabeth are mentioned in Samuel Brice's 1783 will in West Pennsborough, PA

Historical Records

• Robert Walker (the same?) lived with 1 <16year old male and 2 females in Cumberland Co, Pennsylvania (Hopewell, Newton, Tyborn, and Westpensboro townships) in the 1790 Federal Census
• A 56 year old Robert Walker (the same?) received communion in 1789 according to the Records of Big Spring Presbyterian Church, Newville, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1737-1898
• A 9 year old Robert walker received communion in 1789 according to the Records of Big Spring Presbyterian Church, Newville, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1737-1898
• Robert Walker (the same?) lived with 1 others in Dickinson, Cumberland, Pennsylvania in the 1810 Federal Census

See Also

• Index of Veterans