Robert Walker (1630)

Robert Walker
Born	c. 1630 Scotland
Resting place	Ireland
Children	James Walker (1660)

Beginnings in Scotland

"The earlier Walkers do not have good dates, so we use Robert Walker b.abt 1630. He was the first we know about. We believe that our ancestor Robert Walker lived in [Scotland, Torbolton, Ayrshire] before 1665, and fared well until the restoration when he was arrested and fined for selling and 'weaving lining cloth' in defiance of English laws pertaining to Scottish persons. It was prohibited by newly enforced regulations promulgated by the Restored Monarchy."

"He was raised near Glasgow, Scotland. Migrated to Ireland, signed allegiance to King William at the [siege of Londonderry], 1688-9. In 1689 he and his son, James b abt 1660 are on the rolls of inhabitants of Londonderry, Ulster, at the time of the siege, by forces under James II and Lord Tyrconel."

"In 1718, a group of [Ulster Scots], two Roberts, a William and a James Walker were among those living in N Ireland who petitioned Gov. Schute of Massachusetts for permission to immigrate to the American colonies, which request was subsequently granted."

Additional Notes

Robert Walker was born about 1610 in Scotland. He was raised near Glascow, Scotland. He migrated to Ireland and signed an allegiance to King William at the siege of Londonderry 1688-1689.

"We believe that our ancestor was a Robert Walker who lived in Scotland, Tarbolton, Ayrshire before 1665, when he was arrested for selling 'lining clothe prohibited by the newly enforced regulations promulgated by the Restored Monarchy.

The migration to Ireland

In 1603 King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England and this saw a major change of direction in Ireland. The existing Scottish and English families in Ireland expected a better deal from the Protestant King James and he saw that by getting loyal Scottish Protestants into Ireland he could also remove a lot of his other problems. On the Scottish - English border the Border "Reivers" had been a thorn in the flesh for a long time with several families (Armstrong, Elliott, Irvine, Graham, Nixon, Johnson, etc) called `the riding clans` , living by pillaging the populace ("reiver" means plunderer ). He dealt with the Reivers very harshly, hanging many and transporting others to the Province of Connacht in western Ireland. James also saw the opportunity to encourage the Scottish Presbyterian "Dissenters" who were severely opposed to the rule by Bishops, to move across the Irish Sea. His opportunity came when the Irish Earls fled from Ireland in 1607 leaving the whole of Tyrone and Donegal and half of Fermanagh liable to seizure. The subsequent confiscation of virtually all non- church lands in Counties Tyrone, Armagh, Fermanagh, Donegal, Cavan and Coleraine meant that much of the Province of Ulster was available for disposal by the Crown. Plantation was not a new idea but followed a number of earlier attempts to settle people in Ireland. There was a mainly English Plantation in the mid-16th Century when Queen Elizabeth I wanted lands settled and sought to curb the growing friendship between the Scottish McDonnells in North Antrim and France. There were several attempts including one by Sir Thomas Smith to settle the Ards in Co Down in 1572 .

Thousands of Scottish people went to Ulster with the Plantation and thus was born the Scotch - Irish / Ulster Scot. In 1649 -50, there was another major redistribution of lands when Cromwell offered land in lieu of wages to his soldiers - many took the offer and sold the lands on without themselves even visiting their allotment. In later years many of these Scots - Irish and the indigenous Irish people who were badly treated in so many ways, subsequently emigrated to the USA and Canada .

It was not until the late 18th and 19th century that their ancestors continued the tradition of emigration to other colonies in Australia and New Zealand.There you have a snapshot of how the Scotch - Irish originated and of whom President Teddy Roosevelt said that they were, "the kernel of the distinctively and intensely American stock who were the pioneers of our people in their march westward."