Roane-Bledsoe-Marion County TN Archives Biographies.....Walker, John May 9, 1820 - March 10, 1910 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/tnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Brian Walker bwalker41@hotmail.com September 16, 2006, 4:33 am Author: Brian Walker John Walker Biography written by ggg Grandson Brian Walker John Walker came to Jefferson County Arkansas in 1849 with his family from Marion County,Tennessee, His father being born in Bledsoe County and his Mother in Georgia, John Walker was born in 1820 in Marion County as well as his wife Margaret Hix or Hicks. He brought with him his six sons and one daughter, his sons were George b. 1842, Andrew b. 1844, James b. 1845, Richard b. 1846, Isaac b. 1847, and Phillip Archibald Walker b. 1849 who is my GG grandfather and his at the time only daughter Betsy Ann Walker b. 1841. It was later learned from much research and analysis of the residents of Jefferson County, Arkansas which later became Grant, that with my Walker Family came the Johnson, Jones, and Easterly Families, as well as John Walker's youngest brother George Walker who was born in 1828. George later retured to the Sequatchie Valley in Tennessee after his sister Basheba Walker Johnson died . She was b. 1825 in Marion County Tennessee and Married to Isaac Johnson Jr b. 1821 in Roane County. he was the son of Isaac Johnson Sr. b 1783 and Nancy Hunter b. 1784 of Roane, Bledsoe and Marion Counties and brother of Daniel Johnson b.1824 who is recorded in the Goodspeeds Biographical sketches of Grant county Arkansas. John Walker's Father Was George Walker who was b.03 Jun 1800 in Bledsoe county Tennessee, and His mother was Annah Ruth Butler who was born 27 Aug 1798 in Georgia, both of John's Parents died about a year apart in what later was to become Sequatchie county Tennessee, George was a Justice of the peace and a baptist minister, Annah was a mid wife. This information can be found on the 1850 census record for Bledsoe county as well as the 1860 census for Sequatchie county. They are both also recorded in the Sequatchie county court minutes these records are a welth of information for my Walker family both are burried at Thans Chapel Cemetery Formally Known As Kell Cemetery Dunlap, Sequatchie County, Tennessee. John's Brother, Philip Archibald Walker b.1837 who John named my gg grandfather after died 27 Feb 1858 in Sequatchie County, his death was listed as suiside and can be found in the court minutes of the same county. When John Walker's father George Walker died it was John's brother George Walker Jr. who was put in charge of his fathers estate and the lands were divided into 8 lots the children of George Walker and Annah Ruth Butler Walker are listed in the Sequatchie County court minutes as well as other details. John Walker's grandfather Was Jesse Walker b.28 Dec 1770 in Rowan County North Carolina, his grandmother was Delila West b.1774 also in North Carolina, Jesse's father was Captain George Walker b.20 Nov 1745 in Prince William County (Fauquier) Virginia. Captain George Walker was a revolutionary soldier who entered the fight for America's freedom from Burke county North Carolina and served from about 1776 to 1782, he than moved to Knox County Tennessee in 1796 where he resided until about 1807. When the Indian lands opened up Capt. George Walker moved to Bledsoe County Tennessee where he died in 1833. He is listed in the history of Tennessee as a revolutionary war soldier, and the facts of his service are well documented. Walker family lore has always stated that we have Cherokee blood in us but to date I find no proof as to any Cherokee connection, only that the Walker family moved onto Cherokee lands after the removal of the Indians in the 1830's. as long as I can remember I was always told that I was about 1/8 Cherokee no proof just an old family yarn. Records for the Walker family are skimpy in places due to the cival war but they are there if you keep digging, one good place to look is in the archives of the local Baptist churches as they seemed to hold to that faith from early times. I don't Know if my ggg grandfather John Walker held to the Baptist faith or not as I have not found any proof of this to date but do know that his father George and grandfather Jesse did. Why this is important is when the records of the county are scarce you may find some listings in the local church records. John Walker purchased 280 acres of land in 1859 on Land Deed # 9210 listed as the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of section 8 and the south half of the SE 1/4 of section 7 and the North half of the NE 1/4 and the SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of section eighteen and the NW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of section seventeen in township five south of range 12 west in the district of lands subject to sale at Little Rrock Arkansas. This land is located near the town of Junet in Grant County, Here he farmed and raised his family, He out lived 3 wives and fathered (14) children his last marriage was in 1899 to Susan Brown who was much younger than he and had 8 children of her own from a previous marriage, All but two were grown and living on their own at the time of John and Susans marriage. John Walker's Wife Margaret Hix or Hicks ( note This is not proven to be her last name due to lack of marriage records in Tennessee because of fire) the name is taken from James Hicks who is found living with John and Margaret in the 1850 census for Jefferson county, Darysaw township Arkansas, who is believed to be her brother. Margaret died in I believe about Aug 1868 while giving birth to their daughter Laura M Walker. James Hicks later returned to the Sequatchie Valley in Tennessee with George Walker Jr. who was John's brother and Isaac Johnson who married Bashaba Walker, Johns sister she died shortly after giving birth to Charlotta Sally Johnson in 1849 in Grant county Arkansas. His second wife was a widow twice before John married her. Her maiden name is unknown, she was Mrs.Ajesta Norris b. 1822 in Mississippi when she married James Wardlaw in 1849 in Lauderdale county Tennessee they later moved to Jefferson county Arkansas about 1856 where her husband James Wardlaw died, and John Walker married her before the 1870 census in Grant county Arkansas ( part of old Jefferson county) Ajesta aka Agusten Norris, Wardlaw Walker died before the 1880 census in Grant county Arkansas John Walker's third Wife was Mary Harrison McClung wife of David L McClung who died in about 1864 in the civil war, she was born in 1825 in Alabama and married John Walker about 1878 in Grant County.( note here !) her daughter Martha A McClung from her previous marriage to David L McClung, later married my gg grandfather Philip Archibald Walker. in 1879 I have the marriage records, some Walker researchers despute this because they find it revolting but facts are facts and you can't pick your family members, And they were not blood related ! Mary Harrison McClung died sometime before 1899 in Grant County Arkansas in the town of Junet. John Walker's fourth wife was Mrs. Susannah Susan Davis, Anderson, Brown b. July 1847 in Alabama, She had been widowed twice before she married John Walker. Her first husband was Doc, Andrew G Anderson b. 1848 in Georgia they were married in May 1869 in Decalb County Alabama , her second Husband was William R Brown b. 1847 in Georgia or Alabama, they were married March 1873 in Jackson County Alabama he died in Grant county Arkansas between 1873 and 1898. John married Susan Brown in Grant county Arkansas April 16 1899 he died 11 years later. It should be noted here that the person who Married John Walker and Susan Brown in 1899 is none other than Moses Easterly son of Isaac B Easterly who was part of my early original research and a large help in finding my Walker family in Tennessee. Isaac B Easterly came to Jefferson County Arkansas with John Walker in 1849 he is mentioned in the Sequatchie county court minutes, and is listed as being decd, in Arkansas. The Easterly family were very close to my Walker line in Arkansas as well as the Johnson and Jones Families who also come from the Bledsoe , Roane, Rhea, Marion and Sequatchie Valley in Tennessee John Walker died March 10, 1910 at the age of 89 and lived in the same home until his death while on a visit to his grandson George W Walker b. 1871 son of Isaac Walker . John Walker the adventurer, pioneer, and farmer, saw the formation of the Sequatchie Valley in Tennessee from former Indian lands, the formation of Grant County from Jefferson and other Counties in Arkansas, lost sons in the Civil war, burried three wives, lived to the ripe old age of 89 and was fondly known by the people of the area as uncle Johnnie. His was just one of the many faces that made up these early pioneers and adventurers from Tennessee that came to be the people of Jefferson and early Grant County Arkansas. Like many other counties The Grant county court records were all destroyed by fire and their holdings only cover 1878 and up, Some early records can be found in Jefferson county as Jefferson is the parent county to Grant formed abt 1868 ============================================================== =============================================================================== ============================================= OBIT FOR JOHN WALKER Grant County Arkansas John Walker March 10, 1910. "Uncle Johnnie Walker, aged 89 years died at the home of his grandson George W. Walker, in this city, Tuesday at 5 o'clock p.m. the remains were interred yesterday afternoon at the Lee Graveyard across the Hurricane Creek, by the side of his first wife. Rev. B. F. Scott conducted the funeral services. Uncle Johnnie was one of the pioneer citizens of our county and was a good man, beloved by all who knew him." Additional Comments: My Walker family covered the following counties in Tennessee starting in 1796 Knox, Roane, Bledsoe, Rhea, Marion, and Sequatchie Information gathered from various sources including Arkansas and Tennessee Census records, Marriage records where available, various books and my own family history,County court minutes, and burrial site information. All facts Given have been proved with the available documents,and are given here in hopes of helping others to further their research. this information is to be used for research only and is not to be used for profit. All names cited in this text have been researched and I have more information on those listed hear for those interested. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/roane/bios/walker12gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/tnfiles/ File size: 10.9 Kb