Our Family
Walker Family History
John Walker Notes
I believe, based on naming conventions, that Thomas Jefferson Walker's father may have been a John Walker. There was a John Walker, b. between 1780 and 1790 (probably in North Carolina), and resided in St. Landry Parish in the 1830 census who I thought had a good chance of being Thomas' father. The male (age 25-45 b. between 1775-1795 in the 1820 census) living with Jeremiah, Mrs. Jeremiah and two other females in the 1820 census was probably a married son of Jeremiah and could have been the John Walker found in the 1830 census. He was the only male child living with them. The male in the 1820 census probably came to Louisiana with Jeremiah prior to 1820. John married before 1830, had children and lived in his own home in St. Landry Parish in the 1830 census (age 40-50 b. between 1780-1790). In fact, he may have been married in the 1820 census since one female in Jeremiah's household was age 16-25 b. between 1795-1805, and probably was his wife, with the younger female in the census, age under 10 b. between 1810-1820, being his daughter. He could have married on his way to Louisiana or married someone in Louisiana. I had wondered previously if Jeremiah and Mrs. Jeremiah, (age abt. 70 years in the 1820 census) really had a child under 10 years of age. After reviewing other census data, I concluded that the female child was the daughter of the other male and female in the household. In the 1830 census, which is the only one he appears in as head of household, John age 40-50, has two sons under age 5, one son age 10-15 (maybe another John), one daughter under age 5, two daughters age 10-14 and his wife age 30-40. The birth years for the 1830 John Walker correspond with the year that Jeremiah was discharged from the North Carolina Line after his service in the Revolutionary War when I think he married Mrs. Jeremiah.
There was also a John Walker mentioned in a property mortgage document for Maurice and Susan Moore To Marsden Campbell and John H. Overton in 1836. He had property along the west side of Bayou Chicot in the area where we know Thomas J. Walker [about 14 years of age in 1836] later had a home and could have been the same property or an adjacent property. The following is taken from the mortgage document:
COMMENT: The Moore's property is described as: "the following property towit, all that certain tract or parcel of land situated on the West side of Bayou Chicot in the aforesaid parish of St. Landry and containing about three hundred and twelve and an half acres bounded on the upper side by land now or formerly belonging to John Walker & on the lower side by land formerly belonging to Joseph Willis and being the same tract acquired by the said Maurice Moore by purchase from Benjamin R. Rogers".
Adding to my analysis, there is another reason that I believe John was the son of Jeremiah:
A John Walker was named administrator of Jeremiah Walker's estate after Mrs. Jeremiah Walker died.
I know that this is not proof, but it's all I have since the Opelousas Courthouse burned down in 1893 and all records were lost.
John Walker died around late 1839 or January, 1840 since he is not found in the 1840 census and his estate was probated on the 5th of February, 1840
COMMENT: Thomas [J.] Walker participated in the estate sale of John Walker's property at about the age of 18 and purchased several items on the list [see estate records of sale]. Money for his purchases was provided by Jesse Campbell. Eugene Egan [see following note] also participated in purchasing some of John's property.
On April 17, 1840, another succession was probated for John Walker in a partnership with Eugene Egan. I have transcribed the documents, but did not gain any insight into John Walker's life or connection to the family. The partnership seemed to be a cloth business in St. Landry Parish.
Jeremiah Walker Notes
John Walker Notes
Thomas J. Walker Notes
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