Person:James Walker (143)

James Walker was the son of Alexander Walker of Malin, Ireland who settled about 1739 in the Forks of the Brandywine. The family relocated in 1761 to the Path Valley, settling in Metal Twp, Franklin County. Family stories indicate that James (aka "Supple Jimmy") was captured by Indians in August of 1762, and that "on the night of the 3 day of May 1763" the Indians burned the barn of James and his brother Samuel. Source:Beers, 1887 describes the events as follows:

In the summer of 1762, the indians began to be troublesome. James while on his way home from the fort at Loudon, was taken prisoner by them. On the night of March 22, 1763, the Indians burned their barn and shot their horses after they escaped from the burning building. In the barn when burned was a quantity of threshed wheat, and their descendants in the valley still have some of this burned and blackened wheat in their possession.

A more complete description can be found at: Notebook:Walker KBI's and CBI's in the Path Valley. James escaped, and returned to his family. His will was probated in Fannett Township in 1788. Family stories indicate that "he never fully recovered from the ordeal". From the will we can see that he did not marry, and had no descendants.

[edit]